# Atheists: How often do you go to church? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 28, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923 "2011-09-28T20:24:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/61 "2011-09-30T00:22:06Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Weddings and funerals i can’t avoid. There’s usually only one funeral you can’t avoid. 😃 Weddings & funerals for me too… at most. Haven’t been to a church wedding in quite a while – rose gardens, people’s backyards, etc, but not churches. My own wedding was in a crypt – no, not _that_ kind of crypt – just the big hall below a church. Oh, and I’ve visited the basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe… which is the only church I’ve been in that had a conveyor belt. And then there was that one time with the minister’s daughter in the back pew… ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/62 "2011-09-30T07:44:37Z")
My chorus rehearses in a church once a week. This has nothing to do with it being a church. Other than that, never. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/63 "2011-09-30T07:59:46Z")
I used to go to a step-dancing class that met weekly at some church, does that count? I really didn’t think of it as a church, but it sure didn’t look like a dance studio, either. I don’t even know what kind of church. I don’t think I ever knew. I’m in a critique group now that meets once a week in a church. This one’s Episcopalian. I think. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/64 "2011-09-30T08:49:33Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Church of the Basilica A Basilica is a kind of church… which one did you mean? The ones I’ve heard people talk about wanting to visit or having visited most often are Guadalupe, el Pilar, Assisi, the Nativity and St John Lateranis (sp?). My crystal ball is putting its money on the Nativity, for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/65 "2011-09-30T09:51:57Z")
Weddings, funerals, choral events where I know a performer, and general tourism - old churches are cool. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/66 "2011-09-30T09:55:14Z")
Being a musician I spend a lot of time in churches. I used to be a paid soloist/choir member for a UCC church in Nebraska and went every Sunday for five years. I still go occasionally for various reasons. But I have never taken Communion. I don’t mind standing and singing (even when I’m not getting paid) but participating in the Eucharist is too much like lying. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/67 "2011-09-30T10:51:26Z")
Weddings, funerals, organ concerts, showing people around my town, sometimes an Easter Mass, location spotting for work, and sightseeing on vacations. All in all, I see the inside of a church about once a month. I enjoy Easter mass. For me, it is a childhood thing, a way of celebrating Spring, and my way of keeping in touch. Besides, it has singing and candle lighting. If I’m in Easter Mass, I do take communion. Even though I am inwardly making rolleyes at the sermon. Might as well do the whole shebang, besides, I enjoy getting blessed by anyone, however perfunctory. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/68 "2011-09-30T11:29:42Z")
How often I go to church depends on how often friends and family are marrying, getting babies baptized, burying loved ones, etc. Ironically, the last time I was in a church was for my older son’s confirmation… yes, he chose church. **shrug** ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/69 "2011-09-30T11:31:06Z")
Never, unless it’s a funeral, thankfully, that hasn’t happened in a long time… ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/70 "2011-09-30T11:59:27Z")
Every week for (non-church) choir rehearsal, an average of one funeral/wedding a year, a couple of times a year we will stop by a cathedral if we are visiting the town/city in question, and recently I have been attending just a couple of Sunday services in preparation for my own wedding. I don’t say any of the prayers or responses, but I do sing the hymns, 'cos I like singing. I don’t _mean_ the words I’m singing :). ---
**Author:** ![abel29a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@abel29a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abel29a)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/71 "2011-09-30T13:42:06Z")
Funerals, baptizings and weddings, although I tend to try and skip any church events for the two latter, and go straight to the afterparty if applicable 🙂 This would probably translate into two church visits a year on average I guess. Oh, I also attend concerts held in churches from time to time, but I don’t feel this count, as it isn’t religion-related, it’s more of an acoustic, nice big cathedral packs a decent amount of people thing. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/72 "2011-09-30T13:47:03Z")
If we’re talking about being inside any place of worship for any reason… All of the public buildings in the little town my in-laws live in are church buildings, so the 1-2 times we visit them every year, we inevitable end up in a church. And every time I’m in a place with a great big fancy church that tourists walk through, I will go to it. Church architecture is some of the best. Other’n that, never. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/73 "2011-09-30T13:57:52Z")
The local chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation meets at our church :D. ---
**Author:** ![lynne-42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lynne-42/32/3138_2.png) [@lynne-42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynne-42)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/74 "2011-09-30T13:58:04Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > There’s usually only one funeral you can’t avoid. 😃 Can’t think of one. My parents both requested in advance that there would be no funeral. There wasn’t. My husband and I have the same request noted. So no funeral for me. I am sure there are much better things my family can do with the money. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923/75 "2011-09-30T14:09:58Z")
When I was a child I used to go to church regularly. My parents were atheists but left my church going up to me. After I stopped going due to lack of interest, I have only since been in churches for a few weddings, as a tourist and taking my mate’s wife to late night services when he was working. She didn’t want to go to midnight mass alone where we lived. Actually I recall that for a while, as a teenager, my mates and I used to hang around with the speaking-in-tongues evangelists. They provided coffee and free eats on a Friday night and, if it wasn’t for the religious nature of all the talk, were pretty interesting. We went to a couple of their services and freaked out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheists-how-often-do-you-go-to-church/597923.md?page=3)