# Is it hypocritical to join a church if you don't believe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 3, 2003, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-join-a-church-if-you-dont-believe/199306 "2003-09-03T12:48:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RoundGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90ced4/32.png) [@RoundGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoundGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-join-a-church-if-you-dont-believe/199306/41 "2003-09-04T14:11:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Svt4Him \* > Do you think there aren’t intellectual reasons for believing what I do? No I don’t. Please show me how your belief is intellectual. > [@](#): > > Do you think I’ve turned off my mind Yes. > [@](#): > > I do continually search for reasonable, rational answers to all questions. But it becomes stupid to keep searching, once you’ve found an answer to a question. The capital of Canada is Ottawa You are confusing fact with myth. Not unusual for a Theist. > [@](#): > > I’d rather have faith in God, who has personally shown me His faithfulness. He’s _personally_ shown you? _Personally?_ Wow. Then I guess you have undeniable proof of his existence. Care to share, so that we can all be enlightened? > [@](#): > > Does that mean I commit intellectual suicide? Yes, or you are intellectually dishonest. It can only be one or the other. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-join-a-church-if-you-dont-believe/199306/42 "2003-09-04T14:22:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by godzillatemple \* > **We agreed that relying on religion to provide our (hopefully future) children with moral underpinings is simply replacing “Daddy doesn’t like that” with “God doesn’t like that.” A better way, we decided, was to try and teach out children _why_ it’s wrong to do such-and-such, and why it is good to do such-and-such.** Which is why I am NOT raising my kids in a dogmatic, Hellcentric sect, though one should not underestimate the value of having a higher authority backing you up when you are dealing with small children. 😉 OTOH, my kids didn’t start going to church until they were ten, by which time the persuasive power of a scary bearded guy in the sky or a crying Baby Jesus are nil. My church is more concered with why it is wrong than the punishment associated with doing it. And, fortunately, they and I agree on what’s wrong in most cases. I am glad, though, that you see that the level of understanding of a three year old is not the same as that of an older child. You may find that “Don’t do that–you’ll hurt yourself” works better than “Don’t do that because Daddy doesn’t like it” when they get to be three. And there is some satisfaction in saying, “See? I told you it would hurt.” ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-join-a-church-if-you-dont-believe/199306/43 "2003-09-04T19:26:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Can you explain the meaning of life? … Is it all just a big accident or is there a purpose we cannot see? … There comes a point where you cannot explain existence. The questions are meaningless and have no answers. That we can ask them and think they need to be answered is merely a side effect of our cognitive structure, nothing more. The Truth Shall Set You Free. 🙂 > [@](#): > > Is it hypocritical to join a church if you don’t believe? Depends. Are the chicks hot? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-join-a-church-if-you-dont-believe/199306/44 "2003-09-05T03:22:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > \*\*Depends. Are the chicks hot? \*\* Way. That’s why I recommend scouting around for a Scandanavian congregation. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-join-a-church-if-you-dont-believe/199306/45 "2003-09-05T11:47:43Z")
Hey, hey – I’m happily married, guys! You trying to get me into trouble with the missus or something? Sheeesh… 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-join-a-church-if-you-dont-believe/199306.md?page=2)