religious participation during spring

[MuirWannabe]

For Christians, Good Friday and Easter are solemn and celebratory remembrances of what is considered the single most important event in human history. Yes, my family will be remembering what God did for us and attending church to worship.

 

[aja8888]

After reading this thread, I am craving a BIG CHOCOLATE BUNNY (hollow or otherwise)!

 

[braumeister]

Goodbye fillings and crowns!

Not at all! It melts in your mouth.

 

[Gumby]

.....
I do remember the RC church where I grew up. The priest put out a quarterly newsletter including, among other things, a list of people who gave at least $X during the quarter. Tacky.
...

In my 386 year old Congregational church, there are only two people in the congregation who know what anyone pledges or donates, because we are the ones who have to process the collections every week and deposit them in the bank, as well as create the appropriate donation records so people can get a charitable deduction on their taxes. And we are sworn to secrecy. We take great pains to keep our two ministers in the dark about donations, because we want them to treat every member of the congregation the same.

 

[jimbee]

No, I'm not superstitious.

 

[Mark1]

Do you still participate in those events in much the same way your family did while you were a child?

Sometimes DW and I will have a ham on Easter, but that is about it. I guess growing up in Iowa meant pigs were more popular than lambs (?). I'm not religious, but I do believe nitrous amines are carcinogenic so on the rare occasion that I do eat ham, I add ground up Vitamin C during the preparation. Does the Vitamin C do any good? I don't know, but you have to believe in something.

 

[HFWR]

Admittedly, I’m non religious, and, well, a wiseass, but I respect others’ beliefs, as long as mine are also.

 

[kumquat]

I grew up on a farm near a small town. Most were churchgoers. My parents went to church Xmas and Easter. They let me off the hook when I was about 12. Other than weddings, funerals and paid employment, I haven't set foot in one since.

 

[HFWR]

Sometimes DW and I will have a ham on Easter, but that is about it. I guess growing up in Iowa meant pigs were more popular than lambs (?). I'm not religious, but I do believe nitrous amines are carcinogenic so on the rare occasion that I do eat ham, I add ground up Vitamin C during the preparation. Does the Vitamin C do any good? I don't know, but you have to believe in something.

I believe I’ll have another slice of that ham. And pass the deviled eggs…

I was “raised” Protestant, in a church that was mostly solemn, with traditional hymns, think Little House on the Prairie. There were, however, a few more raucous churches in town, and also a Mennonite congregation. There were Amish the next county over.

My mom was church organist for years. We went to SS and church, and I was in CYA, no pun intended. Of course, in a small town, it’s school and church, bur daily lives were pretty much secular.

My dad mostly played golf on Sunday mornings, though later in life he became more religious, and I do mean more…

It was occasionally a cause of friction, and I hated to disappoint him, because it was really important to him. I just got tired of faking it.

 

[Trailwalker]

We will be attending Easter service. I'm not a big fan of organized religion, but the small neighborhood church that we occasionally attend and financially support isn't very organized. They do a great job with a food pantry and community cookouts in the lower middle class Madison, Wisconsin neighborhood where it's located. I always walk away with something new to think about.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

When I was a kid I was fortunate to attend a church that was led by a couple of excellent theologians, William Lesher and his wife Jean. They were wonderful people; Bill went on to serve as president of two Lutheran seminaries, in Berkeley and Chicago. Later he was chairman of an organization called the Parliament of the World's Religions.
Every Easter, Pastor Lesher would don the uniform of a Roman Centurion and give a first-person account of the crucifixion and resurrection through the eyes of a Roman soldier. It was an awesome performance, every year.

 

[Sue J]

I was raised without a religion. My mom was an atheist. My dad was raised in a strict small town church. He never attended any church from the time I was born until he died. I don't know if he believed in any religion; he never espoused it. Just lived by the golden rule.

We did the bunny, eggs, and fake grass thing as kids. Nothing else. I loved the chocolate bunny and the chocolate eggs. Peeps came later.

We raised our sons without a religion. So it’s nice to see that you became a happy, healthy, whole adult in the same circumstance.

When my son’s wife became a Christian it was quite a surprise. They are both fine with him not participating. The kids are being raised Christian with a lot of Chinese cultural influence. It’s interesting. Some day they will ask me about me and I will be honest.

The kids are 6 and 3 so their Mom is going overboard on local Easter egg hunts and Easter baskets, etc. I hope they get Peeps!

 

[silvor]

No, aside maybe from a good family meal.
I'm not a religious fanatic...

You can be religious without being a fanatic.

 

[Car-Guy]

no

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I go to church all year around. Extra when there are special services during Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.

I don't pat myself on the back and I respect those who chose otherwise.

 

[youbet]

Many religions have one or more customary events during the spring season. Do you still participate in those events in much the same way your family did while you were a child?

Is there a reason you broke out "spring?" For those who pursue a philosophy of life which includes participating in some sort of "organized religion" it seems that would be more of a year around thing.

 

[GrayHare]

Is there a reason you broke out "spring?"

Only because it currently the time of Passover and Easter, and probably other traditions of which I am not well informed.

 

[HFWR]

Only because it currently the time of Passover and Easter, and probably other traditions of which I am not well informed.

And throw in Palm Sunday.

All of the Abrahamic religions have holy days, most of which pass by without recognition, or even awareness, on my part.

 

[youbet]

And throw in Palm Sunday.

All of the Abrahamic religions have holy days, most of which pass by without recognition, or even awareness, on my part.

But did you miss 26 March 2025? That was the 27th of Ramadan, depending on the sighting of the moon. "The Night of Power."

I find it so interesting to learn about the beliefs and especially the music of people around the world and of all times.

https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/giving/islamic-giving/ramadan/laylatul-qadr/

 

[Salaryman]

DW and I attend an Episcopal church in NJ, drank the coolaid sometime back and now serving on choir and Vestry. Attended most of holy week services leading to Easter Sunday. No judgements on others (escaped from RC), you do you and we do what we want to do.

 

[HFWR]

But did you miss 26 March 2025? That was the 27th of Ramadan, depending on the sighting of the moon. "The Night of Power."

I find it so interesting to learn about the beliefs and especially the music of people around the world and of all times.

https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/giving/islamic-giving/ramadan/laylatul-qadr/

Meh…

My phone’s calendar “reminds” me of various holy days, but I don’t participate. Although the music part might be interesting.

 

[Salaryman]

More so and more seriously. I was raised Roman Catholic, went through the motions, disagreed with the Pope on many things, stayed out of organized religion for 20 years and joined the Episcopal Church in 1992 just before I turned 40. It's a far better fit and my church community has been a sustaining force in my life. A few years ago I became a Licensed Lay Preacher. usually I preach one of the sermons during Holy Week but didn't this year- working on my next one for May 25. I'll be with DS and family on Easter so will hear one of the good fundamentalist sermons- really they ARE good and I always get intelligent insights. Too bad a woman will never preach in that church because, you know, Paul....

I love Reese's Peanut Butter eggs but they're not good for my a1C.

Same here, Episcopal church was a good fit for us and super diverse. Our Bishop, Caryle Hughes, is a woman of color.

 

[Winemaker]

Was raised Roman Catholic, and still practice my faith, with my wife, and raised our 2 kids in the faith. DD attends a different denomination and DS gave it up when he got married. To each , his own. To have the friends, family, a great work history, the ability to save, and retire at 56 almost 11 years ago, I am blessed and extremely grateful.

 

[Ronstar]

My religious participation is listening daily to Father Mike Schmitz Bible in a Year podcast.

 

[mystang52]

It's interesting to see the many replies here showing so many non-religious folks. I'm in that group. I was raised Jewish, DW was raised more orthodox Jewish than I. I took an English course in college called "The Bible as Literature." I learned so much how the many parables in both Testaments were merely versions of even older cultures' parables. I was already a non-believer by then. DW "converted" to my way of thinking over the years. Gotta confess, we still adhere to the traditions of the major Holidays with our kids and grandkids, but it's cultural versus religion.