Why People are Sucked into Church

Many people would say they go to church for a few reasons and some of them have nothing to do with God.  I have been pondering church lately and realized why I miss it so much. 

I have taken a few socialist classes (the study of people’s social structures and how they reflect culture and society) and think the reason people in the US flock to church is because it is the form of community we are all lacking in our actual community.  One of the reasons people spend a good bit of time (in the protestant church) going through the process of find a church that is “just right for their needs” is because they are looking for a group of people who hold similar ideals to themselves.  They are looking for people to make parts of their extended family.  They are looking to make bonds and celebrate take part in the lives of others. 

One of the reasons it is so important to find the right church is because you want to hang with a group of people who have a similar world view – you do not want to be restricted or confined to a specific perspective you do not hold as a truth in your life.  And you want a church with a specific social climate that makes you feel welcome and a part of something bigger than your immediate family. 

What many countries have in their collectivist environments is an obligation to family and to culture.  In the US we channel all of our obligations into our religions and to our immediate family.

The reason this was on my mind because I was thinking about what I miss about church over the last year – what was it I was lacking when my faith is not “Biblical” or defined by a single religion.  So why do I find myself missing the familiar greetings and answers even if I do not believe them?  I realized that for me church has always been a somewhat social club where I made connections with others.  Yes the message would sometimes speak to me (depends on the speaker) but what always appealed to me first was the social scene of a church.

Without religion how do bring your whole family into a community of moral people who work together to better the country etc.?  They kind works and selfless acts that religion brings are sadly lacking in many other social organizations (not all) but they are not a focal point.  My sorrow of loss sometimes feel never ending.