Do You Bow Your Head?

[Polymath257]

Yes but you can't really expect to walk into a church without being ready to give an account of your beliefs. If you have no reason to be there, why are you there? Of course everything can be OTT. So I'm not excusing what I don't know but if you walk into a church, people have a right to question you.

So put a sign on the front door saying 'Nobody Allowed Who Disagrees With Us'. if people question me, then I will state what I think, especially if they question repeatedly. if I am attending a wedding or a funeral (which non-believers may well want to attend), then it is simply rude to ridicule my lack of belief if I am being otherwise respectful.

As I have pointed out, churches are not public, unless State churches. P.u.s.s.y. Riot were jailed in Russia for descrating a State church. There have been many thefts from churches. If someone has no purpose being in a church, may be their intentions are malicious.

Is going to a wedding or funeral such a purpose? How about if I am invited by a member?

Heck, the espiscopal church in my current locale (an 19th century building) currently lies in ruins, having been burnt down by some atheist jerk, whom was later jailed, incurring a $multi-million loss to some insurance company.

There is a LONG stretch from stating a differing belief when asked and burning down a building, don't you think? Maybe you should cool off a bit and realize non-believers often have legitimate reasons for being in a church (how about non-religious group meetings, which often happen in spaces rented from churches?).

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Just thinking of where I madean exception to the "their house, their rules" thing:

During the leadup to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada, a guest priest at my ex's (then wife's) church gave a particularly hateful, vitriolic homily against homosexuality. I think the archdiocese was sending him from parish to parish to rally the troops against the new "threat."

From that day forward, I refused to kneel at that church or any other Catholic church. My ex still wanted me to go... so I did, but I still refused to kneel. I got some weird looks, but nobody said anything directly.

 

[Shad]

Do you feel disrespected if someone attempts to embarrass you into making this gesture if you don't follow that specific religion?

No. I just ignore it and do what I want anyways.

 

[ChristineM]

I don't bow my head but am respectively silent while thinking about the farmers and fishermen who actually provide the food.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

At my daughter's graduation party, my ex-wife's husband (who is a devout Christian) asked a guest who is a pastor at his church to lead a prayer before food was served.

As the prayer began, I glanced around to room to see who was listening, who had their head bowed, and who had the expression of, "Is it almost over?" written on their faces.

I'm not a Christian, and while I don't bow my head, I'm not bothered or offended by others' needs for an invocation before a meal or other sort of event.

Do you feel it is disrespectful for someone of a different faith or no faith at all to not remove their hat or bow their head during a prayer or invocation?

Do you feel disrespected if someone attempts to embarrass you into making this gesture if you don't follow that specific religion?

People should just live and let live. And no, I wouldn't feel "disrespected" if someone expected me to conform to their religion, because the opinions of those who attempt to force their belief systems on others aren't really worth anything to me.

 

[stvdv]

14 jun 2018 stvdv 011 37

I got some weird looks, but nobody said anything directly.

If "looks could kill" you might have not been here on RF.

People don't have to say mean things. If they think it and express it on their face it is already violence IMO. Sometimes "silence is a killer"

 

[YmirGF]

I don't bow my head. For me to do so would be insincere, pointless, and meaningless. Usually I look around to see if anyone else has their head up, though usually if they do it's to chastise someone (such as their kids) for not having their head down. No one has given me any grief about though.
As for doing public prayers, I wish they'd knock it off to be more inclusive and acknowledge that not everyone present is Christian. I don't even like them at funerals because they focus on the person being dead, rather than celebrating the life of the deceased.

I am pretty much in agreement with this throughout. I simply do not bow my head. The reason is, if sincere believers are bowing their heads they are not going to notice any slight as they have been bowing their heads, not looking around to see if everyone is bowing their heads too. LOL. I have often studied rooms of people bowing their heads in prayer and have only been caught by those who are looking around like me.

Personally, I don't do funerals. With mom, we had a little gathering in the garden on a lovely afternoon. No religious overtones, whatsoever. She sat in her little container, an a table, while we all sat around talking about our fond memories. A god would have smiled on our efforts.

 

[stvdv]

14 jun 2018 stvdv 011 39

Yes but you can't really expect to walk into a church without being ready to give an account of your beliefs. If you have no reason to be there, why are you there? Of course everything can be OTT. So I'm not excusing what I don't know but if you walk into a church, people have a right to question you.

I had a very good reason to be there.

 

[outlawState]

The consequences of allowing any Tom, Dick or Harry into your church, without knowing anything about them.

 

[ChristineM]

If "looks could kill" you might have not been here on RF.

People don't have to say mean things. If they think it and express it on their face it is already violence IMO. Sometimes "silence is a killer"

And if they tell god about it... Expect a thunderstorm

 

[ChristineM]

The consequences of allowing any Tom, Dick or Harry into your church, without knowing anything about them.

Consequences of letting Christians into your town centre without knowing anything about them

 

[stvdv]

14 jun 2018 stvdv 011 40

Yes but you can't really expect to walk into a church without being ready to give an account of your beliefs. If you have no reason to be there, why are you there? Of course everything can be OTT. So I'm not excusing what I don't know but if you walk into a church, people have a right to question you.

As I have pointed out, churches are not public, unless State churches. P.u.s.s.y. Riot were jailed in Russia for desecrating a State church maliciously. There have been many thefts from churches. If someone has no purpose being in a church, may be their intentions are malicious.

Heck, the espiscopal church in my current locale (a listed 19th century building) currently lies in ruins, having been burnt down by some atheist jerk, whom was later jailed, incurring a $multi-million loss to some insurance company.

This reply was @Polymath257: but you can't give up to repeat your senseless criticism on me. And after telling you many times I had a good reason, you never asked for the reason BUT kept repeating "without reason, what are you doing in the church".

I guess it is very difficult for some people to say sorry and to admit that they were wrong.

 

[Apologes]

I don't think it's at all disrespectful for a person of a different faith to not participate in the prayer. I can imagine people will find it uncomfortable though if everyone else is praying but they're not.

That's why when I'm having lunch with my atheist friend, I just say a quiet prayer by myself and make it short so as to not make the whole thing akward with me praying for 2 minutes and my friend waiting in silence. Some times I just make a cross sign and he just nods and says "good appetite".

No need to make a fuss.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Personally, I don't do funerals. With mom, we had a little gathering in the garden on a lovely afternoon. No religious overtones, whatsoever. She sat in her little container, an a table, while we all sat around talking about our fond memories. A god would have smiled on our efforts.

I don't like funerals either. IMO, they focus way too much on what we will all have our turn to do. I'd much rather prefer the approach of honoring what someone did with the time they had, remembering good times, and celebrating their life.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

The consequences of allowing any Tom, Dick or Harry into your church, without knowing anything about them.

I told them I didn't want to go. I told them I had other things I had to do. But they made me go. And when I touched the handle to go in, well, you posted the results.

 

[Ponder This]

At my daughter's graduation party, my ex-wife's husband (who is a devout Christian) asked a guest who is a pastor at his church to lead a prayer before food was served.

As the prayer began, I glanced around to room to see who was listening, who had their head bowed, and who had the expression of, "Is it almost over?" written on their faces.

I'm not a Christian, and while I don't bow my head, I'm not bothered or offended by others' needs for an invocation before a meal or other sort of event.

Do you feel it is disrespectful for someone of a different faith or no faith at all to not remove their hat or bow their head during a prayer or invocation?

Do you feel disrespected if someone attempts to embarrass you into making this gesture if you don't follow that specific religion?

In the Book of Esther, Mordecai refuses to bow to Haman.
Haman is offended and seeks to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews.
Needless to say, this does not end well for Haman.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

It is very unusual, for "church members" to be present at a private wedding unless they are invited guests. I am not sure that you have your facts right. Church weddings do not take place on Sundays but on Saturdays. Everyone knows that.

I don't know where you come from or what church you attend, but in England getting married in church on Sunday is very common. As for church members, anyone can enter an Anglican church: it's a public building.

 

[stvdv]

15 jun 2018 stvdv 011 43

I don't know where you come from or what church you attend, but in England getting married in church on Sunday is very common. As for church members, anyone can enter an Anglican church: it's a public building.

That is true. Here in Holland to marry on Sunday is getting even more popular. It is seen as special. Of course prices are also little more special [double]

 

[outlawState]

I don't know where you come from or what church you attend, but in England getting married in church on Sunday is very common. As for church members, anyone can enter an Anglican church: it's a public building.

Not a public building. The right of entry to an Anglican church outside of service hours is entirely discretionary, and dependent on circumstances. The right to refuse communion to anyone is vested in the priest. The vast majority of people get married Thur-Sat. according to stats.

 

[Brickjectivity]

At my daughter's graduation party, my ex-wife's husband (who is a devout Christian) asked a guest who is a pastor at his church to lead a prayer before food was served.

As the prayer began, I glanced around to room to see who was listening, who had their head bowed, and who had the expression of, "Is it almost over?" written on their faces.

I'm not a Christian, and while I don't bow my head, I'm not bothered or offended by others' needs for an invocation before a meal or other sort of event.

Do you feel it is disrespectful for someone of a different faith or no faith at all to not remove their hat or bow their head during a prayer or invocation?

Do you feel disrespected if someone attempts to embarrass you into making this gesture if you don't follow that specific religion?

It depends. Is it their home? In that case it does not imply conversion. Is it your home? Then it might. There are also certain prayers that are conversion prayers, others that are not. Don't repeat after the speaker without knowing what they will pray, don't say anything they tell you to such as 'Amen', unless you understand the prayer and agree. Bowing your head is one thing. Nodding implies agreement (or side to side motion in India). Also, are you bowing out of respect for others, out of reverence for a god, out of self preservation, out of politeness or what? Know why you are bowing. If the prayer runs long, if you panic or feel like you are losing yourself then quietly walk away, back up or in some other way dissociate yourself.