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Religious Rituals

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
pope-francis-during-mass.jpg

Religious rituals, are thee pleasurable experiences to you. Do you find comfort in the ritual?
Or, do you see these as duties that you are obligated to fulfill whether you find them enjoyable or not?

The few Catholic masses I went to, everyone, except me, knew the proper responses, when to kneel, when to rise, when to pray. The Methodist church, Sundays held little rituals. Mostly just a sermon by the priest.

As a kid, going to church was an obligation. Not something I looked forward to. Even though I kind of liked the singing. I would rather be doing something else.

Do you find pleasure in some rituals and others not so much?

What is your favorite/least favorite ritual?

Are you secular but still attend for the rituals?
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
I love rituals and I loved the masses. I loved both Anglican and Catholic services.
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
I love religious rituals.

A past leader of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, Nuinn, has a quote I like regarding ritual: "Ritual is poetry in the world of acts." I think this is very true. When one can let their guard down, and just experience, ritual allows one to 'connect' to something deeper.

Some will say its divinity, others will say its a different state of consciousness, and others will say its hooey.

My favorite ritual to attend is probably the Rudrabishikam. It is the first ritual I attended in a Hindu temple, and I went back monthly when I could(until Covid hit). It familiarity is comforting, and the chanting draws out a certain peace in me. I love the opportunity to connect with Shiva.

I didn't like church as a kid. The music was awful. (I went to a Presbyterian church). I didn't like the doom and gloom attitude. I remember wanting to go to a church where people leaped and sang with the Holy Spirit, and requesting to do so as a preschooler, but dad got really mad at me when I suggested this.
 

Lain

Well-Known Member
pope-francis-during-mass.jpg

Religious rituals, are thee pleasurable experiences to you. Do you find comfort in the ritual?
Or, do you see these as duties that you are obligated to fulfill whether you find them enjoyable or not?

Do you find pleasure in some rituals and others not so much?

What is your favorite/least favorite ritual?

I adore rituals because to me they represent order and stability, when I am able to continue in them I feel as if the Universe is itself righted because outside of God there is nothing but chaos, death, and disintegration. I attend them so that these evil things can get purged out of me. I find comfort in them, but sometimes it can not be enjoyable. Consolations received or not, it ultimately is a duty we owe.

I find all of them to be about the same with being pleasurable.

My favorite two are Confession and the Mass, in the first you empty yourself of evil and unburden your soul then in the latter you fill yourself with God. They go together and it is like breathing out and in.

The ritual of praying seven (or eight) times a day as instructed in the Psalter is also another perfect one to me, it reforms the soul.
 
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IndigoChild5559

Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
pope-francis-during-mass.jpg

Religious rituals, are thee pleasurable experiences to you. Do you find comfort in the ritual?
Or, do you see these as duties that you are obligated to fulfill whether you find them enjoyable or not?

The few Catholic masses I went to, everyone, except me, knew the proper responses, when to kneel, when to rise, when to pray. The Methodist church, Sundays held little rituals. Mostly just a sermon by the priest.

As a kid, going to church was an obligation. Not something I looked forward to. Even though I kind of liked the singing. I would rather be doing something else.

Do you find pleasure in some rituals and others not so much?

What is your favorite/least favorite ritual?

Are you secular but still attend for the rituals?
I find a lot of comfort in religious rituals and in particular, I find a lot of meaning in worshiping along with others in group recitations and the singing of psalms and stuff (as opposed to people who pray independently at the same time). I like the use of symbols and blessings and stuff like that. I have heard some people refer to "empty ritual," but ritual is anything but empty for me. It is rich and full and meaningful.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I love ritual, but I think my love is perhaps is Hindu specific. Not sure if I enjoy other rituals from across the planet, although I did enjoy an indigenous smudging once upon a time. The high point in the puja, the final aarti, is my favorite part. I'm thinking 'beseeching' throughout the Hindu ritual.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
As a child, I was in Temple for the usual secular reasons: weddings & funerals. I don't remember feeling much one way or the other about them.

Now the only ritual I'm involved in is singing "God alone is real and the goal of life is to be united with Him through love" for several minutes before weekly class. That to me is supremely meaningful.
 

Sand Dancer

Crazy Cat Lady
pope-francis-during-mass.jpg

Religious rituals, are thee pleasurable experiences to you. Do you find comfort in the ritual?
Or, do you see these as duties that you are obligated to fulfill whether you find them enjoyable or not?

The few Catholic masses I went to, everyone, except me, knew the proper responses, when to kneel, when to rise, when to pray. The Methodist church, Sundays held little rituals. Mostly just a sermon by the priest.

As a kid, going to church was an obligation. Not something I looked forward to. Even though I kind of liked the singing. I would rather be doing something else.

Do you find pleasure in some rituals and others not so much?

What is your favorite/least favorite ritual?

Are you secular but still attend for the rituals?

I like singing and the Lord's Supper. I don't like some of the more ostentatious showings of tithing. I was Protestant, but Catholicism is ornate from an artistic point of view. In the Bible, Amos says that Yahweh did not like the feasts and sacrifice if they ignored the poor.
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
pope-francis-during-mass.jpg

Religious rituals, are thee pleasurable experiences to you. Do you find comfort in the ritual?
Or, do you see these as duties that you are obligated to fulfill whether you find them enjoyable or not?

The few Catholic masses I went to, everyone, except me, knew the proper responses, when to kneel, when to rise, when to pray. The Methodist church, Sundays held little rituals. Mostly just a sermon by the priest.

As a kid, going to church was an obligation. Not something I looked forward to. Even though I kind of liked the singing. I would rather be doing something else.

Do you find pleasure in some rituals and others not so much?

What is your favorite/least favorite ritual?

Are you secular but still attend for the rituals?

If one's heart is in it... all rituals have great pleasure.

As far as children :) most children don't like going to school either. :) They would rather be doing something else. (As well as having to eat everything that was served them)

The greatest ritual... I come to a home where there are 5 to 6 families. We start with the Lord's supper. Eat, laugh, enjoy each others company and then have a Bible study.

After that and in order... Services and water baptism
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
Religious rituals, are thee pleasurable experiences to you. Do you find comfort in the ritual?
The most profound ritual:
1) When you are born, you inhale (life force)
2) When you die, you exhale (life force)

You only need this one essential ritual:D

Note: Before people give me "funny", this is meant to be serious;), just contemplate on it, and you will know
 
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