Old Habits die hard?

[OnceConvinced]

For the first time this year, I attended church. (Was staying at my parents place over the weekend and decided to visit their new church - a presbyterian). I thought it would be neat to go, just to observe, rather than be actively involved like I used to as a Christian

I must admit, I was surprised, it was lively and full of youth. They had a great band up there. It reminded me of the apostolic church I went to for over ten years.

They even sang some of my old favourite songs. I couldn't resist joining in. Great songs. You know what? I'd got through a few lines of the song and I could feel the old presense of the holy spirit come upon me (or at least what I used to believe was the holy spirit). There was a strong desire to lift up my hands and close my eyes like I used to. I could feel that warm fuzzy feeling and the buzz, the feeling I once attributed to the presence of the Holy spirit. I knew that if I did, I'd have the same experiences I had as a Christian. There was no doubt in my mind. It was exactly the same. I even felt the urge to pray in tongues later as the worship leader prayed.

Old habits die hard?

It got me thinking. What would Christians have to say about this? Some would claim I have blasphemed the holy spirit so he couldn't possibly be still in me. Others would say that the holy spirit has never left me even though I consider myself an ex-Christian and no longer believe Jesus to be the son of God. The ones who like to exagerate will try to claim that's not the holy spirit at all and that the HS is way more profound.

Of course the unbelievers will probably talk about the hypnotic effect singing and worshiping amongst a large group of people with music playing can have on you. I tend to go with that explanation. It's been my belief for a while now that that's what the "holy spirit" and "God's presence" is, when you're in there in church. It's the atmosphere, nothing more. I think my visit to church over the weekend cemented that fact even more.

So what do you guys reckon?

[Homicidal_Cherry53]

So what do you guys reckon?

You pretty much summarized my position when you summarized the "atheist" position.

[Beto]

Of course the unbelievers will probably talk about the hypnotic effect singing and worshiping amongst a large group of people with music playing can have on you. I tend to go with that explanation. It's been my belief for a while now that that's what the "holy spirit" and "God's presence" is, when you're in there in church. It's the atmosphere, nothing more. I think my visit to church over the weekend cemented that fact even more.

Honestly, I think that probably resembles the feeling an alcoholic must get when having a drink after a long time of sobriety. Some people say you never stop being an alcoholic, and perhaps you can never really get religion out of your system, depending on how committed one once was. It's still an addiction, much like how people get addicted to big crowds in sporting events and really fall into the mob mentality, becoming one with whatever the crowd is feeling as a single entity. An analogy I can think of is the pendulum. A lot of people focusing on the same start getting in synch. The more your were once in synch the easier it must be to fall back into it.

[C-Nub]

Interesting, especially the part about praying in tongues, as I've been to such a church-sermon once, and it scared the holy bajesus out of me. I think it has a lot to do with the mob mentality phenomenon, and I'm very disheartened by the lack of research into that strange pack behavior we humans can demonstrate, like that of riots or soldiers in martial law.


I often times catch myself singing my favorite church songs, having been raised roman catholic, and I sometimes wonder if I'm betraying myself or my values by doing so. I've concluded that it isn't, because I always did like those songs, and I don't think I ever associated them, or anything else in church, with God at all.

An interesting side note, though, I do have a Pavlovian reaction to my old Church to this day. No matter how alert I am, no matter how much caffeine I might imbue before entering the building, I am physically unable to stop yawning once I'm inside. It's very, very strange. I literally go from yawn to yawn to yawn without stopping, without the ability to stop. It's a most indescribable feeling that I don't think anyone could ever mistake for the holy spirt.

[OnceConvinced]

Thanks for those thought provoking comments.

I'd really like to get some Christian's opinions on this one too.

[achilles12604]

Thanks for those thought provoking comments.

I'd really like to get some Christian's opinions on this one too.

Does my opinion count as Christian?

I shall assume so.

In my opinion it could very well be one of two things.

1) It could be the reaction your body has to a positive environment which you are familiar with and in which you feel safe and happy.

2) It could be that God doesn't adhere to any particular religion and will send his spirit to anyone willing to commune with him, where ever they are, and what ever they believe.

It could probably be more things, but those are two off the top of my head

[OnceConvinced]

Thanks for those thought provoking comments.

I'd really like to get some Christian's opinions on this one too.

Does my opinion count as Christian?

It most certainly does.

1) It could be the reaction your body has to a positive environment which you are familiar with and in which you feel safe and happy.

could be.

2) It could be that God doesn't adhere to any particular religion and will send his spirit to anyone willing to commune with him, where ever they are, and what ever they believe.

That would definitely show a far more loving and merciful God. A god who does not just cut a human off because of disbelief or lack of faith.

[AB]

Of course the unbelievers will probably talk about the hypnotic effect singing and worshiping amongst a large group of people with music playing can have on you. I tend to go with that explanation. It's been my belief for a while now that that's what the "holy spirit" and "God's presence" is, when you're in there in church. It's the atmosphere, nothing more. I think my visit to church over the weekend cemented that fact even more.

Honestly, I think that probably resembles the feeling an alcoholic must get when having a drink after a long time of sobriety. Some people say you never stop being an alcoholic, and perhaps you can never really get religion out of your system, depending on how committed one once was. It's still an addiction, much like how people get addicted to big crowds in sporting events and really fall into the mob mentality, becoming one with whatever the crowd is feeling as a single entity. An analogy I can think of is the pendulum. A lot of people focusing on the same start getting in synch. The more your were once in synch the easier it must be to fall back into it.

Good point. Just like in Acts; "drunk" in the holy spirit. He didn't remember and feel something that wasn't real. Call it what you want. But it was real.

[Beto]

Of course the unbelievers will probably talk about the hypnotic effect singing and worshiping amongst a large group of people with music playing can have on you. I tend to go with that explanation. It's been my belief for a while now that that's what the "holy spirit" and "God's presence" is, when you're in there in church. It's the atmosphere, nothing more. I think my visit to church over the weekend cemented that fact even more.

Honestly, I think that probably resembles the feeling an alcoholic must get when having a drink after a long time of sobriety. Some people say you never stop being an alcoholic, and perhaps you can never really get religion out of your system, depending on how committed one once was. It's still an addiction, much like how people get addicted to big crowds in sporting events and really fall into the mob mentality, becoming one with whatever the crowd is feeling as a single entity. An analogy I can think of is the pendulum. A lot of people focusing on the same start getting in synch. The more your were once in synch the easier it must be to fall back into it.

Good point. Just like in Acts; "drunk" in the holy spirit. He didn't remember and feel something that wasn't real. Call it what you want. But it was real.

I also think it was a good point, except you missed it. The point was the physiological response to an interruption of addiction sobriety. What the addiction actually was is pretty much irrelevant to simply account for the feeling OnceConvinced described.

[AB]

Of course the unbelievers will probably talk about the hypnotic effect singing and worshiping amongst a large group of people with music playing can have on you. I tend to go with that explanation. It's been my belief for a while now that that's what the "holy spirit" and "God's presence" is, when you're in there in church. It's the atmosphere, nothing more. I think my visit to church over the weekend cemented that fact even more.

Honestly, I think that probably resembles the feeling an alcoholic must get when having a drink after a long time of sobriety. Some people say you never stop being an alcoholic, and perhaps you can never really get religion out of your system, depending on how committed one once was. It's still an addiction, much like how people get addicted to big crowds in sporting events and really fall into the mob mentality, becoming one with whatever the crowd is feeling as a single entity. An analogy I can think of is the pendulum. A lot of people focusing on the same start getting in synch. The more your were once in synch the easier it must be to fall back into it.

Good point. Just like in Acts; "drunk" in the holy spirit. He didn't remember and feel something that wasn't real. Call it what you want. But it was real.

I also think it was a good point, except you missed it. The point was the physiological response to an interruption of addiction sobriety. What the addiction actually was is pretty much irrelevant to simply account for the feeling OnceConvinced described.

Really? Here is an addiction that has nothing to do with drink, smoke, dust, smoke, etc. It is totally natural to his body as is. Remember, God created us. I think he experienced coming back to his home place.