@ ute & Ranch: You both ask "Why bother?" for such a short service.
Does this mean you think that no religious meeting attendance is better than
any religious attendance?
The alternative is not more than 30 minutes
- it is no attendance at all. Some LDS meetings are only 50 minutes. Where is
the cutoff between worth going and not worth going? Why is 30 minutes not worth
it but 50 minutes is?
"It's hard for them to sit still. But you have to start teaching a
little discipline at a young age," she said.
Teaching dicipline
to sit and listen to something most children have absolutely no interest in
feels more like torture at a young age! Especially all dressed up for no reason!
Jesus wore a very comforatable robe, he did not wear a suit and tie! Whoever
thought that one up should be publically beaten!
My Mother used to
say "What is three hours in the eyes of the Lord" When you are 7, it is
FOREVER!
How about 0 minutes but live your life faithfully at all times? Are those who
study the Bible judiciously but don't attend a religious institute less
worthy than those who spend 3 hours on Sunday?
"How about 0 minutes but live your life faithfully at
all times? "
You go ahead and do that, and then tell me how well
your faith is transmitted to the next generation. Obviously, many share your
view. You may be interested in knowing that Bible illiteracy has skyrocketed
with decreasing attendance in organized services. It is not hard to see that
organized religion sets a particular discipline and structure, which puts
individuals who do not attend such services at a particular disadvantage.
Learning from a book alone, even the Bible, is not adequate to inculcate
spiritual truths on the mind of man. A society of believers is necessary to
practice on, to discuss, to relate, to get feedback, etc. It is not a matter of
who is the most worthy. Instead it is about the most effective way to transmit
the truths of God to the world and to the next generation. Unorganized religion
is just not effective at doing that in my experience.
I could be perfectly okay with LDS services being
shortened to 1.5 or 2 hours. Especially since quality preaching is mostly dead
in the local wards of the LDS church. I do not claim to be the perfect teacher
of religion, however I guarantee you that when I teach they get more than the
same repackaged material that everyone is bored to death hearing.
If your religion is important interacting at a church service is nice, and
serves a social purpose as well. But really the main purpose is to renew
covenants through the sacrament and then live your religion daily for the next
week.
30 minutes? why bother? we'd hate to have children learn to sit still and pay attention to anything.
Short attention spans? That would be most of America.
I agree with ute alumni. When "Keep the Sabbath day holy" means 30 minutes out of 1440 minutes, it really does come down to "why bother".
Oh they think its tough? Try 3 hours of church.
If that's what those religions want to do, it's their choice. I'm not going to criticize them.
Something the LDS church needs to adopt.
@ ute & Ranch: You both ask "Why bother?" for such a short service. Does this mean you think that no religious meeting attendance is better than any religious attendance?
The alternative is not more than 30 minutes - it is no attendance at all. Some LDS meetings are only 50 minutes. Where is the cutoff between worth going and not worth going? Why is 30 minutes not worth it but 50 minutes is?
Absorption and retention requires self-discipline. I just can't picture Jesus delivering the Sermon on the Mount in today's sound bytes.
"It's hard for them to sit still. But you have to start teaching a little discipline at a young age," she said.
Teaching dicipline to sit and listen to something most children have absolutely no interest in feels more like torture at a young age! Especially all dressed up for no reason! Jesus wore a very comforatable robe, he did not wear a suit and tie! Whoever thought that one up should be publically beaten!
My Mother used to say "What is three hours in the eyes of the Lord" When you are 7, it is FOREVER!
How about 0 minutes but live your life faithfully at all times? Are those who study the Bible judiciously but don't attend a religious institute less worthy than those who spend 3 hours on Sunday?
LValfre:
"How about 0 minutes but live your life faithfully at all times? "
You go ahead and do that, and then tell me how well your faith is transmitted to the next generation. Obviously, many share your view. You may be interested in knowing that Bible illiteracy has skyrocketed with decreasing attendance in organized services. It is not hard to see that organized religion sets a particular discipline and structure, which puts individuals who do not attend such services at a particular disadvantage.
Learning from a book alone, even the Bible, is not adequate to inculcate spiritual truths on the mind of man. A society of believers is necessary to practice on, to discuss, to relate, to get feedback, etc. It is not a matter of who is the most worthy. Instead it is about the most effective way to transmit the truths of God to the world and to the next generation. Unorganized religion is just not effective at doing that in my experience.
In the mid 70's the church shorten service time from 4 hours to 3 hours, and 3 meetings/trips to 1. ;-)
@ LDSareChristians,
I could be perfectly okay with LDS services being shortened to 1.5 or 2 hours. Especially since quality preaching is mostly dead in the local wards of the LDS church. I do not claim to be the perfect teacher of religion, however I guarantee you that when I teach they get more than the same repackaged material that everyone is bored to death hearing.
If your religion is important interacting at a church service is nice, and serves a social purpose as well. But really the main purpose is to renew covenants through the sacrament and then live your religion daily for the next week.
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