Mass Attendance

Walls

Question aimed specifically at those of the Catholic religion, but opinions of all are sought and welcomed;

If a member of the Catholic Faith does not attend mass, are they to be considered a Catholic?

It arises from a comment by a colleague at work who was discussing those members who criticise the Catholic Church. He felt that they had no right of criticism if they didn't attend mass - as if that was the sole point of communication between those members and the church.

Now, I'm am of the opinion that he's wrong, and in fact greatly so. But I am interested in the views of others, even independently of the situation stetched above. How important is going to mass?

neuro-praxis

From a Roman Catholic perspective (and please note that I am not a Catholic) it is probably quite important to attend mass regularly, as mass is where one would receive the sacraments.

From a Christian perspective, what is important is not how often you attend a worship service, but the state of your heart, i.e., where you are in your relationship with God. As God can meet you anywhere, the actual building is unimportant. What is important is setting time aside to spend with God in prayer and communication.

However, in my experience, the best place to grow and develop in your faith is in a community environment (a church family), with the support of other believers around you.

My experience is only my own, but when I attended mass, I never felt a sense of community...or even that the worship was authentic. I am not criticising Catholicism. But going to church should be a joyful thing, something you don't want to miss, not because of rules or pressure, but because you enjoy it and it challenges you.

I love going to church and so try not to miss it.

I hope I have gone some way in answering your question, Walls.

Manach

From a Catholic <laid-back, Sunday paper reading at the very back reading type> viewpoint, it's important to attend, as it promotes a sense of community and identity
with the celebration of Christ's sacrifice.
Not to engage in a mutual worship, but instead to retreat into a solo world, relying on just scripture and reading the same passages ad infintium, sort of unhealthy isn't it? Next thing you know, you'll be damaging Church door's with proclamations .

neuro-praxis

rofl! Classic.

Walls

With my style they should be happy I'd glam up the place

Seriously though, the comment that sparked this off was on the basis of 'If you don't go to church, then you don't know what you're talking about, do you?' This is what I would disagree with. Going to mass is to me habit and/or an expression of faith. Knowledge of the church is based on study of creed, canon and doctrine.

So if you agree with me on that one, then the next step is to ask do you have the right to argue about the church if you don't attend mass? If you don't engage with the church on a weekly basis, do you have the right to criticise?

Hmmm......

leeroybrown

I'm a Baptised and Confirmed Catholic. Other than that I'm Agnostic. I've got no strong belief in the existance any God or for that matter in the non existance of any God. I don't attend services and feel that going without a reason is hypocrytical. I would attend for funerals as a mark or respect for anothers wishes and occasionally to avoid causing arguments at family events.

To my mind the attitude of an individual that you cannot critisise the Catholic Church (or any church for the matter) when you don't attend it's services is the very thing about the church that deserves most criticism. For a member of a group that represent openness and morality, to not respect the beliefs and opinions of another doesn't seem quite right. Sometimes it seems more like the CIA than the Catholic Church.

Any one who believes in the Catholic Christian doctrine is a Catholic whether they attend services or not.

To my mind going to mass is only as important as a person believes it is. Any other reason that that it's just compulsion based on a false morality.

mr_angry

Originally posted by neuro-praxis
My experience is only my own, but when I attended mass, I never felt a sense of community...or even that the worship was authentic. I am not criticising Catholicism. But going to church should be a joyful thing, something you don't want to miss, not because of rules or pressure, but because you enjoy it and it challenges you.

I agree totally. I'd consider myself a Roman Catholic, but I've pretty much stopped going to mass on a regular basis. I make an exception for important church holidays, but I find going to mass week-in-week-out to be a meaningless experience. If someone intentionally designed a system to bore people, I think it would be surprisingly similar to the methods 'valued' by the church. I'm sorry to say that - I really am - but the only time I was ever happy going to mass was while I was part of a choir, and that seemed to be the only positive expression allowed by the church.

Walls

I would agree with your opinion of the Mass, mr_angry. It not only fails to engage but would deny any real self expression of faith*. The modern populace is literate, educated and usually hunting for some form of spirtual life, but that awareness is not acknowledged by the Mass Cermony nor is that need answered.

Nevertheless, being bored isn't enough to dissuade me from my faith. I disagree with the Catholic church due to its view of women as both members of the faith and as priests, and also the Catholic church's inability to stop itself using its position to exert social control. This conclusion on my part led to me stoping going to Mass. And yet, that step on my part would lead the original commentator to decide there's no place for my comments. Strange days.....

And I'm not talking about any extreme expressions of religious fevour, merely the option to ask a question or examine an issue.

ferdi

Originally posted by leeroybrown
I'm a Baptised and Confirmed Catholic. Other than that I'm Agnostic. I've got no strong belief in the existance any God or for that matter in the non existance of any God. I don't attend services and feel that going without a reason is hypocrytical. I would attend for funerals as a mark or respect for anothers wishes and occasionally to avoid causing arguments at family events.

i am exactly the same

Bottle_of_Smoke

same here, family events are you referring to weddings? them and funerals are the only ones I'd go to, just mentioned this on a thread in after hours but,

Can we be "un-confirmed"?

jor el

Originally posted by Bottle_of_Smoke
same here, family events are you referring to weddings? them and funerals are the only ones I'd go to, just mentioned this on a thread in after hours but,

Can we be "un-confirmed"?

Very unlikely, though maybe a more clued in Catholic might no better. I suppose you could publicly denounce your faith. Try standing up in the middle of Mass and stating that you don't reject satan (or you do reject satan but not because the Church tells you too) and all he stands for, and all the other stuff you did reject at your confirmation. There might be better ways of going about it than this though :dunno:
Would ex-communication be what you're after?

watty

Originally posted by Bottle_of_Smoke
same here, family events are you referring to weddings? them and funerals are the only ones I'd go to, just mentioned this on a thread in after hours but,

Can we be "un-confirmed"?

I'd guess only ex-communication "counts" as being "unconfirmed". I don't think God or the Church easily lets go or gives up on a soul.

It's probabily fairly hard to get ex-communicated.

You can be killed, but this is not the same as getting "unborn". A resonable analogy, since many would see Confirmation as symbolising acceptance or affirmation of a "spritual birth"

So how do you get "un-born"? Not easy.

neuro-praxis

What?!

Spiritual birth occurs when you commit your life to Christ. That's being "reborn".

Confirmation has nothing to do with being born. i think you might be getting confused with Baptism...in a way.

Getting un-born? Dear me.

Paddy20

Whether or not a Catholic attends Mass regularly is a personal decision. Not attending will not have any bearing on whether they will in the end, be judged as "good Catholics".

watty

If confirmation *ISN'T* committing your life to Christ, then it is simply a cultural custome with little religious meaning!

Nala

I like cake.
Eucharists with tomato sauce are also good.

Paddy20

" Don't you know that you yourselves are God's Temple and that God's Spirit lives in you ? "

1 Corinthians 3:16

AngelofFire

maybe there`s just too many catholic chruch`s per 10,000 population. Im in the church of ireland and attendance in my parish is great beacuse the one church in the tallaght region serves an area of dublin where there are 2000 people of the anglican faith.

LoneGunM@n

I have a strong faith [Roman Catholic], but I do not regularly attend mass. My inattendance at mass is probably as a direct result of the fact that I hate being preached to!! [a typical example being Priests giving marriage councelling (sp?) .... how can they know anything about the trials of wedded life?]

If truth be known, I really cherish the time I spend alone in a church .... alone with my thoughts & my God!!

For me, my faith in & relationship with god can be found in the extract from the Gospel according to St. Thomas [belief in which must make me a heratic in the eyes of the church] .... Jesus Christ said, “The kingdom of God is within you, not buildings of wood and stone. Split a piece of wood and I am there. Lift the stone and you will find me.”

dudara

If confirmation *ISN'T* committing your life to Christ, then it is simply a cultural custome with little religious meaning!

Have you seen the wads of cash kids make these days on their Confirmation day?? Of course it's a material exercise. The kids have no concept of the deal they're entering into with the church, and all they are thinking about is what they're going to blow the cash on, and where they're going for dinner.

This is my first time visiting the Christianity forum, and as always, I'm amazed by the amount of young people who hold religious beliefs. Fair enough, but as regards to mass attendance, I think that parents who send a child for communion/confirmation without being regular mass attendees are the pits.