Kevrob
2017-02-26 14:22:08 UTC
[Note: what's with the "aa"? From the FAQ:
{quote}
All subject threads with the letters aa in front of them are
intended for atheists only. If a theist should respond to one
of these threads and an atheist wants to respond to the theist
in return, the atheist should remove the aa to start a new thread.
If the theist wants to remove the aa first, that's okay, too.
{/quote} point 5 @ http://alt-atheism.org/atheism:faq ]
Many religions require or strongly encourage attendance at
a weekly meeting for the purpose of worship, fellowship and
instruction in the faith.
(Alternately, for self-abnegation, continued indoctrination,
and social control of the members.)
How do you use the time freed up by not attending?
Having given up religion in my early 20s, I have stopped attending
worship services. When I was a youngster, they took up a considerable
chunk of my leisure time. I was an altar server, then, at the
same time, a choir boy. As a result, I attended two services each
Sunday. When I was an altar boy, I also took my turn serving at
daily mass, and at weddings and funerals. In a busy week, I might
have participated in these to-dos up to a dozen times. At least
one got tipped for the weddings and funerals, and I did enjoy
singing. When I was in high school I switched to being a lay
reader, and I was down to one mass a week. In my college years
I would usually make it to mass on Sunday, or the Saturday vigil
mass, until I re-examined the idea of ghod, and gave up on it.
Various Sunday activities, since:
Working: in my last college semesters, I had to switch from a 9-5,
M-F schedule at my job to one that allowed me to take some day
classes. The manager at the store I worked for had a crew come in
several hours before we opened to change the weekly displays,
restock the shelves and generally straighten the shop after the
ravaging the Saturday customers gave it. We would get takeout
breakfast from the next-door McDonalds and transform the place,
while we pumped tunes from a boom box. We were all students
who needed the hours, and while we would have preferred to sleep
in, we couldn't afford to. We got huge amounts of work done,
before opening the store at noon.
At some later jobs I worked Sundays, but I'd rather have a
2-day weekend, unless there was overtime to be had.
Sleep: When I was younger, sleeping in on a Sunday was a delicious
pleasure, or, if Saturday night was a bit too celebratory, a
necessary restorative. I still sleep a little later than on
a weekday, or sneak in a nap later in the day.
Food: M-F, breakfast is often taken on the run, if at all. If I
manage a bowl of cereal with some fruit or juice before leaving
the house, or a bagel and schmear, I consider that a nutritional
victory. Sunday morning can mean a full breakfast. This morning
I have bacon in the fridge, and am deciding whether I'll make a
cheddar cheese omelet with English muffin or French Toast. I'll
put the kettle on in a moment and make some Irish Breakfast Tea.
In years past, I had a ritual of riding my bike 6-miles round
trip to a local donut shop for a pancake breakfast. I bought
the Sunday newspapers there, also, and brought them back to the
house for further perusal.
I also prep food for Sunday dinner, such as putting meat in
a marinade in the fridge.
Self-improvement: Besides picking up the papers (replaced nowadays
by reading the news on the web) I like to take in one or two of
the Sunday morning news/interview shows of the "Meet The Press"
or "Face the Nation" type. I've been a news and politics junky
since I was a teenager and have a political science degree, so
it is as much entertainment to me as an act of "good citizenship"
by staying informed.
Sport and recreation: Besides aforementioned bike riding, quiet
Sunday mornings are great for a walk, or a run if your young knees
can take that. I used to play softball or basketball in the
park when I was younger with a regular group of my buddies.
As a spectator, I like to watch my favorite teams play
on my day off. Some watch NFL football 10-hours straight
on a fall Sunday. I usually watch just one game. Sunday
afternoon baseball viewing is a tradition in my family.
Then there's basketball, ice hockey etc.
Entertainment: If you record TV during the week, Sundays
are perfect for catching up on "your shows."
Music: I have a fondness for Irish and other Celtic music.
A college-based non-profit station I listen to runs two
four-hour blocks of that programming on Sundays. I listen
to some of that, and record it for later listening.
Prior to the development to modern technology, people had
to make their own entertainment. People would come for
miles around to hear political speeches or religious sermons
by renowned orators and preachers. If you lived too far from
a town on the Vaudeville circuit, and the circus wasn't in town,
a revival tent meeting was great entertainment. People came
for the spectacle, as much as for the religious content. This
is why the Lyceum and Chautauqua movements were so popular. They
filled a void. People needed information and desired entertainment.
We have it at our fingertips, now. Opinions vary on its quality,
of course. Sturgeon's Law applies.
Your Sunday (or Saturday, or Friday, for those raised in other
traditions) favorites?
Kevin R
{quote}
All subject threads with the letters aa in front of them are
intended for atheists only. If a theist should respond to one
of these threads and an atheist wants to respond to the theist
in return, the atheist should remove the aa to start a new thread.
If the theist wants to remove the aa first, that's okay, too.
{/quote} point 5 @ http://alt-atheism.org/atheism:faq ]
Many religions require or strongly encourage attendance at
a weekly meeting for the purpose of worship, fellowship and
instruction in the faith.
(Alternately, for self-abnegation, continued indoctrination,
and social control of the members.)
How do you use the time freed up by not attending?
Having given up religion in my early 20s, I have stopped attending
worship services. When I was a youngster, they took up a considerable
chunk of my leisure time. I was an altar server, then, at the
same time, a choir boy. As a result, I attended two services each
Sunday. When I was an altar boy, I also took my turn serving at
daily mass, and at weddings and funerals. In a busy week, I might
have participated in these to-dos up to a dozen times. At least
one got tipped for the weddings and funerals, and I did enjoy
singing. When I was in high school I switched to being a lay
reader, and I was down to one mass a week. In my college years
I would usually make it to mass on Sunday, or the Saturday vigil
mass, until I re-examined the idea of ghod, and gave up on it.
Various Sunday activities, since:
Working: in my last college semesters, I had to switch from a 9-5,
M-F schedule at my job to one that allowed me to take some day
classes. The manager at the store I worked for had a crew come in
several hours before we opened to change the weekly displays,
restock the shelves and generally straighten the shop after the
ravaging the Saturday customers gave it. We would get takeout
breakfast from the next-door McDonalds and transform the place,
while we pumped tunes from a boom box. We were all students
who needed the hours, and while we would have preferred to sleep
in, we couldn't afford to. We got huge amounts of work done,
before opening the store at noon.
At some later jobs I worked Sundays, but I'd rather have a
2-day weekend, unless there was overtime to be had.
Sleep: When I was younger, sleeping in on a Sunday was a delicious
pleasure, or, if Saturday night was a bit too celebratory, a
necessary restorative. I still sleep a little later than on
a weekday, or sneak in a nap later in the day.
Food: M-F, breakfast is often taken on the run, if at all. If I
manage a bowl of cereal with some fruit or juice before leaving
the house, or a bagel and schmear, I consider that a nutritional
victory. Sunday morning can mean a full breakfast. This morning
I have bacon in the fridge, and am deciding whether I'll make a
cheddar cheese omelet with English muffin or French Toast. I'll
put the kettle on in a moment and make some Irish Breakfast Tea.
In years past, I had a ritual of riding my bike 6-miles round
trip to a local donut shop for a pancake breakfast. I bought
the Sunday newspapers there, also, and brought them back to the
house for further perusal.
I also prep food for Sunday dinner, such as putting meat in
a marinade in the fridge.
Self-improvement: Besides picking up the papers (replaced nowadays
by reading the news on the web) I like to take in one or two of
the Sunday morning news/interview shows of the "Meet The Press"
or "Face the Nation" type. I've been a news and politics junky
since I was a teenager and have a political science degree, so
it is as much entertainment to me as an act of "good citizenship"
by staying informed.
Sport and recreation: Besides aforementioned bike riding, quiet
Sunday mornings are great for a walk, or a run if your young knees
can take that. I used to play softball or basketball in the
park when I was younger with a regular group of my buddies.
As a spectator, I like to watch my favorite teams play
on my day off. Some watch NFL football 10-hours straight
on a fall Sunday. I usually watch just one game. Sunday
afternoon baseball viewing is a tradition in my family.
Then there's basketball, ice hockey etc.
Entertainment: If you record TV during the week, Sundays
are perfect for catching up on "your shows."
Music: I have a fondness for Irish and other Celtic music.
A college-based non-profit station I listen to runs two
four-hour blocks of that programming on Sundays. I listen
to some of that, and record it for later listening.
Prior to the development to modern technology, people had
to make their own entertainment. People would come for
miles around to hear political speeches or religious sermons
by renowned orators and preachers. If you lived too far from
a town on the Vaudeville circuit, and the circus wasn't in town,
a revival tent meeting was great entertainment. People came
for the spectacle, as much as for the religious content. This
is why the Lyceum and Chautauqua movements were so popular. They
filled a void. People needed information and desired entertainment.
We have it at our fingertips, now. Opinions vary on its quality,
of course. Sturgeon's Law applies.
Your Sunday (or Saturday, or Friday, for those raised in other
traditions) favorites?
Kevin R