How much of my childhood was wasted in church?

[ThinkAnarchy]

As a child, from the age of 00-17 I was forced to attend church ever sunday, along with Ash Wednesday, Christmas, and the other major Catholic holidays.

I figure, with my poor math skills, I had to waste 887 hours, plus the non-sunday church days every year in my 17 years of compelled attendance. It is very likely I royally screwed the math up, so if anyone is strong in the area, could you give me a more exact number? I'm extremely curious.

[Heretical Rants]

I think a fractional value would be more meaningful. Limit it to wakeful hours. Take the average number of hours you think you spent at church in a week and divide it by 84 (figuring 12 useful hours per day). If you think there were more potentially useful hours in a day, then you can just take the number of hours per week and that's your percentage.

See? Not so bad. What was it? Two percent? Three percent?

[ThinkAnarchy]

I think a fractional value would be more meaningful. Limit it to wakeful hours. Take the average number of hours you think you spent at church in a week and divide it by 84 (figuring 12 useful hours per day). If you think there were more potentially useful hours in a day, then you can just take the number of hours per week and that's your percentage.

See? Not so bad. What was it? Two percent? Three percent?

Haha, I don't think you realize how bad I am at math. :-) Umm... In the average week, I spent 1 hour in church, not counting special holiday's. Now that I say this, it isn't nearly as much time as I would have wasted if I grew up as a Baptist. I was made to attend a Baptist service once as a child and it took about 6 hours of my sunday, with the bible study, lunch, etc.

Than again, I went to Catholic schools all my life so I had church once a week with them from grades 4-7 and once a month from grades 8-12, totaling 2 times a week and 5 times a month respectively.  

I honestly can't accurately figure out the percentages.  And don't make fun of me, my mind just does not work that way. :-) I would say even 1% is too much, though I'd imagine it's greater.

I hate to make these comparisons, but what if we were talking about child abuse, would 1% of a child's life being abused be "not so bad?"

Thank you for your response, and I honestly hope you can help this math retard figure out the actual numbers. I honestly am terrible in this regard.

[The Magic Pudding]

 
   
   
   
   
   

Days Attend per yr	55	55	55	55
Years	17	17	17	17
Hours per session	1	2	3	4
Total Hours	935	1870	2805	3740

[ThinkAnarchy]

 
   
   
   
   
   

Days Attend per yr	55	55	55	55
Years	17	17	17	17
Hours per session	1	2	3	4
Total Hours	935	1870	2805	3740

Thank you TMP. So I will simply take the lower number. I don't even like to use percentages in this instance. That is still 935 waking hours wasted. I feel bad for the Baptist kids who had to attend the church I went to that one time. Granted they are probably still Baptists and think it was a great time. They are likely now making their children waste their sunday's...

Edit: That is multiple days spent doing absolutely nothing, not even the nothing that at least provides a bit of fun for the child.

[Gawen]

I figured from baby to 17, 8.6 weeks of total time in church and church related functions. Might possibly be a bit more, perhaps closer to 9 weeks with all the youth crap I did and can't remember.

[xSilverPhinx]

I was born free. So no church.

I did go to some strictly Christian schools though.

I wouldn't see it as wasted childhood time, no doubt you've learnt something and it somehow in some way shapped who you are today, even if it wasn't exactly what church leaders and preachers had intended.

[MariaEvri]

hmm I went to church 1 hour for the "epitauph" (I know I spelled it wrong) at easter and one more hour next night for the resurrection. So two hours yearly until I reached 20 when I stopped (not counting teh weddings, christenings and funerals which are an astronomical number since I ave a huge family)

[Tank]

hmm I went to church 1 hour for the "epitauph" (I know I spelled it wrong) at easter and one more hour next night for the resurrection. So two hours yearly until I reached 20 when I stopped (not counting teh weddings, christenings and funerals which are an astronomical number since I ave a huge family)

There was a Cypriot weding in the hotel we stayed at, it was a huge affair!!

[Sweetdeath]

I never attended church, but 2/3 of my childhood friends did, every Sunday. So i'd say those are precious childhood memories wasted on a fake god.

I remember I did ask my friend Ren why he was forced to attend church, even though he hated it, and his response was "I just have to..."

I think that was a response to seriously make me athiest. 

[MariaEvri]

There was a Cypriot weding in the hotel we stayed at, it was a huge affair!!

If you don't have a million guests and make a fuss about it form two years before, Its not a proper wedding 

[Tank]

There was a Cypriot weding in the hotel we stayed at, it was a huge affair!!

If you don't have a million guests and make a fuss about it form two years before, Its not a proper wedding 

It looked like they had spent a fortune on it. We were in a very posh hotel on a cheap post Christmas break, there were only about 20 guests and then suddenly there were 200+ wedding guests all dressed up to the nines!

[MariaEvri]

that's how it happens here. A wedding is actually a way to show off. Even engagements are over the top. A co-worker is gonna be engaged in august and I hear her planning her expenses... makes my hair stant

[Sweetdeath]

that's how it happens here. A wedding is actually a way to show off. Even engagements are over the top. A co-worker is gonna be engaged in august and I hear her planning her expenses... makes my hair stant

That's disgusting . I nevrr found the reason to  waste so much money. If you love someone and want to wed, just have a small gathering of your closest people. I hate over the top weddings so much, but I think that is just another way for society to say "this is how it  should be." 

[MariaEvri]

you just summed up my thoughts.
Although personally, I am against the idea of wedding (religious AND political) alltogether