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.
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?
Quote from: Heretical Rants on July 11, 2011, 10:43:24 AM
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.
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 |
Quote from: The Magic Pudding on July 11, 2011, 11:05:02 AM
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.
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.
I was born free. ;D 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.
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)
Quote from: MariaEvri on July 17, 2011, 03:02:51 PM
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!!
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. :-\
Quote from: Tank on July 17, 2011, 04:16:53 PM
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 :-\
Quote from: MariaEvri on July 19, 2011, 09:04:27 AM
Quote from: Tank on July 17, 2011, 04:16:53 PM
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!
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
Quote from: MariaEvri on July 19, 2011, 04:51:42 PM
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." ::)
you just summed up my thoughts.
Although personally, I am against the idea of wedding (religious AND political) alltogether
Quote from: ThinkAnarchy on July 11, 2011, 10:34:10 AM
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.
...Don't know about you, but I would have held a MASSIVE grudge against my parents for that kind of child abuse. :-\
Quote from: MariaEvri on July 20, 2011, 12:04:02 PM
you just summed up my thoughts.
Although personally, I am against the idea of wedding (religious AND political) alltogether
Same. It's all a game of ownership and property anyway.
I don't want to spend alot on a wedding at all. I'd rather spend it on the honeymoon!
I grew up surrounded by Roman Catholic mostly Southern Italian families....so for my Sunday mass included family...music...art on the walls of the church...and best of all since I was a redheaded little heathen..who to these folks OBVIOUSLY did not have a good meal or any guide in life ...so would be taken home after mass and fed really well
For me going to church was NEVER a waste of time...art ..music...family ...food...the God thing was like a giant Fairy tale..so it was kind of magical..Not a waste
Quote from: Asmodean on July 20, 2011, 06:03:49 PM
Quote from: ThinkAnarchy on July 11, 2011, 10:34:10 AM
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.
...Don't know about you, but I would have held a MASSIVE grudge against my parents for that kind of child abuse. :-\
I mostly hold a grudge for them mutilating my penis without my consent. >:(
As long as Church is part of your culture, it's not wasted time. Actually, I can't think of a single instance of religion, or anything else for that matter, that I spent doing, that I would consider, "Wasted". When you look at it from your cultural standpoint, church was your heritage. You may not believe in it anymore. But I still look upon my catholic years with a good sense of nostalgia and love for the traditions and rituals that comprised catholic living.
If anything, that is a set of forms and heritage that Atheism doesn't possess. Arguably, it will take much more than logic to erase religion. It will take the loss of our humanity.
Yeah. It's not like we don't waste stupid amounts of time doing other things such as playing atari for hours on end...spending days watching a boy wondering if he will say hello to me...camping out to see Duran Duran in concert....as a kid we all do stupid waste of time antics. It's the BEST part of childhood if you ask me! ;D
Quote from: ThinkAnarchy on July 23, 2011, 12:11:13 AM
Quote from: Asmodean on July 20, 2011, 06:03:49 PM
Quote from: ThinkAnarchy on July 11, 2011, 10:34:10 AM
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.
...Don't know about you, but I would have held a MASSIVE grudge against my parents for that kind of child abuse. :-\
I mostly hold a grudge for them mutilating my penis without my consent. >:(
I know this is so much less extreme than circumsition --which I am assuming is what you mean-- but I always held a grudge for my mother piercing my ears without my consent. I know it seems minor, but it's my body. I was an infant and had no say. I still have scars from them as an adult. It really bothers me.
I think it should be illegal to pierce a baby's ears...or anyone under 13. Seriously... I should have a say about scarring my own body.
I was 10 days old when my ears were pierced. I have no idea how it feels like to have it done. In fact I'm afraid of piercings (even though I had to do them working at Hot Topic)but have no problems with tattoos.
Quote from: Medusa on July 23, 2011, 10:44:46 AM
Yeah. It's not like we don't waste stupid amounts of time doing other things ...camping out to see Duran Duran in concert....
Ye but some of us do more stupid things than others.
No piercings, rings, tattoos not even a watch since mobile phones do that job.
I have some scars I like. There's my sulphur crested cockatoo scar, I didn't appreciate it right away. There's my Barington River scar, I picked up a rounded river rock that had been used to surround a fire. It split in my hands, It gave me something to remember my time in a perfect place. River rocks aren't very good for fires, not unless you like exploding rocks.
Hey, I like(d) Duran Duran, back in the daaaay.
I have a scar on my knee, because I was a clumsy kid. I don't mind that. :D
Snap, you are hardcore, Pudding. o__o!
Quote from: Rizuidad on July 23, 2011, 06:08:27 AM
As long as Church is part of your culture, it's not wasted time. Actually, I can't think of a single instance of religion, or anything else for that matter, that I spent doing, that I would consider, "Wasted". When you look at it from your cultural standpoint, church was your heritage. You may not believe in it anymore. But I still look upon my catholic years with a good sense of nostalgia and love for the traditions and rituals that comprised catholic living.
If anything, that is a set of forms and heritage that Atheism doesn't possess.
I would agree that it is somewhat useful as a cultural study, but not much more.
I place very little value in tradition and ritual.
Quote
Arguably, it will take much more than logic to erase religion. It will take the loss of our humanity.
I'd be interested in hearing your argument behind this.