Why do people go to church?

It is often claimed by proponents of organised religion that belief in a benevolent, creative god gives meaning to the lives of ordinary people. Questions of philosophy, the purpose of our lives on this planet, are difficult, and it is easier, perhaps, for people to accept that we were put here for some higher purpose. It is also used as a rhetorical battering ram against secular humanism, that the lack of reason for existing is the cause of moral decay, social dysfunction, and the general decline of civilisation as we know it. But is philosophy the real reason people continue to re-interpret ancient religions?

It is not necessary, for example, to believe in Father Christmas to enjoy the celebration of Yuletide, so perhaps there is another more human and tangible reason for many people to maintain their connection to the Church. I think perhaps the true attraction in churches is the congregation. The ritual of belief, rather than its philosophical implications, is what has made societies prosper, and possibly, it is the ritual that is lacking, rather than the belief in dogmatic church law, that has brought about changes in human collective behaviour.

Having been brought up under a Christian tradition, I feel marginally better qualified to comment on the rituals of the followers of Jesus, though my religious instruction was far from traditionally pious. The very act of going to church on a Sunday is in itself an act of community. Communities meet for many reasons. To celebrate the conjoining of young couples, to herald the arrival of new people to our fold, and to mourn the loss of valued members of our community who pass away. We meet to learn, and we meet to fight. But not usually, in secular society, just to join together for the sake of being with each other.

In a “classic” church service, there are many components, and they have meaning beyond the praise of an invisible deity. On a weekly basis, members of a community come together in a way which creates an equality that is not found in day to day business. People of every profession, of every age, come together in one place and sit together. So what sets a church service apart from a train carriage or busload of people going about their daily business? For a start, they are there to hear people talk. Not just their friends, and family, acquaintances and business associates, but someone with a message for them.

A preacher will usually open the service, (a reference to the servility of church congregations, admittedly), with a hymn. What is a hymn? In traditional religious services, a hymn is a song of praise to god for allowing us to experience life. A lot of them may focus on salvation, or damnation, but the real purpose of the hymn is to make the gathered people into one group. Everybody sings. Whether they are good, bad, or mediocre, and the joining of voices somehow averages out the difference, and the song becomes a thing of beauty, the individuals become one. Does it matter if there is a god listening? Not really. I am sure part of the reason missionaries often carry hymn books, and lead groups in song is because they are an affirmation of life itself. A cry of positive energy in the dark wilderness of the universe. “Here we are! We are people, we are alive, and we are together”. Singing, I think, is a natural instinct.

The blessings may follow, depending on the denomination, and possibly there will be announcements of births, deaths and marriages that have occurred in the past week, or that may be approaching. Then there are readings, often (usually) from the bible, but in more “progressive” churches, from any number of religious or secular texts. These readings are usually words of hope, or of warning, or mere reminders to be thankful for the simple fact of being alive to hear them. The readings may be chosen by the preacher, or they may be chosen for special meanings by people of the congregation, who feel the need to reiterate some particular point that has current importance to them, and in their revelation of that connection to pass the importance of the words they recite to others.

The preacher will then usually deliver a sermon. A preacher of any church spends time each week reading. They read their holy book of choice, no doubt, but they read also the news of the day, and seek appropriately corresponding words from their book which they hope will make sense of recent events. They wish to bring peace, hope, direction and solace to the congregation by allowing them to see that, somehow, what happens today has come before, and will in all likelihood come again. To help them understand that, no matter how bad things may seem, all things pass, and while still alive, everyone has the opportunity to act in the world around them, and change it for the better. To help them see that they should not be worried about things they cannot control, because energy is better spent in doing things that will make some impact.

Further hymns will be interspersed throughout the service, in order to reinforce some point, usually. And the conclusion of the mass will often end in a blessing. The blessing allows people to walk out of the church with a feeling that at least somebody cares what happens to them.

I have tried to think of equivalents in secular life where these rituals have a parallel. The massed voices may be sometimes found in sporting events, or live music performances (or in drunken mobs of any description, to be honest). Reading of prose and poetry are much more difficult to find, and are probably limited to formal classes or informal literary groups. Interpretation of current events is left solely to pundits, journalists, and I suppose, bloggers, possibly even therapists or counsellors, though all of these have their own agenda, and are, to an extent, unaccountable to their audience in the way a preacher is. There seems to be no formal mechanism for supporting our friends, family and community on an emotional level, though, certainly on any regular basis. No equivalent of prayer or reflection as can be found in religious observance, either.

All of these are clearly human needs. They help people make sense of their world, and build community in ways for which no substitute has been discovered. Perhaps if a way to incorporate such ritual into our lives, without the fearful aspects, the judgmental concepts of certain churches, was developed, then secular society would possibly be a stronger, more moral place to live.