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Should I attend a wedding at church as an atheist?

my daughter gets married soon and its in a church. i've made it a policy not to enter religious buildings as i don't believe and i'm not a hypocrite.
she's ok with it but her fiance's family are making life difficult. i will not go into a church.. therefore the question.
am i being a bit silly?

dragon4104 4 Nov 14
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197 comments (26 - 50)

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3

Do you love your daughter? I think this trumps everything!

3

The building doesn't have a religion.

3

Yeah, I think it's silly to refuse to enter a religious building. I don't believe either but don't feel it makes me a hypocrite to enter a church, temple, or mosque. I also think if it were my daughter I would want to be there with her no matter where the wedding was being held. Religious buildings can be full of art and history and can be quite beautiful places. If you feel so strongly as to miss your daughter's wedding, follow your heart, but is it worth missing?

3

Yes.

Why, are you afraid of - "God?"
Would you refuse to go inside St. Peter's Cathedral to see all the beautiful architecture because it's "religious?"
To act as though a religious building had some sort of meaning and power over you seems illogical...it's just another building.
If your daughter wants to get married in a church, it's not a big deal - better to make her happy.

3

I too hate anything to do with religion and find churches cold and unfeeling. But for my brother I stepped into one for his wedding to wish him well and see him marry his wife. Both him and his wife are very religious, but they repect my non belief of any supreme being as I respect theres

On the plus side I didn't burst into flames

3

I am a little confused at your response. I am an atheist and when my daughter got married I went to the church. To me it is just a building. I won't put anymore meaning into it than what it is--a building. This is one of the biggest days in her life. You should be there celebrating with her. Don't let a building, no mater what it signifies to others get in the way.

3

Your belief is in your family. Go. Be her father. Even walk her down the aisle, if she asks. Don't be a drama queen, that is her day, don't try to make it about you and your needs.

3

I don't know why not go in. It's a building and you are going to celebrate the love between two people, hopefully regardless of what they believe. I personally love the architecture of holy buildings, particularly the old cathedrals as artwork rather than some place of worship. It's a building. Different people are allowed to feel differently about the buildings. As long as you don't decide to break out in hymns or praise God yourself which would be the real hypocrisy since you don't really believe, who really cares?

I would like to add if anyone invites you a simple "No thank you" is plenty and if they persist just remind them you are there for the sake of your daughter getting married and to please respect that.

AmyLF Level 7 Jan 23, 2018

And actually I love a good sing song, so I'd sing the hymns too at the top of my voice, just because singing is fun! Even more fun when you leave out some of the words like "god" or "jesus" and substitute "dog" & "sneezes". XXX

3

Yes. Don't think of it as going into church, think of it as supporting your daughter. If you don't believe in the church, it is just a building.

3

I think you should be there for the wedding.

3

Yes, you are being silly. How is entering a "religious" building supporting that religion? You must think that it does, or why else would you think it is hypocritical to do so. The wedding is about the couple not rather or not you believe in the religious institution where the wedding is taking place.

3

Why would you skip your daughter's wedding? Walking into a church isn't an endorsement of religion. Remember, it's HER wedding, it's petty and selfish to refuse to go to her wedding because of your personal peccadillos. Go to your daughter's wedding dude. 🙂

3

You don't have to acknowledge their god, but you should acknowledge such and important part of your daughters life

3

go. You can join the 99% closet agnostics who are just there.

3

To the OP, I've seen the reply where your meeting was had and you are going to stand outside.

I am appalled at how anybody can be so selfish regardless of what they think. I might say different if it was a Christening or Baptism but it's a wedding!

Minus the hymns, prayer and the addition of religious words in the vows there are no other differences to being married in a registration office!

Your daughter may say now its okay, but believe me her views will change on the day when things get emotional. When it comes to the crunch you have refused to be at her side at the most momentous occasion of her life. I'm not saying you are a despicable person because I don't know you, but what you have agreed to is despicable.

I hope that you can have a change of heart.

3

I think you are being silly. I don't believe in magic but it doesn't stop me going to Disneyland.

3

Thank you all for your advice and comments, a meeting was had and a concensus was reached. it was decided that i would not enter the building but that i would wait outside. works for me and no-one will be upset.

yes indeed..here's to plenty of liquid refreshment

3

Yeah, you are being a bit silly. It's just a building, it holds no magic power. Just like you don't need to believe you live in the distant past to go with your friends to medieval times. You don't need to be a believer in zombie Jesus to be inside a church.

3

If you like the people enough then why not? You don't have to pray or sing though if it's Catholic and they all kneel and you remain standing you might look like a right prune so you might have to kneel lol
No need to upset other people for no reason. I know some really nice Christians actually and I don't hold it against them. If they are your friends then why upset them? They must already know you , right?

Oh man, that kneeling thing was kinda weird. saw that for the first time at a memorial service. I just remained seated and stared with a bit of amazement.

3

It's your daughter's wedding. You don't have to believe in her god to support her marriage. It's a very important day for her; support her!

unc66 Level 1 Nov 15, 2017
3

I go into churches only for weddings or funerals (or for my grand baby’s recital). My non-theism is mine, not theirs. I do not attend services at all.

I don’t believe it’s hypocricy to enter worship houses. You are not pretending to be something you are not.

I think in this example you are being selfish, not silly. This is her day. My daughter got married at the court, but I would have gone into a church for it.

3

Why not ? It's your daughter !

Just because you enter a house of worship, doesn't mean you have to be of their religion, or believe anything you don't. It doesn't make you a hypocrite - but merely a temporary visitor.

Go. Enjoy. Celebrate. You won't "catch" anything !

3

Oh, mercy, I would think her being okay with it means she'd really like you to share a once-in-a-lifetime moment of happiness with her. You don't have to participate, and being in the building doesn't make you a hypocrite.

I would go and make it as comfortable as possible for her. Daughters and their happiness are precious. <3

2

Yes! This is your daughter's day... do it for her! You aren't being hypocritical... you're being kind!

2

It's not about you.

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