Treat mental health like the oxygen mask on a depressurised aircraft: sort your own out before taking responsibility for anyone else's.

Religion can provide comfort and community. Those are two of its purposes. But you have to be able to suspend your disbelief. Can you manage that?

Why not? Half those people don't believe that shit anyway, they just say they do for the social and economic benefits. And from what I read they have a lot of lusty thoughts.

Churches provide sort of an instant community. Unfortunately, the trade-off is a lack of genuine connection. I'm sometimes tempted too but then I remember what it was like.

Look on Meetup.com. They have all kinds of groups.

Also. Look into Meetup.com.

Join a facking bowling team.

I started going to a Star Wars group to meet some people, because I had no car but it was easy to meet taking the bus. Some religious people there but not all. In the past I have checked out a performance artists group, some meet-up groups, and even a coda 12 step. I suggest not 12 steps if it's AA based/theistic/religious. Now I'd want to visit an asexuals group if there is one. I think some of trying a zen group, and maybe get to know some Hindus and see if any have things in common. I am highly skeptical in many areas so it's challenging to me to risk it. UU church would be a 1st choice for churches, some Quakers/Friends may have space for our kind...ask 1st, it's possible in some Quaker spaces. A bunch of other churches would just want to convert us to members. If I happened to have Jewish in me I'd seek out the secular Jews for community, to meet friends.

One of my friends sent out an invitation in the neighborhood to all the single, widowed women to have tea. 11 showed and they are talking about regular get togethers. Instant community. My first idea was go to a bar.
Take Care!!!! Good luck with mom.

You know I would love to join a church (C of E or One of those ‘we don’t care what you believe’ churches) for the cakes and songs and jolly ole conversation about anything at all.

So long as you don’t have to take on board the credo it would be the greatest fun.

None round here though. All a bit churchy or RC.

Snap out of it!

As suggested Unitarian Universalist and then Unity. Unity is considered by some/not all to be Crain but they seem to be very welcoming to All. They are international-home is here in the u.s.

I was going to suggest a Unitarian Universalist Church but if you’re in a small area I’m guessing there aren’t any

Just remember, if you start feeling like that again, message me for christsakes!!!!
We can't have that church nonsense.

Go Hari Krishna!

At least you came to your senses. A religious friend of mine knows for sure that I could meet women at church. He tells me all the time I should start going again. Knowing my disbelief doesn't stop him because his book tells him everybody knows there is a god. What he has in mind for me is alter time and "Oh, Jebus, I am so sorry." Of course we go that route because Suzie, my new church GF, is right there to help me.

I think the whole idea is so sorry!

Can't really add much to the excellent suggestions I've seen other than I wish you well, and install the tire chains before you get to that slippery slope.

So join a church. What's the big deal? If that's REALLY the only option,
TELL them you're a non-believer and you'll be the center of attention!
Or don't tell them and make excuses why you miss services and just go to social activities.
Or, go to services and sow seeds of doubt and discord among the gathered faithful.
Raise disturbing questions about the historicity of Jesus, for example.
Be the devil's advocate.

You can begin attending church without joining. And if that's the only game in town I bet you would find other skeptics there as well. Good luck.

Yeah happens more than you think

From what I’ve read and heard you wouldn’t be the first and probably not the only atheist/ agnostic in the pews. I can’t think of the names atm but I know there’s some websites dedicated to those atheists who still attend church and live the full religious lifestyle.

Hey, ya know.....going to a church is not all bad.....I mean as long as you're not in a state of mind to be hoodwinked.....regardless of how I feel about their ideologies, I have actually...enjoyed myself?....the handful of times I've been.....online communities are nice, but not a complete substitute for the interaction we want...but I'm still thankful it's only been a handful of times