Do your raise your hands at church?

[ButterflyBlood]

Poll question: Do your raise your hands at church?

As I've said before, I sometimes wonder if I'm the only DUer, even amongst DU Christians that does this.

But yeah I do, usually just one of them though and I rarely stretch out my arms like a lot of people do. I also do a lot of post-hardcore style shaking, so really not too different from when I'm at a music venue except for moshing. I'd probably do that too if there was an area and a pit ever got started though! (Wouldn't be an unpopular suggestion either as my church's congregation is predominately under 35.)

[gateley]

1. When I went to Church it was the Catholic Church, and

never a hand was raised. Nor a Hallelujah heard.

[TlalocW]

2. Personally, it kind of freaked me out the first time I saw it

And it wasn't at church. A more religious friend of mine talked me into going to see a Carmen concert (this was high school), who I had never heard of since I'm not into modern Christian music and really not into most concerts to begin with. I was able to last two songs (more on that in a sec), but as soon as he started singing (and it was a large venue, and it was pretty much sold out), everyone's hands went up, and they started swaying. I was only able to last through two songs because the whole concert was just Carmen and some guy on a cheap electric piano, and for just that, it was one of the loudest and most atonal concerts I had ever attended. I left the seating area, couldn't take it in the halls of the arena either, went outside, and I think I finally ended up napping under a statue at a far end of the parking lot. My friend was kind of upset about my not staying in, and we argued all the way home (we both considered ourselves "musicians" - as much as a high schooler could be). He thought I should have stayed because of the message, and I said he sucked so much, I either couldn't understand him or wouldn't be able to understand him unless I was already familiar with his work.

TlalocW

[ButterflyBlood]

5. I fail to see what's so freaky about it, quite common live music stuff

Do you think this video is freaky? They're going a lot further than simple hand raising: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgL7Fh6ZjnI

You were right to leave the Carmen concert though, because the music was just that bad. I doubt I could handle it either.

[TlalocW]

6. I don't go to a lot of common live music stuff

Probably the most common live music event I've been to was a Paul McCartney concert in college during the 1990s, and they didn't raise their hands and sway. The only other really memorable "big" concerts I've been to are jazz concerts, and my favorite was a group called Las Folkloristas, who travel Latin America, learning traditional songs from the different countries as well as making copies of pre-Colombian musical instruments and making new compositions with them. No swaying at those.

Anyway, the hand waving wasn't due to the music, it was the worshipful kind. The only other place I've seen it was my grandmother's funeral. One of my uncles and his brood were more evangelical and would raise a hand while placing the other over the heart and swaying.

TlalocW

[MADem]

14. You were right to leave. Never mind the swaying, never mind the

mass release of underarm odor, when it comes to bad music, no one should have to suffer that.

Your ears and psyche deserve better.

I actually walked out of a concert of a fairly popular band way back in the seventies. They just sucked live, though their Top Forty Crap on the radio wasn't bad. I gritted my teeth through two or three songs and said, finally "Fuck this." It was just unendurable.

[TlalocW]

15. The thing was I couldn't believe how freakin' loud it was

With just an electric piano and a singer. The venue was the Kansas Coliseum, which is just north of Wichita. It's a fairly big steel and concrete place that back then (maybe still is) was home to the soccer team (the Wichita Wings back then), hockey team (Wichita Wind), and concerts. Even from my place under the statue, which was about an eigth of a mile away from the closest door, I could still hear it faintly.

TlalocW

[Mister Ed]

3. No. If you raise your hand they think you're volunteering to serve on the committee. n/t

[kestrel91316]

4. I was raised Presbyterian. We're WAY too stodgy and traditional for such

self-aggrandizing nonsense.

:rofl:

Besides, I hardly ever set foot in church anymore. It would help if I actually believed that stuff, I suppose.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. Among Episcopalians, it's considered a trait of charismatics

:shrug:

[ButterflyBlood]

8. Oh I definitely go to a charismatic church

Except for speaking in tongues. Never seen that or heard it spoken of. But it's definitely a progressive charismatic church. (Yes they exist. Not all charismatics are like the Jesus Camp people or Benny Hinn style charlatans.)

[roguevalley]

9. i believe it is a pagan thing that was added into religion

since jesus said pray in private and don't make a spectacle of yourself in public to prove some piety thing i will say it makes me rolf to see it. i really really hate it. it seems so egotistical and disconnected from passion and emotion.

IMHO

[RZM]

10. I was raised in a rather staid Methodist environment

Definitely no raising of hands. Services were quite subdued affairs. Haven't been since the mid-90s.

[Deep13]

11. You mean to ask the priest a question or something? nt

[ButterflyBlood]

17. We don't have priests. nt

[Deep13]

21. Oh, cool. Are you Quakers?

I knew some Quakers back East. My friend's Dad was one, but my friend is a R. Catholic like his mother.

[ButterflyBlood]

23. No I go to a non-denominational Protestant church

Hence we have pastors or ministers, but no priests.

[Deep13]

28. Oh, they do everything priests do, but they're not priests.

If they are officiating religious ceremonies ("services"), they're priests. A rose is a rose is a rose.

[Hardrada]

12. Lutheran. Nuff said.

[ButterflyBlood]

20. Believe it or not I've seen people do this at Lutheran services before

There are a lot of more contemporary ones now and anyone that attracts a younger crowd will be more charismatic.

[Adsos Letter]

24. I've seen that.

In my church the older generation is generally more conservative than the younger; worship style seems to follow.

[ButterflyBlood]

26. Yep, explains mine well

We're so youthful that we had an "Over 35 Barbeque" for the members over 35 a few months ago to make them feel like they fit in. So of course it's full of hand raising and swaying and jumping by people in T-shirts and ripped jeans.

[Hardrada]

25. I don't attend "contemporary" services.

[TygrBright]

13. Heh-heh... Two different kinds:

White people church with people raising hands, swaying, moaning, babbling: Dead creepy

Black people church with people raising hands, shouting, dancing, calling and responding: Way cool

Which kind did you have in mind?

interestedly,
Bright

[Lionessa]

16. +1, but that's not something I should be okay with. Feels like a form of racism.

[TygrBright]

19. I know, I know. "They're so graceful and they have such great rhythm!" Ick.

Nevertheless, the differing religious cultures are a fact, and it's a fact that the white version is embarrassing and creepy.

The black version feels natural and exhilarating. I don't know why. I just know that's how it is, for me. I HOPE it's not a kind of racism... I'm always trying to root that out, in myself. But it is my experience.

diffidently,
Bright

[Meshuga]

18. I usually raise my hands everywhere...

...when I use Sure deodorant and antiperspirant.

[ZombieHorde]

22. I have not gone to church since I was a kid, but I voted "no" based on those old experiences.

I went to a Roman Catholic church, and I have no memories of anyone raising their hands at church.

[LAGC]

27. One of my old fundie Baptist co-workers said charismatics are "doing the devil's work"

...and letting themselves be "possessed."

:rofl:

If that's what turns you on though, more power to you.

[ButterflyBlood]

29. I've found other fundies don't get along with charismatics well

In my middle school there were two girls (twins) whose family belonged to one of those Apolostic Holiness Pentecostal churches, they looked the part, long hair all the way down to their waists, never wore pants, just dresses that reached their ankles, no makeup or jewelry, family didn't own a TV. Despite all this they were actually two of the nicest and sweetest girls you'd ever meet, especially considering this was middle school when basically everyone is a jerk. However I knew plenty of kids whose parents were aware of them and forbid their kids from associating with them and telling them how they belonged to an evil cult and weren't really Christian, etc. In hindsight I realize most of these kids were from pretty conservative religious families too, just more "mainstream" ones like conservative Lutherans (Missouri Synod). The Jesus Camp lady is also from my hometown and she ended up moving thanks to badgering and death threats, and my town is most certainly not a liberal or secularist stronghold, it was probably other conservative Christians believing that she gave them a bad name. I'm sure progressive charismatics like most at my church would be considered even worse.

Pentecostals and fundie Baptists actually disagree on a lot theologically as well, there's plenty of things for which both are crazy just in different ways. It's kind of odd that fundies have been so successful since they can't even get along with each other, I guess someone just needs to bring up "OMG TEH GAYS" and they'll quite fighting and reunite and organize.