u/Iron_Psalm

Considering becoming Anglican

Greetings, I’m 29M from the UK. I was baptised in the Church of England, but never confirmed. My family weren’t particularly religious, except in that typically English “I believe if asked, but it in no way shapes my life” sort of way; consequently, I was pretty much an atheist for most of my life.

I am now considering attending church, likely somewhere in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. I’m a big fan of Rowan Williams’ theology and have also found myself increasingly interested in Christianity as a lived tradition and way of life, rather than approaching it purely as an abstract intellectual question.

However, as a single 29-year-old man attending church alone, I feel I’m likely to be somewhat out of place. I also feel strangely embarrassed about going, partly because of how British culture often sees Christianity particularly among younger people and partly because I’m not yet sure exactly what I believe. I suppose there is a sense of feeling like an impostor.

So I wanted to ask: what should I actually expect if I simply turn up to a Sunday service? Would someone in my position be unusual? Is it acceptable to attend while still being uncertain or agnostic about some of the metaphysical claims of Christianity?

I’d also be interested to hear from anyone who came to Anglicanism, or returned to church, as an adult after years of atheism or agnosticism. What was the experience actually like?

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u/Iron_Psalm — 2 days ago

I’m 29 and I’ve never been in a relationship. The short version is that I had a difficult childhood, dealt with a lot of shame and low self-worth, and for most of my life I didn’t really believe I could be liked/loved.

Because of that, I avoided dating rather than putting myself out there.

The good news is I’ve done a lot of work on myself over the last few years. I’ve been in therapy, I’m very emotionally aware, and I’m actively building a fuller life. I work full-time, I’m learning to sing, I rock climb, I’m learning German (get along really well with my tutor), and I’m trying to become more open, playful, and connected instead of living from fear.

I’m not bitter about dating or resentful towards anyone. I just feel inexperienced and a bit nervous about how people will react when they find out I’ve never had a relationship before.

I’m not looking to dump my whole past on someone early, but I also don’t want to hide it or feel ashamed of it. I’d really like to date with honesty and genuinely.

So I guess my questions are:

How big of a deal is this likely to be fir people?

When/how should I mention my lack of relationship experience?

How do I avoid making it sound to heavy or more awkward than it needs be?

And lastly for the women on here, would this kind of life history be a turn off?

Any help/advice would be appreciated

reddit.com
u/Iron_Psalm — 2 months ago