Attending Church, Why?

THE TWO LADIES and I often have lunch together at the senior center. About once a week or so,whenever the menus suits them. They are picky. We share our contempt for Donald Trump, sufficient to cement any friendship. Once or twice, we have attended church together. At our most recent luncheon I mentioned that I have been attending church lately, at a small place I recently became aware of, that I really like it, and that I intend to become a regular attendee. The lady mentioned something about my having changed, perhaps having been "saved". Perhaps she has always presumed a Christian faith on my part, incorrectly. I responded by assuring her that no such thing has happened to me, that I am as contemptuous of the Chrstian religion as ever, for the same reasons. She seemed surprised. Like a true pedestrian intellect, she blurted: "but if you are not a Christian, why are you going to church, why regularly rather than just as a visitor, why describe it as your having found "a home"? Her lack of understanidng amazed me, but didn't really surprise me, nor did her intrusive question. But, on the whole, I considered her nosy question understandable. Permit me to introduce you to a concept which to you might be a novelty,I said. I like to call it "open mindedness". I am well aware that my personal point of view is not the only viewpoint in the world, that I live in a world of cultural and intellectual diversity. Much of the message inherent in the Christian religion I find uplifting, inspiring, noble, sublime. I happen to like the minister at my new church, I like the messages he provides, and I benefit by attending. I would in fact be perfectly amenable to attending religious services of any religion on the planet, any of the thousands of extant religions, including, for instance, Islam. I am certain that I could learn much from any of them, that I will indeed learn a great deal from attending my chruch of choice, and, after all, isn't learning ultimately what we are here for? At some point in the conversation she infomred me that many people at the senior enter think that I am an athiest. I responded that I happen to be a "pantheist", and when she looked perplexed, and awkwardly tried to repeat the word "pantheist", I suggested that she look the word up. I doubt she will bother to look it up. It seems beyond the scope of her interests, and, perhaps, capabilities. I further informed her that those supposed "Christians" who have the misconception that I am an athiest I consider to be barbarians, especially if they seek salvation through the torturing to death of a good man, and wish to wash away their sins with blood. She called me a "know it all". I responded that I was offended at this intended insult. In her urgent desire to get even, she shot back that she was offended at my description of her religious beliefs as "barbaric". Well, she might be stong enough to endure being included in an insult with two billion other people. Or, her ego may force her to bear the entire burden of the perceived insult. Her choice, not mine. When she mentioned that she "didn't mind' The Ten Commandments being placed on the walls of schools, I refrained from reminding her about the constitutional seperation of church and state. Why bother? But I really should not regard her intended insult of me as an actual insult, intentional though it was, for verily, compared to her, I am indeed a "know it all", and would be perfectly willing to have lunch with her again, assuming her willingness to be further educated, which I most assuredly cannot.