Rules Someone Must Follow In Church

1. Be Respectful

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One of the most important aspects of going to church or becoming a member of a church community is about being respectful to others. Whether that be regular church-goers, non-religious visitors or the the priest at the head of the church, being respectful is probably the number one value of Christians and a big rule in their church.

2. Join In Prayer

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Taking part in the various different prayers that happen during a church service is a must if you attend church regularly. There are some prayers that the priest will read out and you must respond with a repeat or by saying "amen", and there are some prayers that must be memorised and read out in unison with other church-goers.

3. Sing Hymns

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There are plenty of hymns that are sung in church, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Whether they be really upbeat and happy, or more melancholic and mournful, you must get to grips with singing all the different types of hymns and start learning the words off by heart, especially if you wish to start attending church more regularly.

4. Go To Mass On Sunday

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Sunday is a really important day in Christianity, as Christians believe that this is the day that their God chose to rest after creating the earth. They take Sunday very seriously and must take this as their day of rest, and this often involves attending Mass on Sundays along with other Christians. Mass is about spending time with God and accepting his grace.

5. Confess Your Sins

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Something that we often see in films but don't take seriously is the idea of confessing our sins. Christians, especially Catholics, take this very seriously and some churches recommend that regular attendees of the church should confess their sins at least once a year in order to remain faithful to their God.

6. Help With The Upkeep Of The Church

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The majority of churches in America are funded almost solely by individual contributions from those within its' community. In order for churches to keep their doors open, a lot of parishes stress the necessity of its members to help contribute to the upkeep of the church through generous donations and volunteer work.

7. No Alcohol...

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Whilst many Christians don't believe it is a sin to drink alcohol, they definitely don't drink alcohol or get drunk before attending church or during a service. They view this as very disrespectful and some Christians believe that they should abstain from drinking alcohol on Sundays, especially before mass.

8. ...Apart Sacramental Wine

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The only time it is EVER acceptable to drinking whilst in church is at mass during the sacramental exchange of bread and wine. Catholics perform this exchange in order to replicate Jesus' sacrifice, and therefore it is seen as the most important element of mass. To refuse the wine would be a sign of great disrespect to the church-goers.

9. Turn Off Your Phone

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We've all been to the movies and had our night ruined by someone texting with their cell phone volume all the way up, or worse still actually begin taking calls. The church have similar rules about cell phones and some of them actually require their attendees to turn it off before entering the church in order to avoid disturbances.

10. Keep The Church Clean

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It is imperative that church-goers make sure that they do not leave the church in a mess when the leave, especially in communal areas like the pews or the altar. Leaving mess can ruin the visit of other attendees and it is a sign of disrespect towards the church, the community and also the religion as a whole.

11. Follow Instructions

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Priests, church leaders or members of the church have a great understanding of the day-to-day running of the church, when services begin and end, events that are happening and also fully understand the rules within that church. Based on this, it is super important for regular church-goers to follow the instruction of the senior members.

12. Don't Leave Until Service Has Finished

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Have you ever walked past a church and all of a sudden it seems everyone is leaving at the same time? This is because another really important rule you must follow in a church is making sure you attend the whole service, and only leave once the service has finished, which is seen as a sign of respect.

13. Sit In Reverence

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Whilst in church, it is super important that whilst the priest is talking, or if there is something important happening such as a christening or baptism, that church-goers sit in reverence and do not disturb the service. This is because people must show signs of respect and honor towards the church service.

14. Close Your Eyes During Prayer

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Some church rules dictate that one MUST close their eyes whilst praying. This part is really important, as the church says that closing your eyes during prayer lets the person block out all the distractions around them and focus their thoughts and prayers so that they may be closer with their God.

15. No Chatting

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During church service, or generally, any event that is occurring in the Church, it is really important that church-goers remain quiet and refrain from excessively chatting. The church views chatting over a service as rude and disrespectful, and in some cases people have been banned from the service!

16. Share Your Hymnal

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For anyone who has been to church, you'll know that singing hymns is a constant throughout a church service. A lot of regular church-goers will know a lot of the lyrics off by heart, but for those who are new, or maybe don't attend regularly, you can use a hymnal to look up the different hymns. It is important to share your hymnal with people so they can sing along with you.

17. Express Gratitude

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One of the virtues of Christianity is gratitude, and church services often preach and give teachings about stories involving gratitude, and how someone should try to express this even in difficult circumstances. The church actively tries to push its' members to express their gratitude to one another in and out of the church.

18. Greet Others With Love

 

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Another Christian virtue is love, and it is discussed all the time at church. A lot of religious people believe that the source of love comes from God, and that he embodies love. Because of this, churches preach the idea that you should always greet other church-goers and your community with love and happiness.

19. Don't Chew Gum Whilst Worshipping

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In some churches, it is super important you dispose of chewing gum and avoid chewing gum during a worship. Maybe people find it distracting if they hear someone close by that is loudly chewing gum, and the church can view this as rude and disrespectful if someone is inhibiting someone's ability to worship with a distraction.

20. You Must Not Distract Others

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More generally, it is really important that people avoid distracting other people who are attending church. Whether they are deep in prayer, or simply listening to the priests teachings, it is viewed as disrespectful if someone is knowingly distracting another church-goer from their faith.

21. Do Not Move During A Baptism

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A baptism is one of the most important and revered events that takes place in a catholic church, and is held in great esteem among its' religions followers. During a baptism, everyone must remain still and sit in reverence in order for the priest to correctly perform the baptism without unnecessary distraction.

22. You Can't Take Photos

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If you're just visiting a church to see the architecture and it isn't during service hours, it is perfectly acceptable to take photos. However, if it is during a service, or during something important like a baptism or christening, it is REALLY important someone doesn't start taking photos as this can be distracting - especially with the flash and camera noise on!

23. Don't Let Your Children Play

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It is really important that if a family is attending a church service, that they make sure their children aren't on the loose running around the church and causing mayhem. The church teaches that children should be well-behaved and listen to adults, especially to their parents, so it is super important that you don't let your children play during a church service.

24. You Must Not Eat Or Drink

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Respecting the church and its various services is of paramount importance when attending church, and a lot of churches state that someone must not be eating or drinking whilst a service is happening. To the church, it shows a lack of respect for the people in the church, the church itself and even to God.

25. Do Not Steal A Bible

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Stealing or theft is seen as a sin in Christianity, and some even view it as a mortal sin. Whilst there are plenty of bibles in the church, they are there for the public to use, read and study within the confines of the church, and shouldn't be taken out of the church unless permission has been given.

26. Participate In Church Activities

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A regular attendee of the church must try to take part in the various activities and events that the church arranges or hosts. Whether that be church services, outdoor activities or education, it is important that each church-goer does their fair share, and show their commitment to the church and the religion.

27. Try To Uphold Christian Values

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Being a part of the church, it is important to live vicariously through the religion, and uphold the values of that religion at all costs. This shows that you are dedicated not only to your religion, but also the church that you're a part of, and it sets the tone for people who are tempted to become a regular member of the church.

28. Attend Church Meetings

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If you become a member of the church, it is super important that you attend church meetings to discuss the ongoing development, upkeep and day-to-day running of the church. Being able to give your input on these matters is key to help the church run smoothly and make it a better experience for the not-so-regular visitors.

29. Financially Support The Church

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The majority or churches across America are pretty much entirely funded by charitable donations, all of which go towards the upkeep of the church and to help put together events for the community. As a regular attendee of the church, it is really important that you try to donate what you can, fiscally or otherwise, in order to help the support the church.

30. Take Part In Bible Study

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Many churches offer bible study sessions, in which a part of the bible is read and the church-goers discuss its' meaning and the teachings that can be learned from it. It is super important for each attendee to study the bible in order for them to better understand their faith and help others to learn.

31. How about these old church laws that could actually see you in jail? Wearing a fake moustache

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So a church rule is one thing - but when it's a law, it's literally punishable by a prison sentence if you choose to break the law. You might think that's fair if it's something like serious theft from inside the church, but some of these very serious laws might surprise you... starting off with this one. This one comes from Alabama, where it's illegal to wear a fake moustache in church! It's not so much the moustache, but more if you wear one that then results in people in the church laughing and causing a disruption. What if you have a real one that makes people laugh though?

32. Don't even think about eating peanuts

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Want to take a tasty snack to church with you? In case you get hungry while the priest is giving their sermon? Maybe you're worried about your stomach growling loudly in a hushed church environment, just like when we used to take exams and our stomach would growl the house down. Well, just like with exams, you can't take peanuts into a church, either - at least you can't if you're in the state of Massachusetts. It's illegal to do so. Maybe it's something about the crunch possibly being too disruptive? Maybe they're worried you'll drop a bag all over the floor?

33. You best hold in that sneeze or burp

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We think we can all agree that when we were at school, in a lesson or in the assembly hall, we were always given the stink eye by a teacher if we yawned. They thought we were making an obvious sign it was 'boring', when actually it was just a natural bodily reaction we couldn't control - pretty much like a sneeze or burp. Which are illegal in the state of Nebraska, if you're looking to go to church service. Granted, you could control a burp if you really needed to - at least hold it down - but that sneeze is going to be a lot harder to manage...

34. ... and hold in that gas, too

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This one's interesting because the exact requirement states that it's illegal to pass gas if you intend to "make a disturbance"... so it's pretty much about what you would define as passing gas naturally, or passing gas with the sole intention of disturbing everyone around you. Can you help it? Did you mean to eat that specific thing last night? It's going to be a disturbance no matter what, but maybe it just means how happy you look about doing it... It's definitely an illegal thing to do in New York City churches specifically, though. So hold it in!

35. Whispering in church

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In the state of Delaware, it's actually illegal to whisper in church. This one is actually more worrying than speaking or shouting in church, because your normal instinct while being in a place of worship is to lower your voice if you need to say something to the person next to you, out of respect. And what counts as a whisper? Is it a certain decibel? What if you have a naturally husky voice? So many questions. We imagine it's more akin to what your teacher thought as disruptive back in class, whispering at the back while they're talking!

36. Keep your pants on until you get home

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This law doesn't so much count as inside the church itself, but more the outside of it, in the church grounds or graveyard. In the state of North Carolina, it's illegal to have s*x in a church graveyard. Just in case, you know... that did it for you, for whatever reason. We're not judging, you'll just have to do it in a different state or risk getting caught! The worst thing about this one is you just know they must have caught someone doing that in the first place to decide that it should now be a law... much safer to wait until you get home.

37. Killing houseflies within distance of a church

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Yeah, just bear with us on this one, because it's as specifically bizarre as they come. We all know how annoying those house flies can get when they're buzzing around our heads - and that would be annoying enough when you're sat in a church, so you'd be forgiven for giving it a thwat! But this law specifically states that you can't kill a housefly within 160 feet of a church, without a license to do so. So that's pretty bad if you actually have a house next door to a church, or across the street. This is a law active in the state of Ohio.

38. You actually have to take a shotgun

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So this one isn't a law against bringing a gun into church, and you'll go to prison if you do... it's actually a law that you have to bring a shotgun into the church with you, and for a very specific reason. In churches in Maine, it's a legal requirement to take a shotgun with you in the case of a 'Native American attack'. Apparently in times of peace in a place of worship you also need to be armed to the teeth in case of attack... We don't know how that works for 'thou shalt not kill', though... maybe it's something more 'ceremonial' about having one with you?

39. The devil has many disguises

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Maybe this is why the church specifically doesn't want you to do this - because who knows you really are under that! In churches in Texas, you're not allowed to go to church 'wearing a disguise'. So that might have dashed your cosplay dreams, or maybe made you rethink that chicken suit outfit. We don't really know what counts as a disguise, especially when we had that fake moustache issue a few points back. So you definitely shouldn't go to church right before you're due to rush off to a Halloween fancy dress party... can you imagine?

40. No jokes allowed!

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Who said religious people couldn't have a sense of humor? Well, churches in Nicholas County in the state of West Virginia, apparently. It's illegal there for clergy members to tell any funny anecdotes, hilarious stories or make jokes if they're on the pulpit during a church service. Maybe it's too avoid everyone laughing too much in an echoing space, or getting far too comfortable? Imagine if you were just a naturally funny person and you let a good joke slip! That must be a very serious church service indeed, but maybe that's what the people want.

41. Generally disturbing the service

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In the state of Mississippi, churches take disruption very seriously. So much so, that any regular citizen church goer actually has the power to arrest anyone within a church deemed to be 'disturbing' the peace of the service. We don't know what the official definition of that is, as one citizen could consider something a disturbance where another wouldn't. Imagine getting a citizen's arrest for your shoe squeaking on the floor by accident! Either way, your best bet is to sit quietly and don't move or speak if you want to go to a church in this state.

42. You couldn't wear a big hat

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Wait, this one actually makes sense more than the others on this list that are still around! While this law isn't enforced anymore, it used to be illegal to wear a huge hat - we're talking Pharrell Williams size - if you were attending any church services in the state of Wyoming. This was obviously so you didn't block the view of the person behind you, so it actually makes sense. We don't know if the law went so far as you couldn't take a hat whatsoever, or if you just had to take it from your head at the door and carry it with you!

43. No kissing!

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So back in the past, if you were attending a church service in Boston, you could get arrested if you were caught kissing on the church steps. We get why it wouldn't be appropriate to stick your tongue down someone's throat even outside the house of God, but we don't know how far this rule went in terms of what counted as an arrest-able offence. Did a peck on the cheek count between an old married couple? Or was it just a young teenage couple giving each other those eyes? Shame the front steps would probably be the most Instagrammable place...

44. You could get in trouble for your child's bodily functions

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Forget everything we said about how hard it'd be to try and hold in a burp, passing gas or sneezing in a church these days - because compared to this rule, we have it easy! Back in the day, if you were attending a church service in the state of Nebraska and happened to be taking your kid with you, you're going to have the added pressure of making sure their bodies don't make a single sound! The only trouble is, it's very difficult to control the noises or other things coming out of a child... or worse, a baby that has no control over... well, anything.

45. A very specific rule about trash on the highway

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So we don't know if this used to be a thing that Christian parents used to do - or maybe still do - but apparently it was enough to have an actual law in place to fight against it. In Tennessee, there used to be a law that said Christian parents couldn't make their kids pick up trash on the highway if it was on Easter Day. Which means this must be what many Christian parents were doing before, to make them have to make a law about it... and why? Was that so kids could attend a church service on Easter Day instead of collecting trash?

46. You best pay for those singing lessons

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We know that one big part of a church service is the singing together in hymn harmony, and it's apparently such an important factor that it used to be illegal to do it badly! You could actually risk jail time if you sang out of key during a church singalong in churches in the state of North Carolina. You'd think that they would care more about the feeling or passion behind it all, but nope - the actual notes matter more. Maybe it's because it would sound awful in an echoey space, and we get that, but still... people can't help it if they don't have the voice of an angel.

47. There should be no teaching about polygamy

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In some cultures and religions, it's normal to take more than one spouse - specifically a man taking multiple wives in some countries. These days, the act of polygamy is much more laid back and much less centered on religion and culture - it's just about loving more than one person! But going back in time to churches in Mississippi, it was illegal to teach anything about the practice of polygamy, with only monogamy being able to be spoken about during church services, by either the priest or the attendees of the service.

48. It's illegal not to believe in God

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So in current times it's normal to have debates and conversations between religious people and atheists, and everything in between. It's just natural to talk about whether you believe in god, or whether you don't. You might never have considered that, in recent times, it could have actually landed you in prison to deny the existence of god and to say that you don't believe! To be honest, we don't know why you'd be at a church anyway if that was your stance, but if you happened to be at a church in Vermont denying the existence of the almighty, then you'd be breaking the law.

49. You have to believe in God to have a position in office

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We do know that most people in government and in office have the spiel about 'for God and country' and swearing and oath, and most of them obviously mean it and believe in a higher power. But it's never been known to be a legal requirement - except it used to be in the state of Texas. If you wanted to run for any position in office, you first had to formally acknowledge the existence of God, of a higher power, and profess your faith. Although of course people could just lie to get into office, but maybe they had to prove themselves by going to church a fair few times!

50. No drunk marriages!

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At least this one actually makes sense and would save A LOT of regret that comes from shotgun drunken Vegas weddings! But we guess getting married in front of Elvis and a tequila shot is a little different than an official church ceremony, but still. In the state of Pennsylvania, it was the law that a marriage ceremony could not go ahead if either of the two people getting married were drunk. Or even if both of them are drunk! Which would be a shame if you'd taken a little Dutch courage for a ceremony you actually wanted and then went a tad overboard...