Church Etiquette

I'm not necessarily a religious person, but I do go to church every Sunday because of my parents. I've noticed I have a lot of pet peeves at church, especially when I attend baptisms, weddings, and quinceañeras. It's obvious who goes to church regularly and who doesn't. Anyway, here's a little list I came up with of things you should and shouldn't do at church. Most of these things just require common sense and respect to others.

• Arrive to the mass early or be there right when it begins. If you get there after the mass starts, you are a distraction. Also, seats tend to get full after a certain amout of time. Being on time to church will not only save you the embarassment of walking into a quiet room and heads turning to look at you with disgust, you will also have the freedom of choosing to sit near someone you know rather than a total stranger.


• Dress appropriately. I know my mom always tells me to wear my sunday best when I go to church, but nowadays more and more people are starting to dress casually for church. If you want to dress that way, it's okay with me (as long as it's accepted by the religion). Just don't wear anything that you would wear to sleep like sweats, a tank top, a muscle shirt,  or an oversized t-shirt. And use common sense: don't wear something that says "I'm with stupid." In fact, try to avoid wearing anything with words or logos.


• Turn off your cell phones and electronic devices. Wait... Who am I kidding? No one turns their cell phones off anymore. Put them on silent. No, not vibrate. Silent. I know for a fact that if it vibrates, you will be tempted to sneak a look into your pocket to see who called or texted you.


• Don't walk in and out of church during the service. Go to the restroom and take care of everything you need to take care of before the mass starts. On a similar note: don't leave church early. That's disrespectful.


• Try to avoid talking. If you talk, it implies that you're not paying attention and disrespecting the word of God. Even if you don't believe in what's being said, have some respect for everyone else.


• Don't chew gum. That's just tacky.


• If you have small children, don't feed them snacks. The opening of wrappers and chewing of food is annoying and distracting. (Also, I hope you have the sense not to be eating snacks yourself.)


• If you have a baby and it begins to cry, please take it outside. There's something just not right about people who go to church against their will covering their ears to drown out the sound of a baby's cries instead of the preacher's sermon.