Originally Posted by
Bamboozle 
The last time I went through the motions of sitting/standing in a church was for my brother's wedding. It was uber uncomfortable (I even did a reading! The horror!), but I kept telling myself I was doing it for him. I didn't want to draw any attention to myself, so I (uncomfortably) went through the motions. Did not sing...did not say "amen"...just sat and stood in silence.
I felt like it was similar to the Pledge of Allegiance, which I don't say. I stand for it and face the flag because it seems like the best way to respect others' beliefs and show respect for the country. Similarly, I try to respect others' beliefs and part of that is not being distracting in this type of a setting. There's a time and place to take a stand, but a professional banquet isn't one of them. I actually watched my rabidly atheist professor and even he stood quietly... which is a great contrast to his rants during lecture.
