>I hate shaking hands in church. No, I obhor it.
I dont like it on 2 accounts
1) its not a meet and greet.
A meet and greet is where you say hello to someone and learn their name. The sign of peace is not that.
2)Its a communicable disease transmission route. As the article(s) suggest and Wikipedia link. You only need casual contact with another person to contact Hepatitis A or even Tuberculosis. Since at the sign of peace , it is not a meet and greet, and further I will then be eating from my hands some 10 minutes later. I only bow or wave, not shake hands.
At a dinner party or some other venue when I shake hands with someone I can choose not to touch my face w/ hands, and wash up before eating. This is not afforded in mass, and is especially risky during flu season.
3) the sign of the peace is an ‘outreach’ , its not an ‘inreach’ where you hug,kiss and shake hands with your family members first. Me and mine, treat is an outreach. This is nothing worse than turning around for the sign of peace and find the people occupied with their families, your stranded, the sign of peace is short, its awkward all the way around.
The “sign of peace” is the main reason I stopped attending church. I do not attend church for “fellowship.” I go for reflection and atonement. I don’t need that process interrupted by socializing.
I take Humira for a genetic condition I have, and Humira represses the immune system. It's not that I "hate shaking hands" in church, it's that I shouldn't especially during cold and flu season since shaking hands is a perfect way to transfer either virus.
What irritates me more than anything are the "greeters" who try grabbing your hand to shake it on the way in the door. They get that "put off" look on their face when I place my hand behind my back and say hello rather than shake hands.
One rather overly-aggressive (I say rude) greeter got upset when I refused to shake his hand. It's gotten bad enough that I've taken to carrying something in my right hand on the way into church and simply don't make eye contact anymore.
I don't know why our church has taken to literally forcing folks coming IN to church to run a gauntlet of "greeters."