Christians are discriminated against and 'treated with disrespect', senior bishops warn

reply to post by teapot

How have you concluded that Christians are demanding greater respect than anyone else?

The overwhelming support by christians for Blasphemy Laws, for example .

Nice little video debating this subject -

reply to post by teapot

Why do you think that non communist secularism will be any more successful in killing faith?

I'm not suggesting that at all, if anything will kill off (although I doubt if it will be killed off) christianity it is its own doctrines. We are living in times where people are becoming more skeptical of outrageous claims such as the supernatural claims made by christians.

Unfortunately for the churches people learned to read and critically question what is touted from the pulpits demanding evidence.

Needless to say no evidence has been provided leaving the weaker minded or the troubled to fill the collection plates on a sunday.

reply to post by teapot

What advice did the local authority give you? There have been church run childrens and youth groups close down, sometimes leaving no local social networking opportunities for young people, because they lacked the resources to comply with 'stringent safety' regulations.

The general impression I'm getting is that since the nationwide repulsion of the child rape by christian priests in positions of trust, that no longer will trust be assumed.

It would appear that the laws in relation to police checks etc will be very broad sweeping and include self styled christian councilors sunday school teachers etc.

Where specific counseling such as drug use, family problems,sex and alcohol etc is offered or hinted at by churches or their representatives, it is being alluded to that related professional qualifications will be required by the individual and group in the particular field .


This can only be good news for the young people being stalked by bogus "youth workers" trying to fill their pews under the pretense of offering advice or counseling for youngsters.

reply to post by piedsniper

There has recently been a scary increase of what are commonly known as "street pastors" and their ilk in the UK

I know mate! Its not just young people they target either. I'm pretty scruffy usually. I think these people must assume that its because my life is a mess; they're often on at me when I'm down in the city centre. In fact, only my finances are a mess, which isn't why I'm scruffy anyway: I just dont see the point of smartening up unless its for business meetings or a date. If these people wanted to talk about what got us into another f# recession & what we can do to prevent it happening yet again, I'd happily give them an ear. The problem is that trusting in their god has a monumental history of poverty lorded over by a few rich attached to it & thats all they've got for a recommendation.
They do end up speaking to vulnerable people tho. Far from discrimination, they get away with advising people on all kinds of subjects which anyone else would have to have a licence for or, at the very least, belong to a professional association requiring specific qualifications. Such as: reproductive health, personal finance, child psychology, addiction, etc. If anyone did that in a non-religious context, they'd get prosecuted. Its about time that street preaching was banned outside of a recognised area that people could go to if they choose to hear it.
Seriously, I've been sat outside the pub, having a quiet ale & a fag, & been approached by some christian. They never say up front "I want to preach to you", its always "do you mind if I join you?" Well, of course I dont, until the preaching starts. However, on a few occasions, even when I've said "ok, I've heard you, now please leave me alone" or the like, they start asking why. If I then resort to "strong language" to make myself perfectly clear that I f# mean it, I'm theoretically committing a criminal offence: Public Order Act.

reply to post by piedsniper Seems like we're on the same page. I'm friending you!
I'm glad you did something public about it. Myself, I just tried to set an example to my kids & their mates. I'm polite at 1st, in the face of unsolicited spiritual advice, but if my request to desist isn't heeded, I resort to forceful language until it works. My daughter has developed the technique into a fine sharp clawed wit, much like her mother. My son hasn't really got it so far. He listens & listens until the frustration gets too much & then begins with "f# off!" I'm a bit worried that he'll thump somebody one day. What can you do? I've always told him violence is counterproductive, but he's 19 & a rebel. Not just wearing "rebellious" clothing, actually wanting to find a new way, which of course means disregarding what I say & making his own mistakes. I'm proud of that. Still, I worry. Ho hum...

reply to post by Bunken Drum


The fact that you have internet access makes you way above the people you are "protecting".... If that is your real view... Then Christians everywhere should keep their hands in their pockets huh?... Screw you... WTf (why) should a Christian even get out of bed to even feed you guys and give a crap?? Surely their own lives have no crap too... Bollocks... Too busy i guess trying to indoctrinate everyone.. ... What if we just STOPPED?... And said *SNIP*

Good luck with that..

Mod-Note, Profanity Removed

[edit on 1-4-2010 by Yissachar1]

[edit on 2-4-2010 by Skyfloating]

reply to post by Yissachar1 Excuse me, but are you drunk? I'm not making any moral judgement about drunkenness, I love it, its just that your post makes little sense & seems to contain a series of ideas that could only be linked together by a massive amount of guesswork on behalf of the reader: a sign of assuming a person already knows where one's thought process has gone; a fallacy common to autism & drunkenness.
If I am mistaken here, please do enlighten us as to what you're on about.

reply to post by Yissachar1

WTf (why) should a Christian even get out of bed to even feed you guys and give a crap?? Surely their own lives have no crap too... Bollocks... Too busy i guess trying to indoctrinate everyone.. ... What if we just STOPPED?... And said F**k you?...

If you want to get out of bed and help someone then do so, hey that's great but do it because you can not because a character in a book tells you to in order to get bums on church seats.

So what if you did stop ? Do you truly believe that only chrisitians help other people ?

Plenty of atheists help other people dude, simply because they choose to and not to earn a pair of wings and a halo .

reply to post by Bunken Drum

I'm pretty scruffy usually. I think these people must assume that its because my life is a mess; they're often on at me when I'm down in the city centre.

On the pavement after a shed full of ale no doubt

They nearly got me like that, be careful.

Mind you the mormons are great you can guarantee they'll take your socks off tuck you in bed and do the hoovering before you sober up, brilliant I love the mormons.

reply to post by Bunken Drum

its just that your post makes little sense & seems to contain a series of ideas that could only be linked together by a massive amount of guesswork on behalf of the reader: a sign of assuming a person already knows where one's thought process has gone; a fallacy common to autism & drunkenness.

Dear god my chest hurts

reply to post by Bunken Drum


No... Not drunk... Just "in the know" of what life would be like without us who give ourselves and our money to feed those who this country left behind.. No religious crap... Just that we love them, and want to prove that by offering all we have for them...

No religious talk.... Just doing whats right...

But it seems that we are the only ones doing it.... Maybe you should wake your secular brothers up to take the strain.... Or do you guys not want to get your hands dirty?

I would love to see a secular outrage at homelessness and prostitution.. But it wont happen.. Coz they dont care enough.. The current state of the UK proves it..

I would LOVE to be proved wrong though.....

reply to post by piedsniper

On the pavement after a shed full of ale no doubt

Well, they could have got me like that when I was young: I suppose I was lucky! These days I cant actually afford enough alcohol to get that drunk, even if I wanted to. Sadly, my tolerance for alcohol has become a serious impediment to drunkenness.
Seriously, its as if you cant have a pint, not be freshly shaved & wearing new clothes, without people thinking you're a f# up.
By anyone's standards, I've been pretty successful during my life. The only thing I haven't done is hang on to wealth: I spent it on having fun with my kids & giving them experience of the world. Ho hum... I'm broke now, but my kids are both in uni & fantastic people. Plus I spent probably more on sex, drugs & rock'n'roll between '84 & '99 than most westerners will make in a lifetime. I got 3 bachelor's degrees & a master's. Now I'm working towards a Phd. My ex has a BSc, an MSc & a BEd.
Financially, things are tough: I've had to move into a small flat & use my mobile for net access, but hey, what goes around comes around. I've been a good egg, without religion: I'll get another start soon enough.
Religion played no part before. It wont help me now.

reply to post by Bunken Drum


It will soon.... You can count on it.... But your post made me glad i fought in wars for you... Risked my life.... For you....

I am such a dick.... Would NEVER do it again... You aint worth it...

[edit on 1-4-2010 by Yissachar1]

reply to post by Yissachar1 Well, look mate, I am not without spiritual belief, just religion. There is a massive difference. My ideas & faith in them have developed over 25yrs-ish of curiosity & continue to change. I dont need a dogma for spiritual growth & the lack of dogma has not stopped me from donating to charity, volunteering my time to youth groups, or taking on interns that I've had to also financially & emotionally support.
I dont need any threats of damnation to coerce me to do what I think is right. Actually, I think the opposite would be true. Perhaps thats why people have lived in such a bad state for such a long time? That there was so little individual choice... just resentment against being told to be good "or else", whilst being told to accept rulership by those who could circumvent the same injunctions?

Click here for more information.

Click here for more information.

reply to post by Yissachar1

Insulting Quote Removed

Wow mate that is rather rude but not surprising, no doubt you're not one of those "True Christians" then as they'll be the first to condemn you for that kind of talk.

So you fought for BD in wars did you ? I'm curious did you offer your services to your employer for free ?

Did you take the time to find out whose war you were actually fighting ? What were your views of your commandment not to kill at that time ?
Were you a christian then ? Were you fighting in the name of jesus ?

How do you feel about fighting in wars and then finding out your employers had been arming your enemy ?






[edit on 4/1/2010 by semperfortis]

As much as I disagree with the religion, I believe everyone has the right to worship whoever or whatever they want without being persecuted for it. THAT BEING SAID, Christian's aren't innocent in the matter. After all, pretty much ever since the religion started there have been Christian's who have been persecuting and "disrespecting" anyone who doesn't agree with their religion. Also, just because people in the UK are being mean to christian's does not mean that the end is upon us. I find it slightly ....(looking for the right word)...arrogant (? something like that), that Christian's have been discriminating against other religions for ever, but as soon as they see a rise in discrimination of their own, It's THE END!

The end has been upon us dozens of times, and each time we managed to survive somehow

reply to post by Yissachar1 Well, I'm sorry I missed your removed posts. I'd still like to know if you did actually fight for my freedom & what that has to do with your religion? I have childhood friends who were/are in the military. Not 1 of them are religious. Still, if they were, I feel pretty certain that wearing a cross on a chain on the outside of their uniform would not have been allowed. Perhaps you could clear up military policy on that for us?