UK Church of England attendance drops below 750,000 per week

originally posted by: Raggedyman
I think you have it the wrong way around, the desperate feed of God.

No religion propergates and feeds from desperate people, without them religion would starve and die.

Would desperate people die without a belief in your God/s?

If you look at the rise of Christian charismatic churches you will see many so called Christians seeking an abundance of more.

Because religion promises them more, and desperate people will do anything.....being desperate...

Your comments sound like bitter rantings than a well thought out response

Rational thought doesn't sound like your strong point

Do you even project?

Tell me more about your belief in an invisible god creature and your denial of evolution.....

Well prezbo I am a Christian and Christianity promise pain and suffering on this earth, it actually states that it should be welcomed

If you can prove otherwise then please show me and explain your reasoning, I am sure you are an atheist who claims to know the bible better than all Christians

Your comments sound bitter and based on hatred and anger

Atheists die for their belief in Stalin or Mao, don't ride to high, the horse may buck you off

originally posted by: Raggedyman
Well prezbo I am a Christian and Christianity promise pain and suffering on this earth, it actually states that it should be welcomed

If you can prove otherwise then please show me and explain your reasoning, I am sure you are an atheist who claims to know the bible better than all Christians

Your comments sound bitter and based on hatred and anger

Atheists die for their belief in Stalin or Mao, don't ride to high, the horse may buck you off

So you willingly chose to subscribe to a religion that encourages you to welcome pain and suffering in your life?

Why on earth would you choose to do that?

To be specific
I try and choose that
The reward is not harming others as I have done in the past
It can be harder to live with the ramifications of your actions.

Don't mistake that as being a doormat

Also this world is fleeting, like steam from a kettle, the promise of a fair and just kingdom is a reward worth striving for
There is more than this life, surely most can acknowledge that as a possibility

There is a freedom unknown to come

a reply to: Raggedyman

Ephesians 6
2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

This implies that if you honor your father and mother "it" (life) will go well for you and that you will "enjoy" long life on Earth. No one "enjoys" pain or suffering do they?

originally posted by: Raggedyman
Well prezbo I am a Christian and Christianity promise pain and suffering on this earth, it actually states that it should be welcomed

If you can prove otherwise then please show me and explain your reasoning, I am sure you are an atheist who claims to know the bible better than all Christians

Unsurprisingly you leave out the whole promise of eternal life and all that jazz.....

Your comments sound bitter and based on hatred and anger

Atheists die for their belief in Stalin or Mao, don't ride to high, the horse may buck you off

No my comments are based off the sheer ignorance of Christians like you that bring up Stalin or Mao asthough they have any relevance.

Sorry enlightened
Context is always good
Jesus honored His mother and father
Didn't work out that well for Him, nor all of the apostles

Middle East Christians, list of Christian suffering is fairly extensive in reality.

You read a verse and then claim it as THE promise for you, great theology

a reply to: nonspecific we still have songs of praise on bbc1 every Sunday night, if people want to sing some religious nursery rhymes. I'm not surprised attendance is so low. It's become much harder for people to shoe horn religious myth into our common understanding of science. Those questioning the myths are becoming much younger and the information to disprove bible fiction is at everyone's fingertips. Not just a chosen priesthood like in the old days. You can't argue with science and progress. Well you can, but tend to be shown up as wrong. I imagine belief in creationism, is low and the belief in a god low too compared to other countries. We have had access to some of the finest athiests minds and Darwinian science.

originally posted by: Raggedyman
Jesus honored His mother and father
Didn't work out that well for Him, nor all of the apostles

Middle East Christians, list of Christian suffering is fairly extensive in reality.

You read a verse and then claim it as THE promise for you, great theology

Can you explain how this is relevant to the question posed in the OP please.

Do you feel that at some point we will no longer be classed as a Christian nation?

originally posted by: woodwardjnr
a reply to: nonspecific we still have songs of praise on bbc1 every Sunday night, if people want to sing some religious nursery rhymes. I'm not surprised attendance is so low. It's become much harder for people to shoe horn religious myth into our common understanding of science. Those questioning the myths are becoming much younger and the information to disprove bible fiction is at everyone's fingertips. Not just a chosen priesthood like in the old days. You can't argue with science and progress. Well you can, but tend to be shown up as wrong. I imagine belief in creationism, is low and the belief in a god low too compared to other countries. We have had access to some of the finest athiests minds and Darwinian science.

My son was 6 when he realised that he does not believe in Christianity.

His school is church of England, something I think should not be.

Religion has no place in education in my opinion.

a reply to: Raggedyman

So.... that verse isn't true?

originally posted by: nonspecific

Can you explain how this is relevant to the question posed in the OP please.

Do you feel that at some point we will no longer be classed as a Christian nation?

Sorry, that was a reply to the enlightened one

originally posted by: 3NL1GHT3N3D1
a reply to: Raggedyman

So.... that verse isn't true?

well if its true to you and your life who am I to argue.

I read it in context of the whole narrative, not one verse out of context of the whole book

a reply to: Raggedyman

And that is to do with the subject how, exactly?

a reply to: Raggedyman

I see what you are saying and I am wondering whether people simply don't buy into that crap teaching that "We are all sinners from the moment we are born" e.g. we must support organised religion and the men in frocks etc plus obviously give them respect.

Most of the men in question (probably in all organised religions around the world) are not elected, they troop into that role because its often the only one they can find to get ordinary people to listen to them and so what they say.

I have met very few men who do this role that I would ever respect, often their pious popsy attitude gets right up my nose because you are expected to walk on egg shells around them - so they get away with their high status yet haven't earned it. (I have to be honest I prefer women in this role because they have less ego and are often more down to earth).

a reply to: Shiloh7

The whole idea of Christianity was to end this male, religios, domination. Like most things people do, it mostly fails.

The priesthood died some 2000 years ago, yet it still does exist

As a Christian I don't respect to many of those priests either

As for that crap teaching, comes a time when the drinks dont work

Do we have any regular church attending uk members on ATS. I think the last time I visited a church, was when a Mexican friend came to visit and wanted to see inside the local church. Ts on the way to the village pub, so we didn't stay long

originally posted by: Prezbo369

originally posted by: Raggedyman
I think you have it the wrong way around, the desperate feed of God.

No religion propergates and feeds from desperate people, without them religion would starve and die.

Would desperate people die without a belief in your God/s?

If you look at the rise of Christian charismatic churches you will see many so called Christians seeking an abundance of more.

Because religion promises them more, and desperate people will do anything.....being desperate...

Your comments sound like bitter rantings than a well thought out response

Rational thought doesn't sound like your strong point

Do you even project?

Tell me more about your belief in an invisible god creature and your denial of evolution.....

mans adversity is gods opportunity

a reply to: nonspecific

I don't think that the Church of England can be a complete litmus test of this. However A decline is given as a sign so it's all good in my opinion.

They can flog off their buildings now and perhaps doll it out to the needy.

a reply to: woodwardjnr

I don't

To legalistic and political. Had a few bad experiences with people

Miss fellowship and prayer and preaching. The apostles were told to go and not be a burden to anyone, they also had to work. Unlike a minister with the Methodist circuit at a finance meeting at our local chapel. About 15-20 in the congregation on average. His first words were that his wages wAs the most important issue before, the people building etc.

Well not according to God it isn't.

My wife used to work in the sock bookshop in Durham Cathederal. The Cathederal cost 40k plus a month to run. It's disgusting. Nice building of course but totally wrong in my view