[News] The future of faith: young people switched off?

[oneillco]

Maybe some traditional Churches are in decline but others are growing across all age groups. They'll be more Christians gathering for the Big Church Day Out at Whiston House in West Sussex than we get at the Amex for example.
https://youtu.be/TPCsPkGhak8

If there was a hell my idea of it would be a music festival which featured: "Christian Rock, Christian Worship, Gospel Music, Christian Rap, and contemporary Christian music" and being surrounded by 20,000 (N.B. not more than we get at The Amex) of the sort of people who enjoyed such stuff....

 

[sydney]

Maybe some traditional Churches are in decline but others are growing across all age groups. They'll be more Christians gathering for the Big Church Day Out at Whiston House in West Sussex than we get at the Amex for example.
https://youtu.be/TPCsPkGhak8

there is no h in wiston .....my ex bird lives in the old lodge of the wiston estate ....salmam rushdie was hidden away there in protection after he wrote the satanic verses....never had so much sniff ....dropping out of the ceiling it was , you lot are truly clueless.

 

[LlcoolJ]

If there was a hell my idea of it would be a music festival which featured: "Christian Rock, Christian Worship, Gospel Music, Christian Rap, and contemporary Christian music" and being surrounded by 20,000 (N.B. not more than we get at The Amex) of the sort of people who enjoyed such stuff....

Yes I couldn't even bring myself to click in the link for fear of cringe overload. [emoji23]

 

[sydney]

If there was a hell my idea of it would be a music festival which featured: "Christian Rock, Christian Worship, Gospel Music, Christian Rap, and contemporary Christian music" and being surrounded by 20,000 (N.B. not more than we get at The Amex) of the sort of people who enjoyed such stuff....

christian rap......:faceplant: :notpalm: lant:

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Probably best not to dive too deep into the history of religious institutions and children's care homes.

Was it really necessary to say that? There are people out there who genuinely care!

 

[jonnyrovers]

Was it really necessary to say that? There are people out there who genuinely care!

If people genuinely care will they not welcome candour regarding historical institutional abuses?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bold Seagull]

Was it really necessary to say that? There are people out there who genuinely care!

Sorry yes, a litany of abuses over decades and centuries across the globe under the protection of the church should always be kept quiet when talking about all the good the church does.

Of course people are out there who genuinely care, most people are good whether atheist, religious or otherwise and do care - I'm not having a pop at people!

The problem with the church is power, devoid of democracy or control as we know it, religion can hold a tyrannical hold over its followers. It is why each religion splinters so much, it is mostly about control and power.

I see the church down in Brighton doing great things for the homeless and people in need, but personally I don't see the church, I just see good people. Those same people would be good and contributing I expect in a parallel universe in exactly the same way with or without the church. Perhaps the church brings good people together, it is a bonus, but the downside is it can also empower the very bad.

 

[Megazone]

Has anyone come across the theory that we don’t exist at all, and that we are a computer simulation being run by a future civilisation for the purpose of ancestor modelling. My only exposure to this theory is via ‘the infinite monkey cage’ so I’m certainly no expert, but the scientific fraternity seem consider it seriously, and it fits with Hugh Everett’s increasingly popular ‘many worlds’ theory.

I've never heard that theory but I have heard the one where life is just merely existence where there's no such thing as right and wrong. We can kill , we can hate, we can live in spite and we can do basically all that we like because all of this is just one big massive universal cock up created through a massive explosion.

 

[Megazone]

Sorry yes, a litany of abuses over decades and centuries across the globe under the protection of the church should always be kept quiet when talking about all the good the church does.

Ian Watkins (Lost Prophets lead singer) used to publicly preach Atheism by ridiculing the belief in a greater being claiming it was to control all of us.

I can see where that belief suited his sexual desire.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Ian Watkins (Lost Prophets lead singer) used to publicly preach Atheism.

I can see where that belief suited his sexual desire.

Atheism isn't a belief.

 

[Megazone]

Atheism isn't a belief.

Until there can be 100% proof of no creator. Then I'm afraid it is.

 

[beorhthelm]

Has anyone come across the theory that we don’t exist at all, and that we are a computer simulation being run by a future civilisation for the purpose of ancestor modelling. My only exposure to this theory is via ‘the infinite monkey cage’ so I’m certainly no expert, but the scientific fraternity seem consider it seriously, and it fits with Hugh Everett’s increasingly popular ‘many worlds’ theory.

the computer simulation idea isnt taken seriously as its just a fantasy idea to base some films around, there's no actual science. as it supposes one universe and some form of virtual existence, its quite different from the many-worlds interpretatio. that is as expression of how to deal with the outcomes of quantum mechanics, in which we exist not just in this universe but an infinite number of parallel universes all slightly different.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Until there can be 100% proof of no creator. Then I'm afraid it is.

You do not need to prove a negative in order to have to then 'believe' or have 'faith' something doesn't exist. To be honest, as an empirical thinking person, the very logic of your statement is perverse, and probably typical of someone not requiring evidence to believe in something.

 

[beorhthelm]

Atheism isn't a belief.

sadly "believers" can grasp the concept of non-belief, you must believe in something.

 

[vegster]

Religion was explained very well by a chap on the radio a few years back. He said that 2,000 years ago life was very tough and religion gave you the discipline to get through a miserable life, don't steal, don't envy your neighbour with a stronger Ox , don't drink alcohol... etc etc. Life was still pretty hard and you would often see children die in infancy and you were powerless to stop it. Religion gave you hope that if you were good all your suffering here would be rewarded in " Heaven " in the next life. All your relatives would await you in heaven if you were good in this life and so you were kept in control as it were, otherwise life would have been a free for all. Now as we become more aware of our existence in a Universe of worlds a God seems a bit far fetched.

 

[Megazone]

sadly "believers" can grasp the concept of non-belief, you must believe in something.

Not believing in anything would also mean you don't believe in the big bang theory, surely?

 

[Withdean11]

Until there can be 100% proof of no creator. Then I'm afraid it is.

You can't prove that i can't fly. You KNOW that i can't, right?

 

[Megazone]

You can't prove that i can't fly. You KNOW that i can't, right?

Erh?

I can prove you can't fly. All I'd need to do is push you off a cliff.

1-0 to Atheism there.

 

[Megazone]

You do not need to prove a negative in order to have to then 'believe' or have 'faith' something doesn't exist. To be honest, as an empirical thinking person, the very logic of your statement is perverse, and probably typical of someone not requiring evidence to believe in something.

What is it you believe in?

I personally believe in Omnism.

 

[beorhthelm]

Not believing in anything would also mean you don't believe in the big bang theory, surely?

Big Bang theory is explanation of the physics and mechanics around a probable event. it does not preclude the possibility of the existence of gods, so this isn't a valid counter-argument. i just dont have any belief in them, just as i have no belief there is a teapot circling the earth. in your line of argument, if i dont have belief in the teapot, i must believe there is a banana there.