General Chat

My thanks yet again folks. Some wonderful replies full of wisdom and experience. 'elastoplast christian' - I like that. Happy days

I was brought up a Christian.... we used to go to a very charismatic church, full of hugging and kissing etc.... I know that my uncles, aunts and grandparents did not approve of it. Anyway, from the ages of 9 to 12 I went to a Christian camp for one week in the summer. I really believed. But then doubt fell in. I couldn't understand, and still can't, why a wonderful God just stands aside and lets us destroy ourselves. My mum replies to that by saying we have free will, God gave it to us, but that for me is just a cop out.... there are people murdering in the name of God (Allah and God are from the same source too), both Muslims and Christians, and God let's them do that because they have been given free will?!? Well if that's the case, he's not nice at all. He can't be all loving if he lets people destroy others. My mum also says that anyone who does not believe is going straight to hell, including Muslims and Jews (when they all believe in the same God, more or less).... well if that's the case, then it's not very all loving to say 'you're in the club, but you don't believe the way I want you to, so you're out'. Am I making sense?

Harry as a regular attender it builds my faith. Perhaps you didnt have your questions answered so gradually lost yours.Its your relationship with God that you need to consider. Some of the answers here are interesting. 1.The earth wasnt made in 6 literal days.You would need to be stupid to accept that. A day can mean more than 24 hours. eg:In your grandfathers days.Thats a period of time. Its in this sense you understand the bibles creative days. In the beginning God created the earth.It does not say how long that took.The earth was waste and formless.Then Gods spirit moving over the earth made it fit for animals and humans.Taking away the gasses so we could breath and supplying the food. This would takes many years. A year in the bible can be various periods of time.A thousand years.A watch in the night,which was 4 hours.So a day is not literally 24 hours.. Another point raised was the flood of Noahs day. If it wasnt global why do all the cultures, islands ,isolated communities have a story of the Gods being angry because of mans wickedness and a flood that covered the earth.This has amazed people who have found isolated groups in the rain forest who had never seen a white man yet had a flood story. Harry start reading your bible again. You obviously still have a spiritual need or you wouldnt have raised the question.

My thoughts are just like Hilary's - I try to act kindly towards others and help anyone I can but don't find any satisfaction in going to church - haven't attended for years except for the usual weddings, christenings and funerals. Think some of my family especially are such hypocrits - they had a big over- the-top wedding, bride had been divorced, their daughter/stepdaughter had wedding recently in church and later her child christened in church, yet they never attend any other time. And all they care about is show, and money, and more show.

At one time I considered being ordained and set out to study theology. The more I learned, the more I realised that the whole edifice of the church is built on sand and its real purpose was power based on fear. I admire the Christain ethic which has something in common with original communism but cannot admire the extremism demonstrated by many so-called Christians, particularly politicians and leaders of states. Now that its power is eroded (as most people are far better educated) it is somewhat tamed but, in its heyday, it was comparable with militant Islam. I believe in the soul - or rather that consciousness is separate from brain and may exist outside the body. I believe that organised religion is a major cause of mayhem in the world, alongside nationalism. I like being in churches - but only when no one else is there. len

I do Jess - I find it helps in my less sane moments especially.

Interesting point there - ''glad we could chat'' I quite often see on here 'please remeber so-and so in your prayers' Do very many still actually pray, outside the bricks of the church building? Jess x- who doesn't !

Once again, many thanks to you all for some very interesting thoughts. A strong sunday school is mandatory. Brings in the children; parents; and grand-parents as well as lighting the whole place up. Happy days

Interesting comment that Lily made about too many distractions now and children not going to Sunday school Many years ago I was reading the local paper at my parents house. One of the local churches had started up a Sunday school in the local supermarket. They were amusing the children while the parents were shopping. Never found out if they were successful or not, but I thought it was an interesting concept Dee xx

Because the sermons are so darned boring. Not always the vicars fault - in this area if they've tried to be a bit more modern the old 'customers' have complained bitterly - and won.

I was there this morning, for the children's service, after their Work 'n Play week. It was lovely seeing all the craftwork they had done and hear them sing. Sadly, their parents will not bring them regularly to Sunday School - are there too many distractions on Sundays, now? Lily

I don't feel the need to go to church. I feel I am a christian who lives by christian morals. I lived next door to an old lady who for 40yrs. had been the organist at the local church. She had no family only an elderly sister who lived elsewhere. when she could not attend church any more, where were they? No-one came to visit her. I would always look out for people & take care of them, help them when it was needed. I feel there are more christians outside the church than in. saying that I don't know if I am an athiest either. Always went to Sunday school as a child, just never felt the need in adult life. I find alot of people turn to church in times of need in their lives. Hilary x

I used to attend church regularly(catholic) up untill around 4 years ago. I stopped going when i realised that i was gaining nothing from it and was simply going out of habit. I very much still believe in god but do not feel the need to worship in front of an audience ( congregation)

Debby, and a nice thought as well. I think a lot of us could associate with that type of service and thinking. happy days.

Sorry to be so nosey but.... Those of you who are believers, but non attending,...do you pray? Occasionally??, regularly?? When?

Harry I have never looked into it but a friend of mine attended a humanist funeral. She had never heard of it before but found the 'service' extremely touching and personal to the person who had died but without all the religious bits. She also said she found it far more comforting than any other funeral she had ever attended. That appeals to me as I hate funerals when the vicar doesn't know the person from Adam and yet talks about them as if they did. Just a thought Debby

Dee, there,s no answer to that. One of the reasons I stopped going was that I found myself singing words I no longer believed. ( a lot of them were in well out-dated jargon, but that,s another story) Happy days

Hi Harry I went today, first time for quite a long time. I went to a christening, I was chosen to stand as godmother to a neighbours new baby. I came away from the service feeling deflated. At least two of the congregation dropped of to sleep, one of whom was in the choir stalls. The hymns were unkown, and almost 'unsingable', the sermon far from interesting and the vicar gabled. The service was at my village church, now I know why I stopped going on a regular basis. Dee xx

Debby, No, an interesting thought though. Colin - excellent, very funny; very true. Happy days

I like the one where he says to the vicar that he doesn't go to church because it is full of hypocrites and the vicar replies no ,do come along there is always room for one more