1. Churchgoing on its knees as Christianity falls out of favour

Comment #177436 by ShadesOfGrey on May 9, 2008 at 5:10 am

Corylus

Huh? I thought, it's a while since I went to a church service, but I don't recall seeing a dishwasher on the go, or the vicar's smalls hanging on a line from the steeple...

Well granted fonts don't hold much water, but think of the baptists water bills . . .

2. Churchgoing on its knees as Christianity falls out of favour

Comment #177377 by ShadesOfGrey on May 9, 2008 at 1:56 am

11. Comment #177299 by MPhil

I wasn't trying to explain why Christianity is losing popularity, just why the percentage of Muslims is rising.

But if I was to try and give an answer to that - I would say it's because, just like in Sweden and Denmark (and Germany, but less so) - and in direct, stark contrast to the US, religion isn't free enterprise. It's a fixed social institution, linked with the government, it's in some way official.

Where religion is free market enterprise, there will be advertising, doing everything to get people to "buy" your "product" - including brainwashing etc (which is what advertising does, but in a slightly different way).

One of the few christian denominations showing an increase in numbers is in the pentecostal/independent sector, probably for precisely this reason, ie they are privately owned businesses and run as such in order to make money. Speaking to family and friends(admittedly a small sample) about this type of church none of them realised these independent churches are privately owned companies. I think this is possibly because in the UK we are are only used to the state sanctioned official denominations, so the thought that a church can be a privately owned business never occurred to them.

3. An Atheist Goes Undercover to Join the Flock of Mad Pastor John Hagee

Comment #176788 by ShadesOfGrey on May 8, 2008 at 3:16 am

5. Comment #176520 by Cartomancer

Ugh! I had little idea such vile things went on in this world. These people sound utterly revolting - foul, swaggering, macho-posturing, militaristic, homophobic, anti-intellectual, anti-rational, hyper-conservative, nauseatingly arrogant demagogues who prey on the vulnerable and the confused. Everything I most despise about america rolled into one sickeningly awful package.

Like you, Cartomancer, up until a couple of years ago I had never encountered this type of pentecostal church. Unfortunately however they are now here in the UK and their aim is to grow in number and influence. Whether they will achieve this is another matter, but that is their aim. You have (in your usual perceptive manner) described these cults and their leaders perfectly.

But it's the manipulators who I find hardest to understand. Can they really be so unscrupulous and unprincipled? Do they seriously believe their own nonsense? Seriously? Surely it's just cynical advantage-taking? But can human beings really be that cynical?

Two reasons, power and money. I think they do seriously believe that god has spoken to them, plus, by being a leader in this type of church, they get a degree of wealth and more importantly, power that they would not otherwise be able to get in 'everyday' life.

4. Fleabytes

Comment #144892 by ShadesOfGrey on March 17, 2008 at 2:20 am

Well for music on an atheist theme how about Genesis 'Jesus he Knows Me' - it's not exactly heavy metal, but it's spot on regarding the pentecostal prosperity gospel merchants.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTrYE4a1BmE

You see the face on the TV screen
coming at you every Sunday
see that face on the billboard
that man is me

On the cover of the magazine
there's no question why I'm smiling
you buy a piece of paradise
you buy a piece of me

I'll get you everything you wanted
I'll get you everything you need
don't need to believe in hereafter
just believe in me

Cos Jesus he knows me
and he knows I'm right
I've been talking to Jesus all my life
oh yes he knows me
and he knows I'm right
and he's been telling me
everything is alright

I believe in the family
with my ever loving wife beside me
but she don't know about my girlfriend
or the man I met last night

Do you believe in God
cos that's what I'm selling
and if you wanna get to heaven
I'll see you right

You won't even have to leave your house
or get outta your chair
you don't even have to touch that dial
cos I'm everywhere

And Jesus he knows me
and he knows I'm right
I've been talking to Jesus all my life
oh yes he knows me
and he knows I'm right
well he's been telling me
everything's gonna be alright

Won't find me practising what I'm preaching
won't find me making no sacrifice
but I can get you a pocketful of miracles
if you promise to be good, try to be nice
God will take good care of you
just do as I say, don't do as I do

I'm counting my blessings,
I've found true happiness
cos I'm getting richer, day by day
you can find me in the phone book,
just call my toll free number
you can do it anyway you want
just do it right away

There'll be no doubt in your mind
you'll believe everything I'm saying
if you wanna get closer to him
get on your knees and start paying

Cos Jesus he knows me
and he knows I'm right
I've been talking to Jesus all my life
oh yes he knows me
and he knows I'm right
well he's been telling me
everything's gonna be alright, alright

Jesus he knows me
Jesus he knows me, you know...

5. Seven new deadly sins: are you guilty?

Comment #141439 by ShadesOfGrey on March 10, 2008 at 12:19 pm

Mmmmmmm . . . I am a Level 5 so it's an eternity of naked mud wrestling in the Styx for me ;-)

6. The Giant Tortoise's Tale

Comment #133958 by ShadesOfGrey on February 27, 2008 at 4:11 am

I visited Down House last year (Darwin's home for 40 years where he did most of his writing, which is now a museum dedicated to him). IIRC one of the displays there stated that The Beagle took tortoises from the Galapagos on board to act as a supply of fresh meat on the voyage back to England and Darwin himself ate them.

7. The Giant Tortoise's Tale

Comment #133877 by ShadesOfGrey on February 27, 2008 at 2:00 am

My first post!
Wonderful video. Regarding tortoises floating, some species of tortoises, for example Leopard tortoises (Geochelone pardalis), do float and can swim reasonably well, however most species don't float and have all the swimming ability of a brick.