to be annoyed that church is so boring and missing an opportunity to teach something inspiring

[somethingmustchange]

We rarely go except on visits to MIL. Each time the service is read from exactly the same booklet, the sermon teaches nothing and is just boring reciting of the bible, the hymns are dire and sung terribly by everyone including choir. I always leave feeling depressed and cross that the vicar doesn't try to inspire a new generation or give feelings of hope, happiness, community etc. Then the church goers (all 70 plus apart from maybe 2) have coffee and judge other people that are their supposed friends. How are churches supposed to have a future if they carry on like this?

Third world and less developed countries, Amazonian tribes etc - that's why Christian missionaries go there

so before the missionaries arrived, these people will 100% go to heaven as they had never heard of jesus. but by turning up and (pointlessly) trying to convert them, they now condemn them to hell.

that sounds particularly cruel and evil even by usual church standards

The thief on the cross wasn't baptised but Jesus told his "today you shall be with me in paradise"

There are loads of verses saying we are saved by faith alone. As soon as you add a physical act into the equation it becomes works based salvation, which isn't biblical.

Baptism is an outward sign to the world that something internal has happened. It's for others to see...it symbolises dying and raising again with Christ. Why would Jesus have thought it necessary to be baptised himself? It was symbolic. Baptism doesn't save you alone.

But can you not see by your own arguments I couldn't agree that practising homosexuality is ok? If I did, you would throw those verses at me and ask me why I didn't believe the bible when I call myself a christian.

It's really very sad that these threads always go so badly.

OP, I don't think the church of yesteryear will survive. I suggest you find spiritual fulfilment elsewhere.

Any chance we can separate spirituality from religion and god from the "he" and put the dogma behind us.

Can I just point out that there are plenty of non-bigoted christians too. Inclusive Church and OneBodyOneFaith seem to be regularly announcing that yet another church has voted to join the movement for full inclusivity. Jesus had absolutely nothing to say about homosexuality, there is no reason for christians to categorise homosexuality as any more a "sin" than eating pork.

This feels like the dreaded #notallmen protest but I won't let the only Christian voices heard be the ones who are still enmired in homophobia.

admitting you're wrong is a sign of a weak character. Is this a typo?

Spadesofglory

That's the entire point. Your religion is fundamentally poisonous. You worship a god who:

Massacres children to prove a point.

Commits genocide against entire civilisations who don't obey him.

Apparently redeems us via some bizarre human sacrifice event thousands of years ago.

Who creates us flawed and then commands us to fix ourselves on pain of eternal torture.

Who wants us to simultaneously love and fear him.

Who is happy to condemn people to eternal damnation for things over which they have no control.

To quote Pharoah from the story of Moses. "What kind of person would worship such a God?!"

You came across as a nice normal person until we got you to admit that you believe practicing homosexuals are going to be tortured forever in Hell. That's god's decision so it must be just.

If anything, you have provided the proof that religion is a disease.

Religion poisons everything.

I also love my churc(Carholic). There are 6 Masses every Sunday which are all different in style. There's a formal service with some Latin/ incense/ choral singing, there's a folk Mass with guitars and modern hymns. There's also a children's Mass. Not all churches are the same!

This thread is horrible.

We live in a post Christian country where everyone has heard of Jesus. But most people haven't met Him. Few people have heard the actual good news, which is actually about unconditional love and acceptance.

Instead people love to set up a straw man argument and fight with their own misconceptions.

It makes me angry and sad how eagerly people attack Christianity, when it's actually specific people in their life and specific experiences that have hurt them.

...incompatibility with science are more pressing problems...

Actually a great many scientists are Christian. It's a myth that scientists are athiests. Didn't Sir Isaac Newton say "gravity explains the motions of the planets but it cannot explain who put the planets in motion". Or words to that effect.

Listen, I don't expect you to like me. Im just answering your questions and trying not to get into a fight. Jesus was ridiculed and rejected by most who came across him (including the Pharisees...the most religious people of the day)....why should Christians today expect to have an easy time of it? I certainly dont.

It makes me angry and sad how eagerly people attack Christianity, when it's actually specific people in their life and specific experiences that have hurt them.

This.

Evening all,

Thanks for all the reports about this thread. Unfortunately it's been derailed by a previously banned poster who has been posting on it from multiple accounts.

We've banned them again now and are about to hit the button to delete all of their posts on the site - this isn't the only thread that's been infiltrated and we need to remove all of their posts as soon as possible.

Be prepared for the thread to look a little different...

Haha, nope, I'm all legit

Sorry to disappoint

@yearOfBirth

Ooooh, was it you Spades?

Nope, not Spades.

But as you may have seen by now, posts by quitToday, fluentInIrrelevantItalian, backformor, backformoor and indeed backformoore have all disappeared. Make of that what you will.

Is this an Anglican high church using the book of common prayer for the set requirements of a Eucharistic service? Our church has a little booklet (varies due to time of year occasionally). The predictability was key when people didn’t read. There are certain things that need to happen in a Eucharistic service. I like it, personally hate happy clappy forms of worship. A well done sung Eucharist is a lovely thing. Can’t get a seat in our Sunday morning service.