To find it interesting how the UK is apparently having a 'Christian revival'?

[BonxBonx]

I was watching the news the other day and they were talking about how there has been a big increase in church attendance over the past couple of years, particularly among Gen Z. Anecdotally, I have seen a few friends (in our mid-to-late 20s) 'find God' and start going to church over the past couple of years. Not just passively attending either; actively engaging in Bible classes and retreats. My TikTok is also showing me a lot of this - British 20-somethings talking about their Christianity.

I find it really interesting, especially the timing of it. With the advances in science and us having been a pretty atheist society for a while now, I am surprised. Is it a consequence of being on the back end of the pandemic followed by a cost-of-living crisis that people are looking for answers outside of themselves? I know when things get hard I find myself praying, even when I don't believe in God. Is this an example of that kind of thinking but on a bigger scale?

I thought it would be evangelical but my DS knows a few friends of his age that have decided to go Catholic. Apparently those lace veils that I haven't seen in church since I was a child ( and it was old fashioned then!) are a tik tok trend alongside the church going. I agree that I think it is in partly as @Maitri108 says a reaction to rampant consumerism and the lack of anywhere that they are forced to be free of phones, social media, overstimulating etc. Apparently crafts are making a comeback too. It makes me feel a bit sad for them.

Religions don't prove any god either. It's an unfalsifiable claim. Fortunately, we don't fall for most unfalsifiable claims (Loch Ness monster, fairies, alien abductions etc) - we want proof first. Perhaps people fall for religions nowadays because truth doesn't seem to matter any more.

Does it? Where is your evidence for this?

But faith is faith - believing in something you don’t know for sure.

Roman Catholic Church, straight?!

We know for sure that the universe wasn’t created in seven days, for a start.

If faith involves believing in something you don’t know for sure, you must be a very easy prey to catfish, scams, Nigerian princes with money they’re desperate to give you, ads that promise a quick fix for belly fat, face cream that will make you look 20 years younger etc etc.

I think the massive push toward a secular, non-traditional society hasn’t resulted in the happiness people assumed it would. It’s resulted in huge nihilism and toxic individuality.

It's probably people looking for comfort in hard and hopeless times. For people in their 30s/40s, they might be struggling more with bills and giving up their annual holiday, but for most of the younger population the economic crisis is harsher. They have little hope of getting into a stable career now that everything is being outsourced, their labour is being replaced by cheap immigration and unless they're born with a silver spoon in their mouth-which most people aren't- they haven't a hope in hell of ever affording a home or family of their own.

I went to my brother’s church for my nephew’s christening and was astounded! The congregation was so young. I am sure I was older than the main priest and I am in my 40s!

Was very happy clappy and musical. Each to their own. Faith has never been my thing but I know a lot of people whose faith brings them a lot of peace, structure and has helped them get through pretty traumatic experiences.

Sadly, once you are dead, you are dead, so 'believing' you are set for some sort of Elysian happiness during life or when you get to the pearly gates, is rather daft and a complete waste of time.
So much shit in the world due to religion. These yougsters may see 'christianity' differently when they realise the forgiveness and acceptance tropes are bollocks, and if you dare be gay, or 'other' in any way, you'll be unwelcome, gossiped about and ignored.

Yes I would, much more so for Islam. We know how Islam can end up when uncontrolled by any moderating influence.. Ofc fundamentalist Salafi &Wanhabi aren't the only schools, there's Ahmaddiya, Sufi etc but the fundamentalists have way too much power atm.

Judaism doesn't normally encourage terrorism but the Hasidic way of life is often romanticised by outsiders (Louise Perry for one, who seems to think it's v equal re childcare bc she sees dads pushing prams 🙄) when there's a great deal of disturbing stuff in the most extreme branches. Conservative & Reform Judaism are mainly fine imo.

Whilst it’s nice people are coming together doing something that is generally positive and meaningful, they can end up categorising people as us and them. You see it in the states The cherry picking in Christianity is insane, the bible is an awful book. It’s all too easy to get to a place where God spares a politician to “save the country” but letting people die from the cruelest diseases is part of their plan. You can’t argue with belief and that’s why it’s scary to me, as well meaning as many of these groups likely are.

As long as the religion is accepting of gay people. I can’t stand the hypocrisy in the church to be honest, love thy neighbour, unless they’re gay. The church needs to change.

The last vicar at my local church was gay.

Sorry which Christians are hating on single mums and Sen kids..?

That is a very narrow definition of prayer

Oh girl, a load of them on social media banging on about traditional values

Terrifying

Him? How do you know God is a he?

It hasn’t been my experience, I used to be a Christian and active member of a church but I stopped going after Covid when the church massively let people down and failed to support people during the pandemic.
this seems to be more of the trend I’ve noticed and churches have emptied.
maybe that’s confirmation bias though?

And science is science. Proving stuff.

Yeah, I'm an atheist and I can see why people might be drawn to a practice that draws together meaning, faith, community and a shared narrative that affords a manner of knowledge that cannot be found in science.

I have noticed a lot of new, what you could probably call independent, churches around, especially in cities. I don't mean non-conformist such as Baptist, URC etc, but ones with names like Church of the Saviour.
It's interesting to note that some old churches have been taken over by these new denominations.

Yes tiktok is to blame for the rise of TradCaths. Imo it's often v performative. That's the issue w Catholicism, it can be all about appearances rather than God for some people. The Red Scare podcasters blathered about tradcath a lot, linked to their half serious promotion of retro roles for women (worrying links to tradwife, Orthodox appears quite sexist a lot of the time too) I think they got some converts probs.

Remember also a push for nutty stuff like tradcath is linked to people like Peter Thiel who are pushing NFP as a cure all (anti contraception, you see🙄). We need to be aware of this. The birth rate needs to rise, but promoting NFP as the only way & pressuring babies is v unhealthy imo. Thiel creeps me out..

It's bigger in US, part of this is US trends coming over here. Why can't we stick to British stuff? Orwell had some good things to say about how Britain is not fanatical like a lot of US Christianity but it holds to the best values : love thy neighbour etc.

Not sure where a pp got that the bible was written 10 000 years ago !
Most scholars put it at 2000BC at the most . With later bits including the NT at up to 100AD . And of course many translations after that which can give rise to distortion .
i also disagree that archaeological excavations confirm biblical events . Having seen a few tv examples I think some interpretation which is extremely important in archaeology is widely off the mark and made to fit the narrative they want by some dubious “archaeologists” . Eg the arc being found on Mount Arrat which was nothing more than a glacial feature from what I could see!
Disclsimer DH is an archaeologist Whilst I have a physical sciences background .
I think the Gen Z fascination with organised religion here in the uk is probably due to US influence. I also see pagan stuff becoming popular too. Again it’s an internet influence I think. And all totally boloney

Boyle's Law isn't going to throw you a rope if you are looking for safe harbour though, is it? I wish I had a bit of faith.

Evangelical import from the US and the one most likely to believe that the world is 6000 years old and a literal bible .