Choirs, worship songs, after service coffee - the all new religion chat thread

[niminypiminy]

A new place for us to share the lovely, silly and annoying things that happen in church life and share our great love of Graham Kendrick.

Just realised I haven't posted for ages. Life is hectic I am being ordained deacon in 10 days time, have moved into a vicarage, but now frantically cleaning the rented house we moved out of ready to hand the keys back. Who knew 10 years of living somewhere could cause so much dirt to accumulate! Although it is mainly things like weeding the drive way etc that is taking the time. So what I thought would be a couple of refreshing weeks between stopping secular work and getting ordained has turned into a manic panic time. Looking forward to pre ordination retreat next week just to take some time to breathe!
The boys have started at their new schools and the novelty is wearing off, middle DS who has autism is not very happy at having had to move and so we have tantrums most days about how I have ruined his life.
I have 11 family guests coming for the ordination between mine and DHs family but only 10 tickets... so trying to work out who to give the tickets to and who to offend and sit in the 'other' seats.
But all in all through it all, I finally feel at peace that I am going to be ordained - this time last year I was terrified and ready to give up!

How exciting! I love seeing the faces of the candidates...

I'm impressed with how vicars move house- it's really hard trying to fit it all around family life and schools, especially that retreat bit. Sometime that timing can be really tough.

I've lost my cool on a thread where atheists have gathered to discourage a seeker. I think the seeker OP has 'left the building', but I got drawn in. Silly me. Broomstick, you were on, too. Why do atheists get so angry at theists? I'm taken aback by the MN atheists' perception of the U.K. as a country run by religion. I've seen so many threads where they attribute policy and school matters to 'the country being run by people who believe in a sky fairy'.

Oh I missed that thread pickle, I usually join in but probably not strong enough right now. The old sky fairy thing is just that: old. Tired. Clichéd. I also find a lot of aggression on these threads. It can be hard - make sure you take time to look after yourself on them

Hello Blink and Tiggles. Welcome to vicarage life it's hard but rewarding. Lovely news about your ordinations.

My brother also being priested on the 1st July so looking forward to that, it must be a popular day for ordinations!

I've lost my cool on a thread where atheists have gathered to discourage a seeker.

You are dishonest pickle

We all offered the op advice, and the theist perspective was the majority, which there is nothing wrong with. I cant believe you have painted yourself as the persecuted one because people politely disagreed with you.

Goodness Ollie, you are invested! I would still say you misunderstood every attempt I made to explain. Isn't it bad form to follow people around on MN?

Thank you for clearing it up itshere and I wholeheartedly apologise that your thread descended. I would love for there to be a thread where non believers and theists can converse and debate without argument but many society is not ready.

I extend my apologies to pickle also. I'm sorry you felt hounded by my response on both this thread and the other but I felt the non believers who weighed in were being unfairly represented.

I don't wish to de-rail this thread so we bow out now, as you were!

Glad you found us here. I've been on discussion boards for years and I've never encountered atheists like the ones you find on MN. This thread is a safe space (usually) but I'm intrigued to find they lurk.

So pull up a comfy chair, have a slice a virtual cake and join the chat.

Hi Green

Thanks for the welcome, yes I do lurk with interest! But you should see the ones on youtube....sheesh.

It will remain a safe space green I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm a 20 something non believer with an opinion, but often very little tact, navigating the perils of disagreeing with someone online D:

I do appreciate you extending a hand here, its very gracious and something I should perhaps practice more.

So I'm a 50 something priest with postgraduate degrees in philosophy, religion and ethics. I vaguely remember being 20 and being convinced I was right. It was older, wiser and more gracious Christians who changed my stereotyped perceptions of what Christianity was about and led to where I am now. This might be a very dangerous place for you Ollie

To the rest of the group. I had intended to welcome the OP from the other thread but 9 days working without a break meant I was less than clear. I'm happy to start another thread for tea and sharing across the Dawkins divide.

Dawkins divide- I love it :D

Where you once a non believer Green ?

I'm not quite convinced I'm right, but sometimes unfortunately I come pretty damn close to it...

I was a very angry atheist in my teens. Then I went to university and discovered that the Christian Union was full,of the uncool kids which worked with my prejudices but there were literary societies that were full of Christians who were different to,the ones I'd met before. They read and discussed, poetry and philosophy and music and literature and they were kind and gracious and looked after a lippy undergraduate. One day I found myself arguing with the God I didn't believe in and didn't want to believe in. So I decided to find out what Christianity really was about by going to lots of different churches and listening to lots of academic lectures. I joined house groups in evangelical,churches and argued philosophy with them which made me really popular and went to services that were all beauty and mysticism. I suppose that is why I encourage people to go and try out churches rather than assume you know.

I can accept that absolutely green

I await a thread in which believers and non believers can converse and ask each other questions in a non judgemental and cordial fashion. I will definitely contribute if you start one.

I had a bad experience with Christianity in my youth, I was curious in my teens, investigated religion and just knew deep down I didn't and couldn't believe it. Left it for a while and didn't think about it, then a few years ago realised that I was curious about the world around me but couldn't attribute it to god, so the research began from there, I do research both sides though, I listen to christian podcasts, read theology books ect. Sometimes I find it hard though not to charge in with questions, its a dick move lots of non believers and believers alike make and it can get very lonely if you fall into the trap.

I am interested in conversing with people of faith, but in a respectful way, giving both sides a chance to step back from discussion and think about answers.

All this discussion has left us at the very end of this thread. Does anyone want to start a new one.

I love debating Christianity in real life I find it fascinating to find out atheists' perceptions of Christianity and God. It is one of the things I think I will miss most about leaving full time secular employment just being able to chat 'religion' with non-believers (at their request obviously).

Just went back and saw that thread. It did explode a bit.

If you will accept an atheist on your Christian chat thread broomstick I'm happy to move over to a new one. If not I can start a new one for discussions between theists, non believers and everything in between.

All will remain cordial but I understand if you would prefer to keep this thread for believers only.

"I've lost my cool on a thread where atheists have gathered to discourage a seeker."

That really really isn't what happened.

Picklemepopcorn, nobody but you got angry on that thread, but I will happily and calmly explain to you why atheists sometimes get angry with theists. You only have to ask. No need to misrepresent.

I've started a new thread here.
Maybe someone else could start a theists/atheists discussion thread?

This thread really isn't the place for atheist/theist discussions, so I will head back to the other thread. But I know perfectly well why atheists get angry with theists, because I was one for most of my life, and in many cases theists get angry with theists for the same reasons that atheists do.

Cross post Broomstick