Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
The whole thing is poppy cock just invented back in the day for control of people .
Churches and farming
- Thread starter delilah
- Start date
TheTallGuy
Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
Maybe, maybe not, but the basis of the correct quotation is still valid - probably more so than "back in the day". Many of the problems of modern society can blamed on greed & desire to be rich.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Maybe we loose rich for chasing wealth , both different things . You can be very rich but have no money, but you can also be very wealthy but not very rich .
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Yup. Although we sit in a square due to building shape. But I suppose someone could sit on the floor, or move the chairs.
Hour of silence - can't beat it. You're not supposed to have come with a prepared speech, but instead to be moved by the spirit to speak. Or sing. Or dance. I think I've spoken maybe three times in about eight years. It's really quite a strange sensation.
A few meeting houses have very low numbers - one I use in Birmingham at kings heath has about three. It's building is used variously by local groups. Although Brum and York are different on account of chocolate etc .Others like Newark have just started and use an old shop in the town centre. Mostly the buildings are quite simple so easy to maintain. Due to fairly small numbers, most "big stuff" is organised at county level.
i just checked and my local town has in my time here added four new churches - all I will term as evangelical Christian movements. And they will mostly be full. Two have creches and childcare. At least two have both cafes and food. They also do s lot of concerts, evening activities etc. Last time I checked there was not a mosque (scun or Lincoln) or synagogue (Lincoln or I think Grimsby).
One point of interest is that the largest events in the traditional cofe / RC churches now are traveller / gypsie christenings and funerals. Some are really very large events.
as said before, I think the need for church is great but often the buildings are way in excess or not designed for modern use, and the new desire to keep everything as it was at a specific point in time really hurts as the voice demanding conservation has to realise that these building will just fall down. We are required to insure not for the cost of rebuilding, but for steadying / tidying up the rubble.
Anyone who has been to a communion service with only two attendees must know it's not exactly ace. Ditto the vicar turns up often knowing he will be on his own.
Like rural towns, you need a minimum number of people to make these places viable.
SilliamWhale
Member
In the world of mindfulness, introspection, lots of focus on mental health, meditation etc I think some of the quaker ideas could be due for a reintroduction.
After all all religion is about promulgation, grouping and leadership. Isn't it the case that you can be an atheist and a quaker or have I made that up?
primmiemoo
Member
- Location
- Devon
It can be as simple as a diligent member of the PCC who was born and bred in the parish and really did know everyone (including incomers) dying at short notice without anyone in training to take their place. There's a vacancy, a willing volunteer comes in, but for whatever reason doesn't understand the breadth of the job so sticks only to the basics. Have a few more come in in similar circumstances, and although the machinery looks as though it's working, and it's kept looking lovely, there is no longer anything produced.
Very soon they'll have a special interest group that likes looking after an old building as the Committee, but the actual Church is gone.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
There are all sorts! I personally don't know any atheist Friends, although there are what they call "non-theists". Most are nominally Christian, and I think many come to Quakerism from other denominations. Because there is no priest, and it's an hour of "shhhh" there is not much time in deep philosophical discussion. All share the main Quaker principles I suspect.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I'm actually in favour of this. We have a "friends of...." group who raise money specifically for the building and it's maintaining, and is kept at arms length from the actual religious activities.
primmiemoo
Member
- Location
- Devon
That sounds a good cause. Clergy in the media are fond of saying that there's more to a church than a nice old building. Quite what they mean by that, and quite how that's expressed in a locality isn't quite as clear, unfortunately.
TheTallGuy
Member
- Location
- Cambridgeshire
There's a difference between "Church" & Church buildings. A Church is a community of believers, a church building is where they may or may not meet. Churches that are overly focused on their building(s) tend not to fare too well compared to those which are more focused on their local communities.
SilliamWhale
Member
Well sort of.
But you don't need to take things literally to get benefit from them. Theres a reason the Bible is such a wise book
SilliamWhale
Member
I think even atheists in the UK are nominally Christian. Its kind of unavoidable.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Fair point .
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
I have much admiration for the writers , very clever very clever indeed, I actually envy folk who believe it must be very nice to have the belief but sadly I just don’t , I sometimes wish I did .
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
I have a friend with no religious affinity. As I tell him, my faith is not strong enough to be an atheist like he is. If you have the enquiring mind that your posts suggest, I wonder that you are perhaps similar, and just need to find the right church. Don't stop looking, would be my advice, and don't be afraid to have a visit outside of the seasonal and life norms (Christmas, funerals, weddings etc.).
SilliamWhale
Member
Plenty of religious people wouldn't take even the new testament as literal. It doesnt need to be
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
I don’t think it was ever intended to be , like I say it’s very very cleverly written so anyone can take it any way they see fit in their own eyes and be happy with that .
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I think the new testament in an accessible style should be read by all. It's hardly a long read. And given its influence on the current and historical world....
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Democracy. A highly overrated concept. More and more people retire to rural areas especially from London. Some aren’t that bright. Some don’t understand, but doesn’t stop them getting voted on by one another. They struggle to understand finances and practical matters and follow the rules from on high to the letter which means nothing gets done but it costs a lot. It was actually better when the squire ran the job and just said how it would be. He paid for most things anyway. Now he is sidelined or has to sit and listen to a lecture from Mrs Aldridge from Luton on how we should all be knitting for Syria or something.
Wellytrack
Member
Interesting thread.
As much as I admire the architecture of old buildings is it not right to just demolish them when they have exceeded their use/economic level of repair?
I often wonder what would be wrong with building a small modest building the size of a three bed bungalow, cavity wall, oil fired etc, somewhere in region of 150k to build, annual maintenance costs under 2k per year.
For what is the greater good of the thing, keeping the building or keeping the faith?
Anyhow. It’s just a thought.
As much as I admire the architecture of old buildings is it not right to just demolish them when they have exceeded their use/economic level of repair?
I often wonder what would be wrong with building a small modest building the size of a three bed bungalow, cavity wall, oil fired etc, somewhere in region of 150k to build, annual maintenance costs under 2k per year.
For what is the greater good of the thing, keeping the building or keeping the faith?
Anyhow. It’s just a thought.