Hundred Scottish churches up for sale as UK turns away from Christianity

trophy33 · Jun 17, 2024

Since 2001, the Church has lost a million believers, and according to the data, the majority of the population in Scotland is currently unaffiliated.

Hundred Scottish churches up for sale as UK turns away from Christianity

Church of Scotland sell-off comes as most people say they have no religion

www.telegraph.co.uk

Lost4words · Jun 17, 2024

The majority of people have a new bible. Its called social media, tiktok, facebook etc. They have deserted Christianity. The world has gone completely bonkers!

FireDragon76 · Jun 17, 2024

CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN said:
I cant read your article, since this news forum wants me to subscribe. But I don't see most Christian's as good people . That's why people aren't seeing them as good people. So, they're moving on.

I don't think that's a fair analysis. European Christianity is not American Christianity.

Modern Europe is a materialistic technocracy that is haunted by a culturally-Christian past, including in its institutions. However, there were always wheat and tares, and the mixing of religion and politics, a legacy of the high Middle Ages, left many dissatisfied, and the Protestant Reformation did not resolve this. Intellectually, Christianity has always been more represented there than the masses give credit. But as a mass movement where people actively participate, it does seem Christianity has been irrevocably on the decline there.

Zaha Torte · Jun 17, 2024

CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN said:
I cant read your article, since this news forum wants me to subscribe. But I don't see most Christian's as good people . That's why people aren't seeing them as good people. So, they're moving on.

Christianity is less about being "good" but more about accepting the authority and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

FireDragon76 · Jun 18, 2024

Zaha Torte said:
Christianity is less about being "good" but more about accepting the authority and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I don't see a dichotomy between those two things.

Certainly, there is a share of ignorant polemic out there against Christianity, especially in Europe due to the legacy of Hume, Payne, Voltaire, and other anticlericalists, but some of that polemic is justified, at least as containing kernels of truth.

Zaha Torte · Jun 18, 2024

FireDragon76 said:
I don't see a dichotomy between those two things.

Certainly, there is a share of ignorant polemic out there against Christianity, especially in Europe due to the legacy of Hume, Payne, Voltaire, and other anticlericalists, but some of that polemic is justified, at least as containing kernels of truth.

It is the difference between someone saying, "Live a good life to get to Heaven." as opposed to, "The Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father."

RileyG · Jun 20, 2024

Prayers for the people of Scotland.

RileyG · Jun 21, 2024

Lost4words said:
The majority of people have a new bible. Its called social media, tiktok, facebook etc. They have deserted Christianity. The world has gone completely bonkers!

Amen. People are now worldly and don’t care about their souls.

It’s the sign of the times.

RileyG · Jun 21, 2024

FireDragon76 said:
Most large Reformed churches, including the Church of Scotland, haven't been strictly Calvinist in some time.

That’s true. The Church of Scotland is relatively liberal compared to many hard core Calvinists.

RileyG · Jun 21, 2024

Larniavc said:
Which for the outside observer is not particularly tempting.

To be fair, most people want to escape pain and focus on pleasure. Christianity essentially teaches those who are faithful will receive reassurance and comfort after a life of pain if they trust in the blood of Christ for salvation.

It’s not very comforting to some people, which is ok.

FireDragon76 · Jun 22, 2024

RileyG said:
People have always been militant and violent, regardless of religious affiliation. Not all, but definitely some.

There were also minority voices within those religious traditions that were not advocating militancy or violence.

John Locke gets alot of credit for advocating a philosophy of religious tolerance, but what you won't hear in a High School history book, is that he was highly influenced by a Reformed theologian named Sebastian Castellio, who came to differ from Calvin in political theology. Locke didn't come to that notion out of his own fancy.

RileyG · Jun 22, 2024

FireDragon76 said:
There were also minority voices within those religious traditions that were not advocating militancy or violence.

John Locke gets alot of credit for advocating a philosophy of religious tolerance, but what you won't hear in a High School history book, is that he was highly influenced by a Reformed theologian named Sebastian Castellio, who came to differ from Calvin in political theology. Locke didn't invent the concept out of his own fancy.

Yes.

Thanks for the info.

Maybe I wasn’t clear?

Rather, I meant, even before the birth of Christ, SOME people acted militant and violent.

It’s nothing new.

FireDragon76 · Jun 22, 2024

RileyG said:
Yes.

Thanks for the info.

Maybe I wasn’t clear?

Rather, I meant, even before the birth of Christ, SOME people acted militant and violent.

It’s nothing new.

Human nature obviously defies simplistic notions like "good" or "bad", "violent" or "peaceful".

RileyG · Jun 22, 2024

FireDragon76 said:
Human nature obviously defies simplistic notions like "good" or "bad", "violent" or "peaceful".

Yes.

Well said.

dzheremi · Jun 23, 2024

This thread seems to me to be a very good example of why Christianity in most of the West is where it is. Here we have an unbeliever telling us "Yeah, this messaging is not effective" or "I don't buy into the central premise needed to make Christianity seem necessary in the first place", and rather than reengage on some different grounds by which we may have a different conversation, the replies seem to mostly be "Well geez...people sure are crazy these days, aren't they?"

I'm already a Christian and I don't find that compelling in the slightest! Self-soothing replies don't do anything for anyone else. "We" are not engaging with people where they are, but instead offering formulaic talking points that are resistant to truly exploring others' views and making connections with them out of a sincere desire that we know them and what they are looking for in their lives and the depths of their 'souls' (in scare quotes because what is a 'soul' to a person with a purely materialist/naturalist view?). The fault for this lies not with them, but with an idea of Christianity that (perhaps subconsciously) relies on presuppositions that are not connecting with people. "YOU ARE A HORRIBLE SINNER!" is not an answer to "Why should I take Christianity seriously if I don't buy the idea that I'm in need of salvation from anything?"

Sunflower39 · Jun 24, 2024

On the plus side…

Record numbers attend Christmas cathedral services in England - Premier Christian News | Headlines, Breaking News, Comment & Analysis

A huge increase in the number of people attending Christmas services at England's Cathedrals has been recorded, according to a survey by the Times newspaper.While similar surveys in recent years seeme

premierchristian.news

Weekly church attendance numbers have risen too apparently…

Church of England weekly church attendance up five per cent in third year of consecutive growth

Average weekly attendance at Church of England services rose by almost five per cent in 2023 – the third year of consecutive growth, preliminary figures show. Meanwhile weekly attendance by children was up by almost six per cent last year, according to an early snapshot of the annual Statistics...

anglican.ink

Sunflower39 · Jun 24, 2024

My church is certainly busier than it was a year ago. Numbers seem to have doubled and more young people too.

FreeinChrist · Jun 25, 2024

ADVISOR HAT

This thread had a clean up and was moved to the Christian Only (CO) news forum. Topics like this inspire comments from non-Christians that can be contemptuous of Christianity. This forum is a place for Christians to discuss topics like this without having to defend Christianity to non-Christians.

Godcrazy · Jun 27, 2024

RileyG said:
To be fair, most people want to escape pain and focus on pleasure. Christianity essentially teaches those who are faithful will receive reassurance and comfort after a life of pain if they trust in the blood of Christ for salvation.

It’s not very comforting to some people, which is ok.

Well, I have always loved what Is how he is what he stands for. It's perfection. It's everything. That's more to me than just reward

Godcrazy · Jun 27, 2024

But yes in common psychology it's the case. I believe God sets us free from this cycle. I suspect even it's directly tied to the fall

Hundred Scottish churches up for sale as UK turns away from Christianity

Well-Known Member

Jesus I Trust In You

Well-Known Member

Jesus Christ is the Eternal God

Well-Known Member

Jesus Christ is the Eternal God

Veteran

Veteran

Veteran

Veteran

Well-Known Member

Veteran

Well-Known Member

Veteran

Coptic Orthodox non-Egyptian

Anglican

Anglican

CF Advisory team

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads