Philosophy Now Forum

Greta, I promised you this on the other Philosophy forum.

AND I always keeps me promises:

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/t ... /55152.htm

yiostheoy wrote:Greta, I promised you this on the other Philosophy forum.

AND I always keeps me promises:

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/t ... /55152.htm

It looks more like a threat than a promise.

It was something she brought up before in another forum.

Harbal wrote:

yiostheoy wrote:Greta, I promised you this on the other Philosophy forum.

AND I always keeps me promises:

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/t ... /55152.htm

It looks more like a threat than a promise.

Fuck yeah lol

Just because missionaries have successfully penetrated Africa does not mean that religiosity generally is on the increase. I expect that at this point in history the level of religiosity will track the level of people's desperation. Religion is useful for the desperate. If you are starving with a dying baby, the product of gang rape, sucking weakly at your dry breast while you slouch under a piece of filthy cloth in a stinking hot refugee camp, the idea of there being a better place when you die might be the only source of comfort. The only reason to live. However, such "converts" are often too busy trying to survive to be of much influence - their religion is deeply personal.

I understand that Islam is also rising rapidly in Africa. Do various tribes lean more towards Catholicism or Islam?

yiostheoy wrote:Greta, I promised you this on the other Philosophy forum.

AND I always keeps me promises:

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/t ... /55152.htm

The first graph masks a NET per capita decline in Catholics. A rise of 6% in Europe is a decline since the population in that time has risen far more than 6%. The European population has risen by more like 8 or 9 % since 1980.
I the Uk the population has risen from 53.2 million to 65.1 million. Do the Maths.

Africa might look good. But it depends where you take your numbers from. Lets say you had 10 Catholics in Botswana, and over the last 30 years they recruited 2490, that would represent your 240% increase. 2490 Catholics in a large population might not be meaningful.
But there is a good reason why they have done well in Africa - the church is preying, not praying, on poor vulnerable lowly educated groups, whilst in Europe educated people are smarter.
The second graph show a decline is ritual, marriage etc... In terms of %ages. this tells a clearer story.

It means that of the declared "Catholics", that is people saying they are Catholic fewer and fewer are actually practicing the sacraments. In other words are NOT participating in their religion.

You'd expect a church magazine to SPIN the numbers but they can't hide the trend, which is down where education is involved.

Greta wrote:

Harbal wrote:

yiostheoy wrote:Greta, I promised you this on the other Philosophy forum.

AND I always keeps me promises:

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/t ... /55152.htm

It looks more like a threat than a promise.

Fuck yeah lol

Just because missionaries have successfully penetrated Africa does not mean that religiosity generally is on the increase. I expect that at this point in history the level of religiosity will track the level of people's desperation. Religion is useful for the desperate. If you are starving with a dying baby, the product of gang rape, sucking weakly at your dry breast while you slouch under a piece of filthy cloth in a stinking hot refugee camp, the idea of there being a better place when you die might be the only source of comfort. The only reason to live. However, such "converts" are often too busy trying to survive to be of much influence - their religion is deeply personal.

I understand that Islam is also rising rapidly in Africa. Do various tribes lean more towards Catholicism or Islam?

Maybe you see religiosity on the decline where you go Greta. Or maybe you don't go and you are speaking for yourself.

Where I go there are people standing in line for communion out the doors in 3 directions.

I don't see any sign of religiosity on the decline.

Maybe the Protestants?

yiostheoy wrote: Where I go there are people standing in line for communion out the doors in 3 directions.

I don't see any sign of religiosity on the decline.

Maybe the Protestants?

And here was I thinking hupersons were evolving. Are you trying to send us into a suicidal depression?

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:

yiostheoy wrote: Where I go there are people standing in line for communion out the doors in 3 directions.

I don't see any sign of religiosity on the decline.

Maybe the Protestants?

And here was I thinking hupersons were evolving. Are you trying to send us into a suicidal depression?

I just don't get where Greta is coming from on this. And I believe she is quite mistaken.

yiostheoy wrote:

vegetariantaxidermy wrote:

yiostheoy wrote: Where I go there are people standing in line for communion out the doors in 3 directions.

I don't see any sign of religiosity on the decline.

Maybe the Protestants?

And here was I thinking hupersons were evolving. Are you trying to send us into a suicidal depression?

I just don't get where Greta is coming from on this. And I believe she is quite mistaken.

From Greta: ''Just because missionaries have successfully penetrated Africa does not mean that religiosity generally is on the increase. I expect that at this point in history the level of religiosity will track the level of people's desperation. Religion is useful for the desperate. If you are starving with a dying baby, the product of gang rape, sucking weakly at your dry breast while you slouch under a piece of filthy cloth in a stinking hot refugee camp, the idea of there being a better place when you die might be the only source of comfort. The only reason to live. However, such "converts" are often too busy trying to survive to be of much influence - their religion is deeply personal.''
I don't understand how you could find this difficult to understand. It makes perfect sense. Actually, starving Africans are huge business for the multi-billion dollar christian 'charity' business. That's a fact. The Church doesn't want to fix the problem, there's too much money at stake.

vegetariantaxidermy wrote: From Greta: ''Just because missionaries have successfully penetrated Africa does not mean that religiosity generally is on the increase. I expect that at this point in history the level of religiosity will track the level of people's desperation. Religion is useful for the desperate. If you are starving with a dying baby, the product of gang rape, sucking weakly at your dry breast while you slouch under a piece of filthy cloth in a stinking hot refugee camp, the idea of there being a better place when you die might be the only source of comfort. The only reason to live. However, such "converts" are often too busy trying to survive to be of much influence - their religion is deeply personal.''

I don't understand how you could find this difficult to understand. It makes perfect sense. Actually, starving Africans are huge business for the multi-billion dollar christian 'charity' business. That's a fact. The Church doesn't want to fix the problem, there's too much money at stake.

Greta is talking about Africa -- a red herring.

I am talking about here in the USA.

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, so where are you going with this? Is it okay for you as a Christian that another religion is growing faster as long as religiosity is growing, assuming you are right about the growth of religiosity? Do you consider other religions to be real religions? If so what is your stand on their Gods?

Greta wrote:... Do various tribes lean more towards Catholicism ...

With respect to Christianity its Evangelism as it promises them wealth and power.

I've witnessed many churches converted to condos and apartments for their last parishioners in Toronto, alone. Perhaps you see people lining up for communion more, because there are less churches, and more pressure on the remaining ones to serve the overflow.

I do want to add something regarding Africa. It is a hotbed of conservative Christianity these days, being the centre of the Anglican right, having all but broken with Canterbury over modern reforms. Having said that, I do agree with Greta that if you are suffering, you will likely take solace where it can be found.

yiostheoy wrote:Greta is talking about Africa -- a red herring.

I am talking about here in the USA.

Because it's less important than the US? lol

I suggest that desperation and despair is increasingly a feature of American culture since Bush hung the poor out to dry, one reason for the increase in religiosity. Low wages. Long hours. Little choice. Not much future. It beats putting a bullet through your head. One again, religion provides hope for the dispossessed that there's a better place after death than the depressing (for them) real world.

Arising_uk wrote:

Greta wrote:... Do various tribes lean more towards Catholicism ...

With respect to Christianity its Evangelism as it promises them wealth and power.

All religions offer what people most need. That's the pitch.

I was just wondering if any rival African tribes simply use religion to continue their hostilities under new banners - Islam and Christianity. Conversely, have any rival tribes made peace through them adopting a common Abrahamic religion?