Is Christianity Being Marginalised?

[MrGongGong]

Thankfully, in the real and overwhelmingly heterosexual world that would be most unlikely, Flossie ....

So not the world of church music then ?

Interesting use of the word "real" though , the last time I touched someone who wasn't heterosexual they seemed pretty real to me

[Flosshilde]

Same here (I don't think there's a suitable smiley to insert ). & I've had no doubts about my reality for the past 60+ years.

Of course, 'reality' to someone who believes in a god is a rather slippery concept.

[scottycelt]

I've had no doubts about my reality for the past 60+ years.

The trouble is that many others may find your claimed reality utterly incredible, ... sort of Flossie-atheists, so to speak ...

[amateur51]

So, in summary, the answer to the original query appears to be "no!"

[MrGongGong]

So, in summary, the answer to the original query appears to be "no!"

[scottycelt]

So, in summary, the answer to the original query appears to be "no!"

Phew ... it's finally dawned ...

[amateur51]

Phew ... it's finally dawned ...

Did you deny it three times, scotty

[gurnemanz]

So, in summary, the answer to the original query appears to be "no!"

In which case maybe it is OK to introduce a lighter note re Bideford. I'm afraid I can't help associating it with Mr Hilter's planned hike to Bideford in Monty Python's North Minehead Bye-election sketch. Just Googled it to refresh my memory:
"Oh, no, you've got the wrong map there. This is Stalingrad. You want the Ilfracombe and Barnstaple section...You wouldn't have had much fun in Stalingrad, would you?"

[amateur51]

In which case maybe it is OK to introduce a lighter note re Bideford. I'm afraid I can't help associating it with Mr Hilter's planned hike to Bideford in Monty Python's North Minehead Bye-election sketch. Just Googled it to refresh my memory:
"Oh, no, you've got the wrong map there. This is Stalingrad. You want the Ilfracombe and Barnstaple section...You wouldn't have had much fun in Stalingrad, would you?"

A wonderful sketch, gurnemanz

[anotherbob]

Help is at hand for the Bideford Councillors thanks to http://www.prayoneforme.org
Here is part of the promo from churchofengland.org.........

Prayer is in the news; banned from council agendas and, according to one opinion poll, ignored by many of those calling themselves "Christian".

Yet in time of trouble, crisis, and thanksgiving many of us do 'say a prayer'. Research conducted for the charity Tearfund in 2007 concluded that as many as 20 million adults in the UK (42% of the population) pray.

But for those who find it difficult, the Church of England launches a new website, www.prayoneforme.org, where anyone can post their prayer requests and know that they will be prayed.

"You can pray about anything," says the Revd Alison Roche, vicar of St Christopher's parish in Leicester. "Some people think God's only concerned with the really big things in life. But some people pray for car parking spaces. God is concerned about the big things in life like disasters and relationships breaking up and the very small things. In a relationship with a human being you would communicate on different levels. It's the same with God. So go for it".

[Serial_Apologist]

"You can pray about anything," says the Revd Alison Roche, vicar of St Christopher's parish in Leicester. "Some people think God's only concerned with the really big things in life. But some people pray for car parking spaces. God is concerned about the big things in life like disasters and relationships breaking up and the very small things. In a relationship with a human being you would communicate on different levels. It's the same with God. So go for it".[/I]

As in: "Oh god, where did I put my ******* keys???"

[vinteuil]

"You can pray about anything," says the Revd Alison Roche, vicar of St Christopher's parish in Leicester. "Some people think God's only concerned with the really big things in life. But some people pray for car parking spaces. God is concerned about the big things in life like disasters and relationships breaking up and the very small things. In a relationship with a human being you would communicate on different levels. It's the same with God. So go for it".[/I]

... Daniel Finkelstein cuts to the quick rather more effectively :

"the existence of a supernatural God is, as an atheist friend of mine puts it, an intriguing hypothesis with a low probability of corroboration. And, indeed, the idea that there is an all-seeing God who can find your missing dog if you pray to him, but somehow overlooked the Holocaust, does seem improbable. "

[MrGongGong]

You can "pray for anything"
but if you really want to do good , don't "pray" at all

http://www.templeton.org/pdfs/press_releases/060407STEP.pdf

[amateur51]

... Daniel Finkelstein cuts to the quick rather more effectively :

"the existence of a supernatural God is, as an atheist friend of mine puts it, an intriguing hypothesis with a low probability of corroboration. And, indeed, the idea that there is an all-seeing God who can find your missing dog if you pray to him, but somehow overlooked the Holocaust, does seem improbable. "

[scottycelt]

You can "pray for anything"
but if you really want to do good , don't "pray" at all

http://www.templeton.org/pdfs/press_...060407STEP.pdf

Illogical and inconsistent!

Atheists are being logically sound to claim that praying doesn't do any good ...

However, they are being totally illogical when they then point to dodgy surveys that it might actually do harm ...

If there's 'nothing up there', do atheists therefore believe in fairies ... ?