The Protestant Church

[Theland]

Do you agree that the local Protestant churches collectively enrich our British culture, and that their demise are a sad loss to our British way of life?

[Khandro]

naomi; //Our financial input goes a long way towards maintaining them - and no praying required.//

You have it the wrong way round; more prayers first and the financial input will naturally take care of itself as it always has without your contributions.

[naomi24]

maggiebee ,// Looking for a halo and a place in heaven Naomi?//

No maggiebee. I’m rather more choosy about the company I keep.

Khandro, //more prayers first and the financial input will naturally take care of itself as it always has without your contributions.//

Tell that to the many churches that are struggling. What sanctimonious rot!

[Khandro]

n. "more prayers" as a collective noun - more people praying, not the same people praying more often.

[beso]

A lot of people go to church to be somewhere they can sing with others in an acoustically pleasant space. Lots of other people do the same thing without going to a church and being lectured about the prejudices of ancient misogynists.

That is what I do with some good friends and it makes us all feel great. Its nice being able to pick the songs yourself and not being limited to dreary tomes about glorious worship.

[naomi24]

Khandro, //more people praying, not the same people praying more often. //

You're going to need a hell of a lot more to replace the money tourism brings in to the churches. Doubt you'll get them.

[melv16]

If it wasn't for churches where would weight watchers meet?:-)

[Khandro]

The churches and cathedrals were all built with public subscriptions and offerings. I doubt there is much given by many the gormless tourists shuffling around in them today, - I recently had to tell a fat slob to remove his baseball cap and it seemed to be beyond his comprehension why.

[naomi24]

Khandro, so you had to tell someone to remove a hat. Does that make everyone 'shuffling' around churches without stopping to pray 'gormless'? I don't think so.

[DTCwordfan]

Summed up by the following old one,

"An Irish daughter had not been home for over five years. Upon her return, her father cursed her.

"Where have ye been all this time? Why did ye not write to us at all? Why didn't ye call? Can ye not understand what ye put yer old mum through?

The girl, crying, replied, "Sniff... Dad... I became a prostitute."

"Ye what!!? Get out, ye shameless harlot! Sinner! You're a disgrace!"

"OK, Dad -- as ye wish. I just came back to give mum this luxurious fur coat, title deed to a 7 bedroom country house plus a savings certificate for £3 million."

"For me brother, this gold Breitling and for ye, Daddy, the brand new Mercedes convertible that's parked outside, a membership to the country club, an invitation for ye all to spend New Years Eve on board my new yacht in the Riviera, and a new..."

"Now what was it ye said ye had become?" says Dad.

The girl, crying again, "A prostitute!

"Oh! Ye scared me to death, girl! I thought ye said a Protestant."

[Khandro]

naomi; Most of the coachloads of 'gormless' people shuffling around Europe's churches with their little cameras don't even know which town they're in let alone who St Agnes was.

[naomi24]

Khandro, does it matter that they don't know who St Agnes was? For all you know those 'gormless' people might be visiting churches because they have faith - albeit a simple one. You're an intellectual snob, Khandro - and for one who blathers on about the goodness of Christianity and the importance of the soul, that's grossly hypocritical. Not an admirable trait. Sorry, old bean, but there you are.

[Khandro]

n. // For all you know those 'gormless' people might be visiting churches because they have faith //
Those who are in churches either with faith or searching for it are fairly easy to spot, they walk or sit in a recognisable manner.
To your accusation of snob, I say fiddledy-dee!

[naomi24]

Come on Scarlett O'Hara .... back to the real world. :o)

[Theland]

A lot of C of E clergy have become nothing more than managers of old listed buildings. That is certainly true of the church next door. Full of history and devoid of a congregation. But they do try.

[Khandro]

I agree with you Theland, but many of these caretaker types are not trained and are lay people simply trying to do their best. The best ones stick to the core message of Christianity and its rituals, happy-clappy is for the second-raters who are neither.

naomi; I'll look up Scarlett O'hara if you'll look up St Agnes and her martyrdom. There's a lovely sculpture of her in Burgos.

[Jackdaw33]

Scarlett O'Hara - 'Gone With Wind'. 'Fiddle dee dee' was one of her expressions.

[naomi24]

Khandro, I know who St Agnes (allegedly) was - but I fail to understand why she is relevant to those visiting churches or to this discussion.

Theland, you can hardly lament the demise of protestant churches that ‘enrich our British culture’ when you opt for alternatives.

[tamborine]

RC is not a cult! Its a belief open to all interested in sharing.