FabSwingers.com forum: Churches and mosques

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Just watching the Tonight programme. They stated " only 5% of 'Christians' attend church regularly". As of the 2011 census 59.3% of population said they were Christian. Simple maths gives just under 3% of the UK population attend a Christian church regularly.

Census gave 4.9% of population as Muslim. 90% of Muslims attend. So that is nearly 4.5% of population of UK.

So based on those figures there should be 3 mosques for every 2 Christian churches.....

That seems bizarre but a good start for a debate?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Depending on where you are that ratio probably isn't far out especially when you consider the number of de consecrated Churches that have been repurposed as Mosques

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The number of attendances fluctuates, in all religions...

The electoral roll of the church of England has risen, whilst regular attendance has (on the whole) decreased by single figure percentages...

Wherein the figures adopted for journalistic "soundbite" television, are actually flawed.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

The figures were from the 2011 census (so pretty official) and from the Church of England's own attendance figures and from a Catholic Bishop (so if anything they would big them up?)

How much more reliable do you want?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

5 points to the first person to name who it was that said ......

"I don't object to the concept of a deity, but I'm baffled by the notion of one that takes attendance"

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Depending on where you are that ratio probably isn't far out especially when you consider the number of de consecrated Churches that have been repurposed as Mosques"

Why keep them as churches if no-one uses them as that? Loads are just made into houses.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"The figures were from the 2011 census (so pretty official) and from the Church of England's own attendance figures and from a Catholic Bishop (so if anything they would big them up?)

How much more reliable do you want?"

I didn't say that the figures used are erroneous, but that the concluding premis is...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Muslims fanatically believe in all the omnipresent being crap though, where as most people in the West believe in science and proof. Religion is mostly used to oppress people.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Im not religious, i dont attend church i just view them as beautiful venues to hold weddings and baptisms

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

On the subject to de-consecrated churches, One down my way has been turned into a Tesco _xpress. It now sells lottery tickets (a sin), alcohol and tobacco (sin's with respect to addiction) condoms (sin if your catholic i believe). I think its just how the world is moving

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

After the recently discovered conspiracy to turn schools in Birmingham Islamic, I decided to do my own undercover investigating...and guess what! Virtually all the schools in my area are involved in a secret conspiracy to become Christian!!!

Can't wait for the day Harry Seacombe has to share 'Songs Of Praise' with some big bearded Islamic Imam wailing arabic over the top of everything

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Muslims fanatically believe in all the omnipresent being crap though, where as most people in the West believe in science and proof. Religion is mostly used to oppress people."

A sweeping generalisation

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Depending on where you are that ratio probably isn't far out especially when you consider the number of de consecrated Churches that have been repurposed as Mosques

Why keep them as churches if no-one uses them as that? Loads are just made into houses."

This

. What does it matter. I have little tolerance or sympathy for anyone that bemoans a church that they never went too gets repurposed.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

the decline in going to church started when they put fairy tails and magic shows on tv

As for the muslims, well wouldnt you if only for the 72 virgins

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Muslims fanatically believe in all the omnipresent being crap though, where as most people in the West believe in science and proof. Religion is mostly used to oppress people.

A sweeping generalisation"

Islam is largely responsible for most of our modern day science...due to it having looked after all the important Greek texts when our Christian church burned them. If that hadn't happened we wouldn't have been able to rediscover them in our 'renaissance'. Just take a look at their mosques and you'll see a welding together of mathematics and religion. Christianity is, by far, the most anti-scientific faith on the planet. Most other faiths are pretty science friendly

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Also Muslims virtually live by the Koran but bible bashing Christians pick and chose what to follow and believe in.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Depending on where you are that ratio probably isn't far out especially when you consider the number of de consecrated Churches that have been repurposed as Mosques

Why keep them as churches if no-one uses them as that? Loads are just made into houses."

Fully agree. it was an observation not a criticsm. There are also many been converted into carpet warehouses and markets

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Yup, muslims are the dog's bollocks for sure

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"5 points to the first person to name who it was that said ......

"I don't object to the concept of a deity, but I'm baffled by the notion of one that takes attendance"

Amy Farrah Fowler in Big Bang Theory

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Yup, muslims are the dog's bollocks for sure

I think you'll find that that's Korean chefs..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"the decline in going to church started when they put fairy tails and magic shows on tv

As for the muslims, well wouldnt you if only for the 72 virgins"

My great aunt was 80 when she died... A virgin...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"the decline in going to church started when they put fairy tails and magic shows on tv

As for the muslims, well wouldnt you if only for the 72 virgins

My great aunt was 80 when she died... A virgin...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Also Muslims virtually live by the Koran but bible bashing Christians pick and chose what to follow and believe in."

Many Many Muslims do not virtually live by the Koran as many Christians do not live by the holy Bible, Both faiths are very closely linked and both Books have been reinterpreted many times throughout History, I live in a large Muslim community and not once have one of my friends attempted to convert me or tried to belittle my belief.

My ex Employer (Pakistani) once said to me over a JD or two that the only difference between a Church and a Mosque is the community funds and builds a Mosque and the Banks build a Church.

Gimp

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Depending on where you are that ratio probably isn't far out especially when you consider the number of de consecrated Churches that have been repurposed as Mosques

Why keep them as churches if no-one uses them as that? Loads are just made into houses.

Fully agree. it was an observation not a criticsm. There are also many been converted into carpet warehouses and markets"

I must admit I don't like the ones turned into warehouses etc. Houses are nicer. Not for religious reasons, just that churches are often beautiful buildings and seem better to be lived in and enjoyed, than used as a shell for storage.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I live in a large Muslim community and not once have one of my friends attempted to convert me or tried to belittle my belief.

Gimp "

This reminds me of when we used to live in the East End of London. A Muslim plumber came over to fix something and we had a great laugh together. At the end, when he was leaving, his face flipped from a big smile to a really sad _xpression. We asked what the problem was. He replied "you guys are such lovely people...it's just such a shame that you're going to burn in hell"

lol actually happened...what a classic

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I live in a large Muslim community and not once have one of my friends attempted to convert me or tried to belittle my belief.

Gimp

lol actually happened...what a classic

LoL as an East Ender i like that

Gimp

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By *igandanneCouple
over a year ago

Cheltenham

They can all be converted in to bars or clubs and the crypts could be great play areas

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

funny that because where we live lots of people go to church, maybe because we live in a nice area.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"funny that because where we live lots of people go to church, maybe because we live in a nice area.

Or even that you live in a nice area... because lots of people go to church...?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"funny that because where we live lots of people go to church, maybe because we live in a nice area.

Or even that you live in a nice area... because lots of people go to church...?

there are four churches where we live, there was five but one got turned into a house.

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By *xpresMan
over a year ago

Elland

God is dead!!

science is the true king of everything. it's about time that all religion is put to bed, all worship of False idols is banned. Buildings used for false worship to be used for homeless people.The ones that are left to be renovated in to Apartments etc. The books shold be reclassified as fiction, no new books should be allowed to be printed.

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

The library in Unseen University does in fact have copies of the bible in the fiction section - where it belongs!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"The library in Unseen University does in fact have copies of the bible in the fiction section - where it belongs!"

Its only in the Fiction section because the Librarian hides his Bananas inside it

Gimp *oook*

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By *eliciouslyNastyMan
over a year ago

London

I love this one... Always interesting...

I know a couple of Persian girls who are "kinda" Muslim, don't eat pork, fast for Ramadan, but are not interested in anything else!

My personal feelings in this are that Abrahamic religions are all about belief (as many others are)...

But eastern religions are based in training...

One school of thought is if I believe hard enough it will happen.

The other is, if I train hard enough it will happen.

I fall more on the training side and believe nothing will change unless you make it change.

But I do also have a certain amount of what will be, will be in my mindset... Daoism?

You build the best boat you can, then let it go... Will it sink or float?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"funny that because where we live lots of people go to church, maybe because we live in a nice area.

Or even that you live in a nice area... because lots of people go to church...?

Yes you could be right.

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By *B9 QueenWoman
over a year ago

Over the rainbow, under the bridge

"Also Muslims virtually live by the Koran but bible bashing Christians pick and chose what to follow and believe in."

Wrong on both counts.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"God is dead!!

Ban religion? And what happens to those who refuse to stop worshipping?

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By *B9 QueenWoman
over a year ago

Over the rainbow, under the bridge

"God is dead!!

Ban religion? And what happens to those who refuse to stop worshipping? "

Stalin tried that didn't he? Didn't work.

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By *ouple in LancashireCouple
over a year ago

in Lancashire

"God is dead!!

would that also apply to the idolising of sports teams..?

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By *xpresMan
over a year ago

Elland

"God is dead!!

Ban religion? And what happens to those who refuse to stop worshipping? "

build a big wall around Milton Keynes stick the deluded idiots in it.. 2 birds one stone

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By *xpresMan
over a year ago

Elland

"God is dead!!

would that also apply to the idolising of sports teams..?"

that depends on the the team. If its the red scum from Manchester than no but for most others then yeah its cool atleast a sports team is a real entity unlike looking towards a mythical security blanket

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By *dam_TinaCouple
over a year ago

Hampshire

Can't wait for the day Harry Seacombe has to share 'Songs Of Praise' with some big bearded Islamic Imam wailing arabic over the top of everything

Very unlikely........

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By *ouple in LancashireCouple
over a year ago

in Lancashire

"God is dead!!

would that also apply to the idolising of sports teams..?

to some who follow a belief system it is as 'real' as a sports team is to others..

how about live and let live..?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"God is dead!!

Ban religion? And what happens to those who refuse to stop worshipping?

build a big wall around Milton Keynes stick the deluded idiots in it.. 2 birds one stone"

Hardly fair on the people of Milton Keynes who would be forced from their homes?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I love this one... Always interesting...

I know a couple of Persian girls who are "kinda" Muslim, don't eat pork, fast for Ramadan, but are not interested in anything else!

My personal feelings in this are that Abrahamic religions are all about belief (as many others are)...

But eastern religions are based in training...

One school of thought is if I believe hard enough it will happen.

The other is, if I train hard enough it will happen.

I fall more on the training side and believe nothing will change unless you make it change.

But I do also have a certain amount of what will be, will be in my mindset... Daoism?

You build the best boat you can, then let it go... Will it sink or float?

Loved this post Alpha

Personally I think there is a thin veneer of superstition that exists in both East and West i.e. the performing of rituals or following of life rules in case something bad happens if you don't do it. We can find this in Tibetan Buddhism as much as in Western Christianity.

Above and beyond this superstition, however, is something which I would call religion i.e. the adoration and worship of the universe, god, etc. This is a much more positive thing and it is this religion which I think you're talking about... with the East taking a practical "tune into the divine source" type of approach whilst Christianity, in the West, shrinks away in fear from anything remotely tactile and experiential and prefers to live in the realm of 'faith'.

I would suggest that Islam, and potentially a few other faiths, occupy an interesting middle ground...particularly the Sufi's. In these faiths emotion and adoration is used as a tool to reach God. In that sense there is this combination between an aspirational faith type of approach and a more practical reaching out for contact with the divine. This is why these religions are so HOT i.e. so hyped full of emotion. Their adherents are attempting to fall deeply into a lustful trance and reach God in that way. This is perfectly exemplified in the dance of the whirling dervishers...mixing the spiritual with the physical

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