Isn't It Stange ... But True?

[Arthur Little]

Isn't it strange how £20 seems such a large amount when you donate it to the Church ... but such a small amount when you go shopping?

Isn't it strange how an hour seems so long in passing when you're in church ... and so short a time when you are watching an exciting film?

Isn't it strange how everyone wants front-row seats at a concert ... but do whatever possible to sit in the back row in church?

Isn't it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible ... yet so easy to read 100 pages of a novel?

Isn't it strange how we tend to believe everything magazines and newspapers tell us ... yet question the words contained in the Bible?

[triple5]

I've seen some of those quotes before. whats's the moral though, having a belief in God is boring

[KeithD]

Isn't it strange that when I used to put 50p in the collection plate & take a pound out I'd get funny look?

[Arthur Little]

I've seen some of those *quotes before. whats's the moral though, having a belief in God is boring

I discovered them in a Church Magazine, Paul ... and I thought: "How very true!" - especially in the UK, where regular church-attendance appears to have sadly diminished from the 20th century onwards.

[KeithD]

.... regular church-attendance appears to have sadly diminished from the 20th century onwards.

That's because we've seen the light

[Arthur Little]

Isn't it strange that when I used to put 50p in the collection plate & take a pound out I'd get funny look?

Ah ... now, if it'd been the other way round - and you'd put £1 IN and taken a handful of dross amounting to 50p OUT- folk might've understood you'd been needing loose change for the parking meter!

[sparky]

thats cos its a fabricated load of nonsense invented by power hungry aristocrats and perpetuated by facists and pedos

[Arthur Little]

thats cos *its a fabricated load of nonsense invented by power hungry aristocrats and perpetuated by facists and pedos

... *WHAT is?

[gWaPito]

thats cos its a fabricated load of nonsense invented by power hungry aristocrats and perpetuated by facists and pedos

Nice to know where you stand then Sparky.

I wonder if your filipina wife and family know of your standing of the church?
If not, I would some how drop it into a chat.

Im a believer.

[gWaPito]

... *WHAT is?

I think Sparky is refering to the Bible Arthur

[sparky]

my mom is a catholic- i was brought up catholic and Myrna is catholic. when i say brought up i mean catholic schools taught by preists and nuns- bunch of sadistic perverts i may add

they are entitled to believe what they wish but its still a load of baloney. most of the bible was *******ised by french bishops to suit their purpose.

[gWaPito]

my mom is a catholic- i was brought up catholic and Myrna is catholic. when i say brought up i mean catholic schools taught by preists and nuns- bunch of sadistic perverts i may add

they are entitled to believe what they wish but its still a load of baloney. most of the bible was *******ised by french bishops to suit their purpose.

Umm...food for thought Sparky

[KeithD]

Next Sparky will be telling us the tooth fairy and Santa don't exist

[Arthur Little]

I think Sparky is refering to the Bible Arthur

Mmm ... I gathered THAT ... at least, I'd assumed he was referring to the Church in general; of course the two things go hand-in-hand, and I wanted to provide him with an "opening" to back-up his ... ... [shall we say?] "sweeping statement" about an organisation to which, like YOU, I'm proud to be associated with!

[Doc Alan]

Isn't it strange...that the "Goal Amount" to support the Forum is 30 GBP, and this month 55 GBP has been received
The Church's loss is the Forum's gain

[Arthur Little]

I wonder if your filipina wife and family know of your standing of the church?
If not, I would some how drop it into a chat.

... EXACTLY what I'd been thinking, too!! I WONDER what their reaction would be??

[sparky]

i live by 2 codes

its nice to be nice
and

treat others as you like to be treated yourself

religion being the opium of the masses an all that- just a control

[mistermatty]

have you ever seen a poor church in the PH ???

[KeithD]

Isn't it strange...that the "Goal Amount" to support the Forum is 30 GBP, and this month 55 GBP has been received
The Church's loss is the Forum's gain

All Hail the Forum

[Arthur Little]

Im a believer.

Really good to know that, Mark ... ME too!! And (as I mentioned earlier) proud of it! Thanks for your support!

[sparky]

have you ever seen a poor church in the PH ???

while all the congregation live in abject poverty

how can that be right then?

[mistermatty]

caught on quick there Sparky .....i visted LOTS of churchs all over Samar and they are very well kept and are clearly having a lot of money spent on there up keep ....and Samar is a region that is poorer than most provinces !

[raynaputi]

Oh jeeezzz...Religion topics now? hehehe...I am a Catholic myself...I do believe in God and things about Him...but I can't say I'm religious...I don't go to church every Sunday but I don't hate the church (okay I'm too lazy to get out of the house during weekends honestly )...

[somebody]

... EXACTLY what I'd been thinking, too!! I WONDER what their reaction would be??

But surely Sparky like I did should politely make his views known now rather than later?

Should he live a lie? I hope the belivers on here are not encouraging Sparky to break one of the comandments

Sadly some "belivers" in phill seem to have highly bigoted views, so im happy to express my views to them. Those who live and let live yet are strong belivers im happy to celebrate their faith and support them

I had as a wedding gift from a lovely uncle and aunt a book on how a good god fearing husband should live sadly i can post any of the text on here as Sir Admin of lord of all the valleys would have to delete the post and possibly may ban me for views which are on a par or me with the Nazis

Now I know them not to be evil, but many those in postions of power in religous do seem to be the ones I have an issue wth.

I also find it crazy that some of the maids when given a bonsus by us would think they should give to the Church when really they needed more for basics for their own familes

But what do I know let your family live with a damaged roof and give the money to a particular brand of church which seemed from when I enquired to do little in the local area to help those in abad way

[sparky]

you dont need religion to lead a good life

as a decent human being why do you think we need a made up celestial being to show us the way

if you think on it logically its rediculous

how can the C of E be a legitimate "religion" when it was started by a bloke who wanted to get his end away FFS

the muslim faith wants to kill all non believers

how can these be considered "good"

i would rather be a good person than a good churchgoer ( not saying that i am like )

[Arthur Little]

perpetuated by facists and pedos

preists and nuns- bunch of sadistic perverts i may add

"Sweeping Statements" ... which - whilst it cannot be denied that [SOME] 'Religious Orders' HAVE had (and presumably always WILL have) their "share" of shady and/or unsavoury characters - should NOT - by ANY stretch of the imagination be applied to the CHRISTIAN Church in general! Indeed, as far as I'M aware, the closest the Church of Scotland (of which I've been a communicant member since the age of 17) has come to being in any way "associated" with unnatural and/or deviant sexual acts was at last year's General Assembly - when there was fierce opposition among clergy to the induction and ordination of a gay minister to a prominent charge in Aberdeen. And I'VE been a ruling Elder for 35 years!

So it's most unfair to generalise - by basing the morality of the Christian Church (in its WIDEST sense) on malicious rumours arising from the [comparatively] few isolated reports of gross indecency within its ranks.

[Arthur Little]

you dont need religion to lead a good life

as a decent human being why do you think we need a made up celestial being to show us the way

i would rather be a good person than a good churchgoer ( not saying that i am like )

... you DON'T need religion to lead a good life . A great many friends of mine are non-churchgoers ... but I wouldn't go as far as to call them either atheists or agnostics, because they are decent, upright citizens living as good - if not better - lives than lots of [hyocritical] people I know who DO attend Sunday forenoon worship.

But I think it's definitely a comforting "bonus" to have faith in (how shall I put it?) ... ... ... yes ... a sort of spiritual being ... a higher power, if you like - that you can turn to in times of grief or hardship. I hope that makes some kind of sense!

[triple5]

my mom is a catholic- i was brought up catholic and Myrna is catholic. when i say brought up i mean catholic schools taught by preists and nuns- bunch of sadistic perverts i may add

Starting to wonder if you were once a choirboy sparky

I've dabbled in a few religions myself. Was a converted christian at 11 and later lost interest, had friends who were muslims and hindus and learned about their faiths, then later I became a Buddhist. now I'm here in a predominantly Catholic country. What I've come to realize is that we don't really know if there's a God No sacred book or billions of believers can prove it.

That's something I usually keep to myself btw Religion and politics are usually topics I don't discuss when in foreign countries.

I actually went to church last week for the first time in ages. Don't think I'll be getting invited again after setting a new world record for yawns in an hour. It reminded me of when I was kid, there just seems to be a way priests preach that could send me to sleep.

[Arthur Little]

have you ever seen a poor church in the PH ???

caught on quick there Sparky .....i visted LOTS of churchs all over Samar and they are very well kept and are clearly having a lot of money spent on there up keep ....and Samar is a region that is poorer than most provinces !

Matty, I'm not talking about the Philippines ... where, the Church is undoubtedly all-powerful, and has "reigned supreme" ever since the islands were colonised by the Spanish - and the inhabitants converted to Catholicism centuries ago. No, I'm referring to the Presbyterian Church in Scotland - the denomination to which I belong. Now IT REALLY IS struggling to survive financially, due, mainly, to dwindling attendances ... which, in turn, are having a "knock-on" effect - reflected in congregations being forced to merge with others, closure of premises - that are left to fall into a state of disrepair then decay, crumble and eventually disintegrate, etc., because of a lack of funding. I suspect the Anglican and Scottish Episcopal Churches are facing a somewhat similar fate - though perhaps to a lesser extent.

[sars_notd_virus]

Isn't it strange how £20 seems such a large amount when you donate it to the Church ... but such a small amount when you go shopping?

Isn't it strange how an hour seems so long in passing when you're in church ... and so short a time when you are watching an exciting film?

Isn't it strange how everyone wants front-row seats at a concert ... but do whatever possible to sit in the back row in church?

Isn't it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible ... yet so easy to read 100 pages of a novel?

Isn't it strange how we tend to believe everything magazines and newspapers tell us ... yet question the words contained in the Bible?

what a complex thread sir art
I remember my grandad saying when i was young 'If you cant do good in a day....don't do bad'