Christianity. In the context of whether belief is actually necessary. Or not.

Human compassion and senseMUST be what we all strive for .
HOWEVER, Sharia law is a total different ballgame, anyone who thinks opposite, actually I cannot find the words

Well sorry, do not disagree about not wanting sharia law- would be nice to just have human common sense and compassion though ;)

Disagree Jingl- but I am glad you understood what I was saying, lol.

Nonu- not sure how to re-phrase what I wrote. Many people who call themselves Christian to not believe- but continue to go to Church, at least at Christmas (our local Vicar always made sarcastic comments about how nice if was to see so many at Christmas, and how much he would enjoy seeing more on other Sundayy) and main personal events (weddings, funerals, baptism) for cultural reasons, and to prevent a vacuum that would let something else in. Forgot to mention those who do so in order to get a place for their kids at the local CofE or Catholic school btw.

We often talk about 'cultural Jews' - these days we also have 'cultural Christians' - not sure if that makes it any clearer.

There is a lot to be said for that point of view Granjura.

Anyone really want Sharia Law in the UK?

What are you actually saying Granjura? It all seems a bit mystical and convoluted?

GS8 just before Christmas, swinging himself on the swing as high as he could go, stopped and said to me "Grandma, now I know about the Big Bang Theory, I don't believe in God anymore." Interesting what goes on in children's minds.

Certainly know many Christians, here, in France, in the USA and all over- who are 'cultural' Christians- do not believe in any way, shape or form- but enjoy the music, the fellowship, the tradition, the pretty place for weddings and comforting place for funerals- etc. Some even say that unless we all do remain cultural Christians, even if we can't believe, the 'others' will just take over (which is very topical at the mo).

In Leicester, Chruches abandonned by the Christians have become Jain or Sikh Temples, Mosques, Chinese Churches, libraries, dance halls, warehouses, flats even... or derelict.

This thread interests me because there is another thread going ,about Muslims being offended . Why should Christians also not be offended, or is it because we are meeker and milder ?
Just saying.
It is quite amusing that the two are running side by side .
TBH It is quite a Mares nest.

It is always interesting with cathedral organists - many have no faith and just use the post as access to an organ.

I read a very interesting novel about a vicar who lost his faith and his parishioners said he was a better vicar for it!

I've met vicars with no belief, for these it was a career choice.

No. I think a cult would have formed round him. And........the Christian religion would have been 2000 years younger!

If the politicians had it in for him, they'd have found a way of getting rid of him. Probably not so obvious as the electric chair - I'd suspect a long process of discreditation, then linking him firmly with a terrorist movement, then getting him assassinated in a spectacular way...

So, what do you think Jesus did that would have warranted the electric chair these days?

Just popped back to correct myself. It was the comedian Lenny Bruce. Sorry.

I didn't know that or hear it! Honest guv! It came out of my head too.

feetlebaum it was the French singer Serge Gainsbourg (he of J'taime moi non plus) fame who made that statement.

As said, and perhaps it is just me because of the conflict caused by religion in my young life (we were very happy as a family, but the tensions this caused with both wider families were palpable and painful)-
but I had a cynical reaction to the beauty of it all- the music that made you want to cry it was so beautiful, the buildings, the stories- as all that beatuy seemed to be 'sectarian' - eg people were wonderful to each other- as long as they belonged to the same group. Belonging always seemed to mean 'excluding others'- children of immigrants or foreign workers, refugees from Hungary, poor kids hosted after Fréjus disaster, gipsies living here temporarily, circus children.

Also when a gipsy child died in an accident (run over by car)- the comments made by 'so-called' religious people from all sides made me feel sick, even when quite young. And then asking the Vicar why a friend had suffered terribly and died after a long illness, or children who died of war and famine in Africa- it always seemed so wrong that we prayed for ourselves, as if we deserved better, somehow. Perhaps just me, it totally put me off. And talking about WW2- and about the experiences of OH in Apartheid torn South Africa. The vitriolic hatred of the Dutch Reformed Church for those of other faiths via the Afrikaans.

Mind you, our family is now spread among so many different faiths, so many Christian denominations- and others too- and none. Perhaps faith is easier to come too if the path is not challenged by diversity.

Surely it's possible to appreciate and be moved by the beautiful music, architecture, paintings, poetry and literature
that Christianity has inspired without being a Christian?

As others have said, there are some truly cruel and distressing images and thoughts linked to Christianity as well which I do not find inspirational or morally uplifting.

I'm not very familiar with other religions, but I expect the same could be said of them also.

As a child, I was led to believe that Jesus had been crucified- and that he was the only person in the world to have suffered that fate- when in fact (well there were 2 others on the day- but that was never shown to us) it was horrificly quite common place.

Was it!? I was thinking at least five years ago...! Oh - well... well done, that woman!

It was me who suggested it feetlebaum.!

@Mishap - The cross is bit of a late-comer as a Christian symbol - for several centuries the fish filled that need (and it also had links with the use of female genitalia as a symbol).

I can't remember who suggested it, but if the execution had taken place say in the 20th Century, would the devout have little electric chairs on chains around their necks?

I agree, beautiful.

Of course, it would be possible to also come up with a list of ugly things associated with the Bible and Christianity.

While I agree that such as the Mozart Requiem are sublime, I would say that art and music are/were produced by professionals, to order, and the Church was a very rich patron indeed... Those same creators would have produced beautiful work whoever and whatever they were working for - the inspiration was the fee, not necessarily the religion. Many people insist n giving religion the credit - t'aint necessarily so!

Which is not, of course, to say that many medieval artists were no believers - of course they were - it was almost illegal not to be.

I was eight when I started to worry abut the impossibility of the stories I was being fed... and only when a young man (by name one Barry Took) pointed out the non-existence of a deity to me did the problems all resolve themselves!