tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14624038.post7064905419351964314..comments2023-09-05T08:55:56.301+00:00Comments on On Earth as in Heaven: Are we 'a Christian country'?Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475918926743850643noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14624038.post-56626253386370712142009-08-01T21:41:45.335+00:002009-08-01T21:41:45.335+00:00I would say that the UK is a "Christian count...I would say that the UK is a "Christian country" insofar as the legal framework, social customs and rites of passage, and educational system have all come historically from the Christian heritage. For example, with respect to the legal framekwork, same-sex marriages are still out, and polygamy likewise (which is now causing problems here as in other places eg Canada, where immigrants come in who have legally recognised (in their own country) polygamous marriages. The educational system certainly used to have school assemblies with hymns and readings from the bible, even in non-church schools back in the 1970s, but this has definitely changed in favour of multicultural or secular assemblies. I remember an ads in the 1970s which took "a village chistening" as the central hook. This rite of passage has declined, and funerals are often more secular, or as one I was at this year, have what used to be well known hymns that the majority don't know. New agers (druids, wiccans etc) are also producing naming rites, handfastings (even if they also need a registry office), and their own funeral rites. And there are in the UK many different cultures with their own rites - for the Hindu, cremation is the custom, not the exception. The last significant change comes with cruelty. Back in the 1980s, Clive James used to poke fun at sadistic Japanese game shows. Now as "reality TV", they have their UK counterparts, and this reminds me more of the Roman desire for entertainment in circuses than anything Christian. It is a change of attitude in how people enjoy watching others suffering for fun, and I do wonder how far we are from Robert Sheckley's Science Fictions which draw on trends like this and extrapolated them.TonyTheProfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10486414706261508994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14624038.post-18190509025604202332008-11-06T20:44:00.000+00:002008-11-06T20:44:00.000+00:00Pryzethanks for stopping by, every blessing to you...Pryze<BR/>thanks for stopping by, every blessing to you and the blogStevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04475918926743850643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14624038.post-22816060967697167552008-10-31T18:06:00.000+00:002008-10-31T18:06:00.000+00:00great blog..like your initiative of putting out qu...great blog..like your initiative of putting out questions that tend to plague the church here in the US...check out my christian youth blog at www.youngpryze.blogspot.comPryzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13488247012141932016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14624038.post-16494447311950073692008-09-30T13:14:00.000+00:002008-09-30T13:14:00.000+00:00Thanks for the reply Steve.Yes, I think the influe...Thanks for the reply Steve.<BR/><BR/>Yes, I think the influence of faith on peoples lives is key. <BR/><BR/>I am certainly not into an established church linked to state and Government philosophy, because I think that this is harmful in many ways and can lead to a diluted version of Christianity.<BR/><BR/>True that charasmatic and pentecostal churches are growing through people leaving more traditional places of worship, but ask yourself why it is that people are moving place of worship. <BR/><BR/>I think you'll find that attendance in the Roman Catholic church is growing also as a result of migrants from Eastern Europe.Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01094330437751882423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14624038.post-62239597076898107052008-09-30T11:30:00.000+00:002008-09-30T11:30:00.000+00:00Martinthanks for the comments. firslty indeed what...Martin<BR/>thanks for the comments. firslty indeed what i think is good is positive Christina influence on society, but is that best acheived by some kind of state privilage or by the influence of faith on people's lives? i think the latter. <BR/><BR/>as to Cof E and other tradtions or denominations growing. certainly the patterns of church growth and decline are not uniform. also most church growth is from people leaving one church to join another. this makes sure statements about particualr tradtions or denominations difficult, because patterns of peopel coming to faith, changing church and leaving church for no church are happening accross the board. there are certian trends, there is net movment amnongst male christians from more traditional churches to newer more pentecostal ones, however female chrsitians are net moving in the opposite direction. on the whole all styles of church bar one are shrinking, just some are shrinking slower than others, so the effective of the above is not that pentecostal churches or charismatic churches are growing on average, just they are shrinking far slower. of course there are individual churches that are growing, but that seems ot eb the case in all traditions, the reality is that local churches of all styles are judged by a very consumer orientated people and they gradually transfer to the churches they percieve do what they are looking for best. of coruse there are also churches doing a very good job of wining new people from ex church or no church backgrounds. african churches are the exception and are growing fast but only amongst their own ethnic grouping. so yes there are growing churches, but you have to ask why they are growingStevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04475918926743850643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14624038.post-88081866152018541672008-09-30T10:53:00.000+00:002008-09-30T10:53:00.000+00:00Interesting post Steve. Of course the UK is not a ...Interesting post Steve. <BR/><BR/>Of course the UK is not a Christian country in the sense of everyone living here being Christian, but then again we are greatly influenced by a long Christian tradition which influences a lot of our values as a nation. Our laws, tolerance of others, the welfare state, etc.<BR/><BR/>Christianity is still as far as I understand the official religion of the UK, and the Queen being the head of the Church of England. Note that I said Church of England, which is not the entire picture when it comes to the church of God. <BR/><BR/>I am sure you are aware that many congregations in other denominations are in fact growing and not declining. I think that this has a lot to do with tradition versus authentic bible based Christianity whereby the believer will have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and have a personal day to day relationship with Him.<BR/><BR/>I think that there are good and bad aspects to being described as a Christian country. On the one hand the understanding of what it is to be Christian is completely lost in translation to the unbeliever who observes Britain's moral decline as can be seen in so many different areas. On the other hand we do still hold to much that is good in this nation and to much that has its foundations firmly in the Christian faith.Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01094330437751882423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14624038.post-65825651735990954372008-07-29T21:17:00.000+00:002008-07-29T21:17:00.000+00:00I have arrived herefrom the Facebook Christian Blo...I have arrived here<BR/>from the Facebook Christian Bloggers Network<BR/>I hope you will visit my site on Christian worship and spirituality “Liturgy” www.liturgy.co.nz<BR/>I hope you will link to it.<BR/>Let me know so I acknowledge that and link back.liturgyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11822769747947139669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14624038.post-45587090455448051552008-07-23T03:32:00.000+00:002008-07-23T03:32:00.000+00:00Steve,Good to have you on the block of thoughts he...Steve,<BR/><BR/>Good to have you on the block of thoughts here. Thanks for the Christian Nation correction.Pastor Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07344719487413688550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14624038.post-70154861294295720462008-06-15T11:24:00.000+00:002008-06-15T11:24:00.000+00:00hi Jesus, and i notice you've just set up a new Bl...hi Jesus, and i notice you've just set up a new Blog 'What woiuld Jesus do?' <BR/><BR/>but to your post here...indeed the US has embodied religious freedom and i totally approve, indeed as you suggest i think Jesus would have approved of religous freedom...unfortuntely following the making of Christinaity the official religion of the Roman Empire the Church developed the unpleasnt tradtion you cite.<BR/><BR/>i am glad to say there has always been a Christian tradition in opposition to this and in opposition to the very unsavoury misison approach you also cite. that of course does not excuse the terroble things done in jesus name, but does perhaps offer some hope of a different way?<BR/><BR/>so in the end i agree, i don't think any country ever should have been Christian anyway, but would rather like to live in a country where people were like Jesus.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04475918926743850643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14624038.post-72661472593186532032008-06-15T03:09:00.000+00:002008-06-15T03:09:00.000+00:00The United States was founded on religious freedom...The United States was founded on religious freedom...NOT Christianity. And what is the first thing the "Christians" did when they got to the colonies? Persecuted people they thought were witches and killed them.<BR/>The truth is from the beginning of this "faith" that is supposed to win others over by love and compassion - the attributes of Christ himself - they've given people a choice...be a Christian or die. Perhaps you've heard of the Crusades.<BR/>Better yet, under the guise that the Jews were "God's" chosen people, we helped kicked the Palesitinians out of their homes to get bonus points with God.<BR/>If that's Christianity or any of the acts like these...I don't think any country should be Christian. Try Satan...he's a good guy.Jesushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16975149334856269998noreply@blogger.com