Christianity

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Don't all the big guy denominations get major tax breaks?



Same here.

Here's the service I attended. Want to see Aunt Sally and Uncle Paul? They are at the 1 hour 22 second mark, on the far side. Paul is the heavy guy in the dark blue Hawaiian looking shirt and Sally is right behind him. Note how Paul only puts out one hand to receive the Sacrament because he needs the other hand to hold the dog's leash.

I meant we don't have people in the pews. The church building is closed due to covid.

I think all places of worship are considered charities so they are tax exempt. Thats not the same as a subsidy and a synagogue would have the same tax breaks.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Truthfully, the main difference is math. A jewish synagogue, representing a region of many towns, may have a few hundred members (or less). That's why they need so much from each member. But there's a church on every corner of most towns.

Our church has about 100 members on the books and attendance of about 30 on a good day (when we were allowed to attend). We are not like the Crystal Palace in California.

 

[JHDK]

Our church has about 100 members on the books and attendance of about 30 on a good day

If you don't count the band and singers I think there were about 50 in the pews during my service. And my Uncle said it was a bit of a low turnout for that service. So I guess they normally get like 10 or 15 more. The majority were seniors. Though I did notice a few guys my age with their wives and kids.

I know that church has multiple locations and I also think the have multiple Sunday services (though not 100% on that) so they probably get 100-300 asses in seats per Sunday...Not counting the liberal Melbourne people (but they are few and far between) who still watch on the livestream due to COVID.

 

[JHDK]

Also am I a complete asshole that I thought one of the young lady singers was kinda hot? She was probably like 28. While sitting in church I couldn't help but think about doing fun things with her.

I spoke to/complimented her after the service and she definitely wasn't feeling my vibe. I need to figure out how to net young church women.

Once again, I'm going to hell. See you all there.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Also am I a complete asshole that I thought one of the young lady singers was kinda hot? She was probably like 28. While sitting in church I couldn't help but think about doing fun things with her.

I spoke to/complimented her after the service and she definitely wasn't feeling my vibe. I need to figure out how to net young church women.

Once again, I'm going to hell. See you all there.

Religion is difficult to bridge in a relationship. If you are not the same religion or have the same expectations of religion it can be a showstopper. My wife and I are more the exception. She is Pagan. I am Christian but a very liberal flavour. We make it work. I participate in some of her rituals, she goes to church on occasion.

But a lot of Christian women do have the Christian morality that goes with it and that is most likely the obstacle you are having difficulty with. Her vibe wants the ring on the finger first.

 

[scotchandcigar]

She is Pagan.

Ha! I haven't heard that in a long time, it made me laugh. Like when my mother-in-law calls Asian people "oriental".

Perhaps you DO mean pagan, does she pray to one of these?


Or do you mean atheist? That's what people call it these days.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Ha! I haven't heard that in a long time, it made me laugh. Like when my mother-in-law calls Asian people "oriental".

Perhaps you DO mean pagan, does she pray to one of these?
View attachment 7056

Or do you mean atheist? That's what people call it these days.

Pagan. Technically her religion is Wicca. It's the same religion you guys in the Massachusetts hung people for being a part of a hundred years ago or so. Basically the belief that God is not a being but the world around us. Atheist is the belief that there is no God. For many years I was Agnostic. That is the belief there probably is a God but you don't give a fuck.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Pagan. Technically her religion is Wicca. It's the same religion you guys in the Massachusetts hung people for being a part of a hundred years ago or so.

I think it was more like 300 years ago, and the ancestors of "my guys" were in Europe (or New York), but thanks for clearing that up.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I think it was more like 300 years ago, and the ancestors of "my guys" were in Europe (or New York), but thanks for clearing that up.

Residents of the state of Massachusetts. And my apologies, I just remembered you are from Maine.

 

[Aaron]

Damn good conversation going on here.

Yep some religions spared no expense back in the day on building houses of worship. A few times when I was a kid, I'd end up going to mass with a friend that went to a much smaller denomination. And like the kids today say... it smells broke in here. A much different environment without all the fancy stuff that I was used to.

Born and raised Catholic, but once I became old enough to have real independent thought, I separated myself from a lot of the Catholic teachings, pretty much becoming a Christian who still attends a Catholic Church.

Then a few years ago we stopped going completely, partly out of laziness and partly out of reasons I shouldn't really talk about here due to the ban on politics.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Then a few years ago we stopped going completely, partly out of laziness and partly out of reasons I shouldn't really talk about here due to the ban on politics.

I am always amazed how many how twisted some people's views of Jesus are. If he were alive today he would be a hippy or even more radical. He would be non-white. And he would despise everything about the people that seem to hell-bent to push Him and his alleged ideals down everybody else's throat. The ultimate irony.

I've been lazy too. Since I no longer have to attend to do the sound I have missed more youtube services than I have attended. It's nice to sleep in Sunday morning.

 

[Aaron]

True and along with the politics, the real Jesus, dark complected skin and all, would likely gets some real looks in my town's mostly lily white church congregation. So many things bug me about all that.

 

[scotchandcigar]

I am always amazed how many how twisted some people's views of Jesus are. If he were alive today he would be a hippy or even more radical. He would be non-white. And he would despise everything about the people that seem to hell-bent to push Him and his alleged ideals down everybody else's throat. The ultimate irony.

Bill O'Reilly wrote a book about Jesus that paints him as the original conservative. That's all I'll say about that.

 

[sadchild]

It's nice to sleep in Sunday morning.

Ah, the Church Of Saint Mattress. I've attended services there most of my life!

the real Jesus, dark complected skin and all

Eddie Izzard:

...they went down to get the Muslims- the Islamic people out of Jerusalem, I believe it was that, and they were hacking into them, ”I kill you! I kill you in the name of Jesus!”

But the Muslims [said], ”No. Jesus is a prophet in our religion. We kill YOU in the name of Jesus.”

”[confused] Do you? I didn’t know that. Jesus in your…? Right. I kill you for your dark skin for Jesus was a white man from Oxford.”

”No, he wasn’t! He bloody was not! He’s from Judea, dark-skinned man such as we.”

”Really? ... Look, we’ve come all this way. Would you mind awfully if we hacked you to pieces? Just for the press back home.”

 

[HecticArt]

For many years I was Agnostic.

I pretty much am. I always thought of it as, I kinda doubt it, but what the hell do I know. I could be wrong, so I'm not going to tell other people what's right, so don't bother me by trying to convince me you know any better than I do.

 

[sadchild]

Basically the same. Not atheist. Not ruling out a higher power.

Spoiler: Click only if you want my raw opinion

I know there's more than we can detect with our five senses. But I don't subscribe to the idea there's big white-bearded caucasian father-figure in a gated community in the sky who is simultaneously a white hippie carpenter and a blessed version of a Scooby Doo criminal who insists we devote our earthly life to honoring him and begging him for forgiveness for a sin committed by two people without belly buttons in paradise in order to avoid eternity in a lake of fire.

No offense.

 

[scotchandcigar]

The question is, do all dogs go to heaven?

 

[HecticArt]

Did they do something cute after they crapped on the rug?

 

[sadchild]

 

[JHDK]

I love Cake so much.

This is one of my many favorites of theirs...Is this turning into a music thread?

Freaking tune slaps and has a cool message.



Red flowers bursting down below us, those people didn't even know us.