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**acceraStoof** · 11-14-2007, 01:08 AM

The BBC News website yesterday reported on a survey which suggests that 20 million people (42%) in the UK pray regularly, and 9 million (nearly 17%) pray every day. This seems encouraging at first, but it is not matched by church attendance which continues to fall. Which of two possible conclusions may be right? People have faith but are put off church because the Churches are not meeting their needs. Or, as one Christian leader said, the results of the survey merely show that the 'me generation' wants everything , even Christianity, to be on its terms, and faith is fine so long as no commitment is involved such as going to church. The Secular Society gleefully points out that the survey results show that the majority of people do not pray.

Andreas, I found the following article that seems to be connected to the above, although the author takes the whole thing one step further and says that 42% of the people polled consider religion to be harmful. Harmful for whom? Perhaps for certain governments which are slowly eroding the freedoms we enjoy and want us to be even more subservient that we already are. Religion means freedom. It means that we recognize only God as our leader and it means that we will fight for this freedom as our saints did in the past.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle2368534.ece

"The YouGov poll commissioned by John Humphrys, the broadcaster and writer, found that 42% of the 2,200 people taking part considered religion had a harmful effect.

“One reason might be the publicity attracted by a handful of mad mullahs and their hate-filled rhetoric,” writes Humphrys in his new book, In God We Doubt, an extract of which appears in today’s Sunday Times News Review.

Only 16% of those polled called themselves atheists; 28% believed in God; 26% believed in “something” but were not sure what; and 9% regarded themselves as agnostics - like Humphrys himself, who had a religious upbringing in Wales but calls himself a “doubter”. "

So sad! But everyone has a right to his own opinion. Some people even say that those who believe in God are self-delusional. What do these people believe in? What is the opposite of believing in a benevolent higher power? Perhaps, believing in nothing. Believing in nothing means what? That you are nothing, you came from nothing, you will return to nothing, so laugh, have fun, spend as much as you can, think of no-one but yourself, ruin our beautiful planet, bloody your hands with the deaths of millions of children who have died of starvation just so that you can stuff yourself with food that you don't really want or enjoy. No thank you!

11-14-2007, 01:08 AM	#5
acceraStoof Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 516 Senior Member	The BBC News website yesterday reported on a survey which suggests that 20 million people (42%) in the UK pray regularly, and 9 million (nearly 17%) pray every day. This seems encouraging at first, but it is not matched by church attendance which continues to fall. Which of two possible conclusions may be right? People have faith but are put off church because the Churches are not meeting their needs. Or, as one Christian leader said, the results of the survey merely show that the 'me generation' wants everything , even Christianity, to be on its terms, and faith is fine so long as no commitment is involved such as going to church. The Secular Society gleefully points out that the survey results show that the majority of people do not pray. Andreas, I found the following article that seems to be connected to the above, although the author takes the whole thing one step further and says that 42% of the people polled consider religion to be harmful. Harmful for whom? Perhaps for certain governments which are slowly eroding the freedoms we enjoy and want us to be even more subservient that we already are. Religion means freedom. It means that we recognize only God as our leader and it means that we will fight for this freedom as our saints did in the past. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle2368534.ece "The YouGov poll commissioned by John Humphrys, the broadcaster and writer, found that 42% of the 2,200 people taking part considered religion had a harmful effect. “One reason might be the publicity attracted by a handful of mad mullahs and their hate-filled rhetoric,” writes Humphrys in his new book, In God We Doubt, an extract of which appears in today’s Sunday Times News Review. Only 16% of those polled called themselves atheists; 28% believed in God; 26% believed in “something” but were not sure what; and 9% regarded themselves as agnostics - like Humphrys himself, who had a religious upbringing in Wales but calls himself a “doubter”. " So sad! But everyone has a right to his own opinion. Some people even say that those who believe in God are self-delusional. What do these people believe in? What is the opposite of believing in a benevolent higher power? Perhaps, believing in nothing. Believing in nothing means what? That you are nothing, you came from nothing, you will return to nothing, so laugh, have fun, spend as much as you can, think of no-one but yourself, ruin our beautiful planet, bloody your hands with the deaths of millions of children who have died of starvation just so that you can stuff yourself with food that you don't really want or enjoy. No thank you!
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