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Topic: The Decline of Religion in Europe (Read 66374 times)

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #1 –
Here's a church being converted into a mosque in Sweden.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyMIJAlBXH4[/video]

While not a mark of decline of religion as such, it indicates that Christianity recedes. Conversion of churches into mosques is a notable trend in England and France, I have heard (not seen either country myself).

Religion in general cannot decline safely. Where religion is suppressed by whatever means, there the suppressers themselves assume twisted quasi-religious ideas and manners, like in Stalinist Russia or Maoist China or French Revolution a la Robespierre.

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #2 –
Suppression is a bad policy. People ought to be able to act on their non-destructive activities and beliefs freely.

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #3 –
The decline of religiosity in the US has taken a rather dramatic downward plunge in the last 15 years. 

"In 2013, we saw continued declines in religiosity. The importance of religion in people’s lives? Down. Church attendance? Down. People who say they are “no religion”? Up. The result: 2013 had the lowest level of religiosity of any year we can measure."   :knight:   :cheers:
James J

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #4 –
And yet when compared to Europe we up, up, up.

From a piece in Huffpost.
Quote
Sixty percent of Americans say that religion is “very important” to them; only 21 percent of Western Europeans say that.

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #5 –
Quote from: ersi on

Here's a church being converted into a mosque in Sweden.

While not a mark of decline of religion as such, it indicates that Christianity recedes. Conversion of churches into mosques is a notable trend in England and France, I have heard (not seen either country myself).


Can't speak of England and France, but here in Sweden this wasn't a trend but has only happened a few times, the one above and three others I've found. Given that one church has shut down every week for the last ten years (i.e. well over 500 the last decade), a handful mosques is not that impressive. In England many churches have been converted into pubs, which is kind of nice, but that glorious institution seems in decline as well.

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #6 –
Dogs barks and the caravan passes. It's a saying.
A matter of attitude.

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #7 –
There have been a series of churches down south in England that have become mosques. At one when they bought it for the Muslims got a bulldozer in and destroyed every grave in the cemetery around the building. All the stones crushed to bits for a car park. Generations of families under the ground and they do that? No opportunity foranyone to pay respect. Disgusting. ind of disrespectful and can just imagine the furore if it happened the other way round.

The more Islam grows the more the proportion of fundamental and dangerous clowns who want to maim and destroy. One day in Europe bleak will be replaced by carnage.
"Quit you like men:be strong"

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #9 –
The number of pubs here have been declining in recent years. Not that it bothers me too much.
"Quit you like men:be strong"

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #10 –
Quote from: rjhowie on
There have been a series of churches down south in England that have become mosques.

Yours, not certainly the Catholic ones.
A matter of attitude.

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #12 –
Quote from: Belfrager on

Quote from: rjhowie on
There have been a series of churches down south in England that have become mosques.

Yours, not certainly the Catholic ones.

Quote from: Belfrager on

Quote from: rjhowie on
There have been a series of churches down south in England that have become mosques.

Yours, not certainly the Catholic ones.

Quote
Muslims in Duisburg are now clamoring to turn empty churches in the city into mosques, according to the Germany daily newspaper, Der Westen.

All of the churches slated for closing are located in the gritty Hamborn and Marxloh districts in northern Duisburg where Islam has already replaced Christianity as the dominant religion, and where several Catholic churches have already been abandoned in a previous round of church closings.


Read and weep.

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #14 –
Quote from: Jimbro3738 on

Quote from: rjhowie on

The number of pubs here have been declining in recent years. Not that it bothers me too much.

It should. Haggis and Irn Bru in an Edinburgh pub.



I'm trying to imagine RJHowie setting foot in Edinburgh, much less in an Edinburgh pub. Nope, not gonna happen.
What would happen if a large asteroid slammed into the Earth?
According to several tests involving a watermelon and a large hammer, it would be really bad!

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #15 –
Quote from: Jimbro3738 on
where several Catholic churches have already been abandoned in a previous round of church closings.

Ohh previous... as in the previous populace riots they call protestantism.
Those churches were attacked, robbed and destroyed since the sixteen century, ignorant.
A matter of attitude.

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #16 –
Quote from: Belfrager on

Quote from: Jimbro3738 on
where several Catholic churches have already been abandoned in a previous round of church closings.

Ohh previous... as in the previous populace riots they call protestantism.
Those churches were attacked, robbed and destroyed since the sixteen century, ignorant.

Have to give Belfrager credit here; now that the shrinking of Christianity has begun, being as how the CC is much larger and much more centrally run, they'll survive the thinning out much better than their Protestant counterparts. (One hopes the Baptist denomination is made into a historical relic).

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #17 –
ooray, Illinois man (!) has worked out something positive and true! Well done there mjsmsprt40.

Can I say to Belfrager that where RC churches have been saved in some places has been due to immigrants from Poland down over the Border in England. Up here in the northern part of the Kingdom (Scotland for the geographical wanting)  is no different from others on closures and in fact is getting very worse. One RC Cathedral in Scotland built in the 1950's to suit 750 people had to be forgotten about due to only getting a few score. In places a priest is looking after sometimes two churches. STV did a programme 5 years ago where a priest had to cover 3 in mid-Scotland. That church here in Glasgow has also caught up with others in closures and intimated so. There are no priest training colleges at all in Scotland now either as candidates have all but dried up so on the odd occasion someone does want to be a priest he goes either over the Border or the "Scots" College in Rome. Your church is now on the Blackburn these day!

Regarding Colonel Rebel a bit of a guess there. There is a Baptist minister in my local Orange Lodge I am in and my Black Preceptory but what the Colonel has to realise is that Baptists in Scotland are totally different from the type they have in the ex-colonies (thank goodness). Last Saturday the Order in West Scotland had their parade and the East had theirs whilst in a week Central Scotland's turn. A week in turn will be Central Scotland's turn. This coming Saturday Southern Boy, I will be around the head of an annual Prot celebration for the battle of The Battle of the Boyne and  Protestant values. Around 182 lodges and 90 bands in Glasgow will fill the city at our biggest rally. Plenty of colour, music and cords and not a mumphing ex-colonist, disappointed former Methodist moan jaws around!
"Quit you like men:be strong"

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #18 –
Speaking of the separation of church  and pub, the one I just left, pub that is, had a mildly awestruck bartender who believed  the Russian couple he was exchanging nice platitudes with on cash and vodka, was of Pussy Riot. Wasn't really in a position  to independently verify, but might well be .

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #19 –
Quote from: rjhowie on

ooray, Illinois man (!) has worked out something positive and true! Well done there mjsmsprt40.

Can I say to Belfrager that where RC churches have been saved in some places has been due to immigrants from Poland down over the Border in England. Up here in the northern part of the Kingdom (Scotland for the geographical wanting)  is no different from others on closures and in fact is getting very worse. One RC Cathedral in Scotland built in the 1950's to suit 750 people had to be forgotten about due to only getting a few score. In places a priest is looking after sometimes two churches. STV did a programme 5 years ago where a priest had to cover 3 in mid-Scotland. That church here in Glasgow has also caught up with others in closures and intimated so. There are no priest training colleges at all in Scotland now either as candidates have all but dried up so on the odd occasion someone does want to be a priest he goes either over the Border or the "Scots" College in Rome. Your church is now on the Blackburn these day!

Regarding Colonel Rebel a bit of a guess there. There is a Baptist minister in my local Orange Lodge I am in and my Black Preceptory but what the Colonel has to realise is that Baptists in Scotland are totally different from the type they have in the ex-colonies (thank goodness). Last Saturday the Order in West Scotland had their parade and the East had theirs whilst in a week Central Scotland's turn. A week in turn will be Central Scotland's turn. This coming Saturday Southern Boy, I will be around the head of an annual Prot celebration for the battle of The Battle of the Boyne and  Protestant values. Around 182 lodges and 90 bands in Glasgow will fill the city at our biggest rally. Plenty of colour, music and cords and not a mumphing ex-colonist, disappointed former Methodist moan jaws around!

1. Yes, I imagine they are a bit different in Scotland. They certainly were a much nicer sort in England for sure. (Chaplaincy at Liverpool Hope had a Baptist minister, and he was a nice guy).

2. Well now, color me impressed Mr. Howie. I was sure your grey cells were getting the better of you.  :devil:
10 points to you Sir for remembering my old denomination, lol.  :cheers:

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #20 –
Quote from: rjhowie on
Can I say to Belfrager that where RC churches have been saved in some places has been due to immigrants from Poland down over the Border in England.

What's the problem? Polish, as many others, don't renounce to the Holy Mother Church, the Catholic Apostolic Roman Church,  lead directly since Peter, the first Pope, to Pope Francis today for more than two thousand years.

We all know and History registers it, that protestants destroys churches and sacred images, you're no different from Talibans.
A matter of attitude.

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #21 –
Hmmmm...... I'm trying to remember the last time I, a Protestant, destroyed a church or a sacred image.

Hmmmmmmm.............. Nope, didn't do it. Gotta blame somebody else for that one.
What would happen if a large asteroid slammed into the Earth?
According to several tests involving a watermelon and a large hammer, it would be really bad!

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #22 –
Quote from: mjmsprt40 on
Hmmmmmmm.............. Nope, didn't do it. Gotta blame somebody else for that one.

Short of historical memory you seem to be. Or perhaps just ignorant about your roots.
One way or another, it doesn't changes anything from what I said.

Next time, the best you can do (which is not a answer to my post) it's trying to accuse Catholics of Inquisitions but it happens that, unlike you, I don't renegade my past. By the contrary, I'm proud of it.
A matter of attitude.

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #23 –
Not all Protestants are iconoclasts, and not all Roman Catholic priests are child-molesters.
I have yet to see a Protestant deface anything that someone else regards as holy, but I can assure you that the very first Roman Catholic priest that I ever met (when I was a child) was a child-molester.

Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe

Reply #24 –
Quote from: mjmsprt40 on

Hmmmm...... I'm trying to remember the last time I, a Protestant, destroyed a church or a sacred image.

Hmmmmmmm.............. Nope, didn't do it. Gotta blame somebody else for that one.

And you expect us to take your word for it?