Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #200 – 2016-02-05, 19:37:44 Quote from: Jimbro3738 on 2016-02-05, 15:00:07First, the line is my signature, not a post.It is a post, you're signature is below it. Quote from: Jimbro3738 on 2016-02-05, 15:00:07Second, off-posts are as common as the sun in the sky.I haven't seen the sun for weeks. I think OT posts are more frequent. Though that's not really a good reason for another one. Quote from: Jimbro3738 on 2016-02-05, 15:00:07This is hardly the first time that something unrelated to the discussion topic has happened.No one said it was. Your post is still here, it hasn't been removed. Quote from: Jimbro3738 on 2016-02-05, 15:00:07Third, it all comes down to which source one reads.Or which source one ignores.Quote from: Jimbro3738 on 2016-02-05, 15:00:07Not surprisingly, I have no idea which is correct.Depends on who you ask.
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #201 – 2016-02-05, 20:26:59 @Jimbro3738Three things that caught my eyes reading the BBC article:1. Higher unemployment rateEither Scots are lazier and rather untrained compared to Englishmen or it is a structural (why to invest in risky places that might secede one day anyway) issue.2. Illnesses like heart disease and cancerHave Scots some genes which are more predestinated for heart desease and cancer than those of Englishmen or there must be some other reasons...QuoteScotland has greater spending needs than many other parts of the UK, because it has a higher unemployment rate, for example, and higher levels of expensive illnesses like heart disease and cancer.3. OilQuoteBut if you say that more than 90% of the oil revenues are Scottish, as Mr Salmond would consider geographically appropriate, then you get Scotland 'putting in' £48.1bn in tax revenues in 2009-10, not £42.7bn.Put it another way: Scotland provided 9.4% of total UK revenues and got 'only' 9.2% of UK public spending in return.Now of course, the UK Treasury doesn't agree that the oil revenues belong to Scotland, and it almost certainly never will.
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #202 – 2016-02-07, 05:55:03 Krake, you don't understand how government works! Everything belongs to them, and however much they let you keep — you are supposed to be grateful!
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #203 – 2016-02-07, 10:52:47 Quote from: OakdaleFTL on 2016-02-07, 05:55:03Krake, you don't understand how government works! Maybe. What would you suggest?1. Abolish government and live under the law of the jungle?After all it works (always did) when it comes to cross-national affairs. International law doesn't apply to the fittest. The fittest alway pretends to be the international law.2. Outsourcing the government to private business?It seems that we are moving in that direction. However, it's a work in progress...Imagine the day you won't have to pay taxes anymore! Private business will find more effective ways to screw you up and take care of you.Who knows, maybe the world would become less mendacious. Maybe private business will openly tell us that it wages wars for natural resources or for opening up new markets for more profit . Imagine the day when our private business owned media doesn't have to lie us anymore about its armies dropping bombs for peace, democracy and for saving humanity. Wonder if you can imagine all these.
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #204 – 2016-02-07, 19:39:30 Quote from: OakdaleFTL on 2016-02-07, 00:55:03Krake, you don't understand how government works! Everything belongs to them, and however much they let you keep — you are supposed to be grateful!What in Hell's name would you do with the entire $78 a week? Eat out at our favorite Scottish restaurant?
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #205 – 2016-02-08, 19:27:38 Might be worth considering. I have noticed here the sausage and egg muffin (with a hash brown) was limited to an early morning time but now variable all day. Big advancement!
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #207 – 2016-02-12, 20:04:53 What I should have added jimbro is that the muffin concerned is all day only in your country and high time it got beyond 1030am here.
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #208 – 2016-02-13, 11:06:39 Also the Orthodox wants to catch the Pope's train... it seems the Pope left a wagon open for them.Putin must be smiling.
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #209 – 2016-02-13, 22:27:17 Well Putin is a very much public Orthodox Churchman and supports that tradition. I do not think there will be any merger at all though between the 2 traditions and the Orthodox is a long and historical independent corner. Furthermore on a less public matter Rome is probably thinking of greater advantage for any of their churches that exist there. Very subtle!
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #210 – 2016-02-14, 13:26:45 Quote from: rjhowie on 2016-02-13, 22:27:17I do not think there will be any merger at all though between the 2 traditions and the Orthodox is a long and historical independent corner.The issue is infinitely more complex than you can think about. Orthodox were never independent, always tied to and serving power, be it the Soviets or Putin these days.Some observers sees it as a triple move - the creation of a kind of a Christian united front (don't forget Christianity being today the most persecuted religion worldwide); Putin pretending to get under the protection of Pope Francis for fighting a crescent isolationism; and Catholicism strategically reinforcing it's natural leadership leaving the protestants definitively behind.Maybe, maybe not...
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #211 – 2016-02-14, 16:14:27 You are very wrong in your description of the Russian Orthodox being tied to the State. Up until 1917 it was but you rather oddly (maybe nit noting history) that after the Russian Civil War when the damnable Reds took over the Church was viciously attacked. Large numbers of churches forced to close some turned into all sorts of sad places. Restrictions and especially outside of a service. Even a famous cathedral near the Kremlin pulled down (rebuilt after the USSR collapsed). At one point only 6 churches were licenced to be open on Moscow. Indeed in the same city a number of years ago a well supported one was raided by Young Communists who caused a riot and gave the authorities the simple step of shutting it down. So the Reds did not tolerate the Orthodox at all Belfrager.To make it worse the State banned Christian literature and any idea of anything outside of a church. About 2 decades or so ago my Order created an appeal to support a Baptist Church Pastor in the USSR who was persecuted and jailed. Spo you have got your history knowledge a tad warped.On the matter of Church and State you can of course apply that thinking to the Church of Rome.That church came to an agreement with Benito Mussolini in support and got their place in educuation. Most places where Rome is the tradition they are wrapped up in the State. Portugal, Spain too and the old stand by, Ireland! Fortunately in Ireland that is no longer the case where corruption was endemic. Modern Ireland is more widely educated the Church no longer controls government through it's own debauchery. As I have said a while ago all of the hierarchy of the 3rd Reich except hess were from where?!So although there is much oin the formality and ritual of the Orthodox that is not my corner it had a hell of a time with the Reds for decades and a disgrace regarding persecution. Many priests even ended up in the USSR's version of Concentration Camps out in Siberia. I bet if President Putin was RC rather than Orthodox you would be raising a glass! Anyway with so much heavy ritual and stuff I dare say the two of you will get more pally but there will be no merger as the Orthodox like this great Protestant like their independence!
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #212 – 2016-02-15, 17:42:23 Quote from: rjhowie on 2016-02-12, 15:04:53What I should have added jimbro is that the muffin concerned is all day only in your country and high time it got beyond 1030am here.I've given up on McDonalds in an effort to prolong my tenure on Earth.
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #213 – 2016-02-15, 17:58:41 Quote from: Belfrager on 2016-02-14, 13:26:45Quote from: rjhowie on 2016-02-13, 22:27:17I do not think there will be any merger at all though between the 2 traditions and the Orthodox is a long and historical independent corner.The issue is infinitely more complex than you can think about. Orthodox were never independent, always tied to and serving power, be it the Soviets or Putin these days.Some observers sees it as a triple move - the creation of a kind of a Christian united front (don't forget Christianity being today the most persecuted religion worldwide); Putin pretending to get under the protection of Pope Francis for fighting a crescent isolationism; and Catholicism strategically reinforcing it's natural leadership leaving the protestants definitively behind.Maybe, maybe not...Have to commend your last two sentences, as when I read them, I knew Howie would be the next comment, and comment he did, mad as hell. Well done sir!
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #215 – 2016-02-17, 21:37:08 And the Pope leads again showing the world the way to Ciudad Juarez. The only one to go there.
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #216 – 2016-02-17, 22:54:30 Well it is full of Roman Catholics like Mexico in general and the place is a hellhole. Murdering of woman is quite regular in that particular place. Considering how violent, corrupt and dangerous RC Mexico is says much!
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #217 – 2016-02-18, 23:19:36 Quote from: rjhowie on 2016-02-17, 22:54:30Well it is full of Roman Catholics like Mexico in general and the place is a hellhole. Murdering of woman is quite regular in that particular place. Considering how violent, corrupt and dangerous RC Mexico is says much! Protestant "Christianity" Copyright...
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #218 – 2016-02-20, 03:03:04 Uh-ho. Smugness from the Roman corner! Considering we do not mix Christianity with all that ritualism and stuff taken from pagans I am content. I have now got a class and giving a toast using my Irn Bru (sugar free version) to toast Martin Luther and John Knox. Both priests who seen the light!
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #219 – 2016-02-20, 09:32:15 Your grasp of history, doctrine, dogma and grammar are all of a piece…
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #220 – 2016-02-20, 11:53:17 Quote from: rjhowie on 2016-02-20, 03:03:04Considering we do not mix Christianity with all that ritualism and stuff taken from pagans I am content.Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #221 – 2016-02-21, 02:39:45 Except when they give their spirit to false Christianity........
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #222 – 2016-02-21, 18:42:55 Quote from: rjhowie on 2016-02-21, 02:39:45Except when they give their spirit to false Christianity........Why is his false and yours not?
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #223 – 2016-02-21, 21:18:59 Groan, groan. Trying to be a smart would-be "Yank" now, eh??Romainism has all sorts of pagan stuff in it. There were pagan religions in the Middle east at Christ's time that had a queen of heaven, used prayer beads, poky hats from Babylon. Then they took the decline of the old roman empire political style and heirachy into their church. Became domineering through the former capital of the defunct Empire to ensure a very tight and structured system that was hardly anything like the simplicity of Christ his disciples and much else. Other churches which were simpler and more postive were eradicated and I have mentioned here being included. St Patrick was never a Papist although the way irish Popery uses him you would think he Papacy or Papal control freakery. Their bishops were not automat dictators but simple senior priests looking after wider group of families in keeping with the simplicity of Christianity.As it established it's dictatorial power that was so distant from Christ's simple message they were as corrupt as proverbial Hell. Pope after Pope was equally corrupt having mistresses, regular bastard children, forcing money out of the poor and warping the man from Galilee's stance. You of course know all this and I don't mind you trying to be a smart ex-colonist as it gives the passing opportunity of reminding why a reformation was needed. And that such an event was led by frustrated priest such as Martin Luther and the great Knox Knox and others is priceless! Anyway you should know all about Romanism and what it did in your country what with Mafia who were Italian RC's and many of the Irish RC's in crime and corruption too. Just look at the history of some of your police forces and the places where a diocese has been more or less bankrupted after legal charges. Just nodded to my picture of the general who was a goodly "Proddy."
Re: The Decline of Religion in Europe Reply #224 – 2016-02-23, 18:59:52 Quote from: rjhowie on 2016-02-21, 02:39:45Except when they give their spirit to false Christianity........ All religion is false. [video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jyntPNKLlc[/video]