iDEA'S FROM THE FAR CORNER
±8 Church's
Yeah, we know the place...those beautiful buildings in our cities, towns, and villages. Where people receive forgiveness, find salvation and hook up with the big guy in the sky. All used for marriages, christenings, burials and dull meetings. When you consider the enormous size and fantastic location of your local holy place, against the number of hours it is actually being used. Don't you get the feeling churches are slightly wasted?
Attendances at church are diminishing, even among very religious communities there's a seriously sharp decline.
The reasons are numerous, although the thought of listening to a minister hark on about out-of-date dogma is not exactly an enticing prospect. Factor in our time-constrained lives and it's easy to understand why people find more important things to do with their time.
The internet is both a good and bad player here, offering loud religious folk who can deliver your deity online. To vast amounts of information coming from academics and various other characters disputing religion as a whole.
No wonder there's a slump in soul-saving.
So here's an idea...Let's close churches!
Now when we say close, we don't mean bolt the doors, throw away the keys and disregard them. It's really about updating, being accessible, becoming relevant and in line with society.
Closing would allow the church to concentrate fully on the essence of their belief system. Helping others.
How about sending minsters on 6/12 month missions around the world? The church, as an entity, certainly has the resources to fund such missions. They could make life-changing differences in people lives.
Maybe a tier system, where the new younger ministers travel with experienced ones to go to places in need to manpower, aid or in crises. While the core goes out into the world elders could work locally using influence, and their wealth of experience in the community, Think Red Cross.
Knowing you will be travelling the world, helping those in need is highly rewarding. It would not only make the public view the church in new light. It may engage more young people to become ministers. Absolutely it's a far more exciting prospect than living locally for years, watching the congregation dwindle and the community see you as a relic.
The church should reinvent their buildings for the advantage of the community - no not like the past or as they are doing currently. They must become an integral part of the 21st century. Align with today's world, by behaving as a facilitator to help unambiguously. Their relationship with us has been build on fear and obedience - It's time to stop talking and actually show us acts of kindness and benevolence.
The vast majority of people today view the church as out-dated, with no role to play in their lives. It's no longer connected to them. Its time for the church to spend some of the enormous wealth they are hoarding. So why not use it to actually help the poor, giving financial support to those in need. Inspiring younger people by funding activities, using the space for art exhibitions, theatre or concerts. Not just local groups, but investing and paying for professional productions, producers, performers and artists to be involved.
While churches are beautiful - history is whispering "this wealth has come from ill-gotten gains" Somehow you feel the wrongs done, ingrained within their stones. And the ambience within is peculiarly strange, promoting remorse, shame, and guilt, its completely overbearing, This may have worked when we were naive, but given the crimes committed by the church and their priests, change is crucial. An excellent place to begin would be to address the atmosphere within their walls.
When life is difficult, and you need help...going to church for spiritual guidance comes low on the list these days. The church must start using their influence within communities and local government. Coming forward with solutions and finance to do actual deeds would make them heard. Claiming "god works in mysterious ways" doesn't cut it any longer. Society has grown up, now informed, hypercritical and streetwise - we have heard the promises for centuries.
Experience tells us to seek results, not words. Forget saving souls, save people!
Church's must modernise, they've been left behind in a bygone age.
It would take a significant overhaul of attitude and philosophy, but unquestionably it would enhance their status. Show the buildings in a new light and most importantly make them relevant in the 21st century.
There are just a few meditative thoughts on this stony topic from 3000monks
So what do you say...For or Against?
winter 2017
© for permission to use our words simply ask
why are a group of celibate men using century-old rules to tell us how to live moral family lives?
±8 Church's
Yeah, we know the place...those beautiful buildings in our cities, towns, and villages. Where people receive forgiveness, find salvation and hook up with the big guy in the sky. All used for marriages, christenings, burials and dull meetings. When you consider the enormous size and fantastic location of your local holy place, against the number of hours it is actually being used. Don't you get the feeling churches are slightly wasted?
Attendances at church are diminishing, even among very religious communities there's a seriously sharp decline.
The reasons are numerous, although the thought of listening to a minister hark on about out-of-date dogma is not exactly an enticing prospect. Factor in our time-constrained lives and it's easy to understand why people find more important things to do with their time.
The internet is both a good and bad player here, offering loud religious folk who can deliver your deity online. To vast amounts of information coming from academics and various other characters disputing religion as a whole.
No wonder there's a slump in soul-saving.
So here's an idea...Let's close churches!
Now when we say close, we don't mean bolt the doors, throw away the keys and disregard them. It's really about updating, being accessible, becoming relevant and in line with society.
Closing would allow the church to concentrate fully on the essence of their belief system. Helping others.
How about sending minsters on 6/12 month missions around the world? The church, as an entity, certainly has the resources to fund such missions. They could make life-changing differences in people lives.
Maybe a tier system, where the new younger ministers travel with experienced ones to go to places in need to manpower, aid or in crises. While the core goes out into the world elders could work locally using influence, and their wealth of experience in the community, Think Red Cross.
Knowing you will be travelling the world, helping those in need is highly rewarding. It would not only make the public view the church in new light. It may engage more young people to become ministers. Absolutely it's a far more exciting prospect than living locally for years, watching the congregation dwindle and the community see you as a relic.
The church should reinvent their buildings for the advantage of the community - no not like the past or as they are doing currently. They must become an integral part of the 21st century. Align with today's world, by behaving as a facilitator to help unambiguously. Their relationship with us has been build on fear and obedience - It's time to stop talking and actually show us acts of kindness and benevolence.
The vast majority of people today view the church as out-dated, with no role to play in their lives. It's no longer connected to them. Its time for the church to spend some of the enormous wealth they are hoarding. So why not use it to actually help the poor, giving financial support to those in need. Inspiring younger people by funding activities, using the space for art exhibitions, theatre or concerts. Not just local groups, but investing and paying for professional productions, producers, performers and artists to be involved.
While churches are beautiful - history is whispering "this wealth has come from ill-gotten gains" Somehow you feel the wrongs done, ingrained within their stones. And the ambience within is peculiarly strange, promoting remorse, shame, and guilt, its completely overbearing, This may have worked when we were naive, but given the crimes committed by the church and their priests, change is crucial. An excellent place to begin would be to address the atmosphere within their walls.
When life is difficult, and you need help...going to church for spiritual guidance comes low on the list these days. The church must start using their influence within communities and local government. Coming forward with solutions and finance to do actual deeds would make them heard. Claiming "god works in mysterious ways" doesn't cut it any longer. Society has grown up, now informed, hypercritical and streetwise - we have heard the promises for centuries.
Experience tells us to seek results, not words. Forget saving souls, save people!
Church's must modernise, they've been left behind in a bygone age.
It would take a significant overhaul of attitude and philosophy, but unquestionably it would enhance their status. Show the buildings in a new light and most importantly make them relevant in the 21st century.
There are just a few meditative thoughts on this stony topic from 3000monks
So what do you say...For or Against?
winter 2017
© for permission to use our words simply ask
why are a group of celibate men using century-old rules to tell us how to live moral family lives?
