Will there be a church in the future?

[Minimalist]

After a long period in which the persecutions of Christianity were really spasmodic, local, [and] involved very few people, suddenly in the middle of the 3rd century, the year 250, the Emperor Decius decides that Christians are a real enemy of the Roman order,

The first is good enough. That is exactly right. All the bullshit that Hollywood spills out is simply that. Bullshit.

The simple fact is that until the mid 3d century there were not enough xtians around to be a problem.

So all of your horseshit about "multitudes" of xtians being set on fire by Nero is a load of shit.

http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/persecutions.html

The Roman Empire lasted more than a thousand years and persecuted Christians for fewer than twelve of them. The 'Christian Empire' also lasted more than a thousand years and persecuted non-Christians through all of them.

But even Decius was not specifically aiming at xtians.

After a half century of chaos, Decius tried desperately to restore stability and unity to the empire and the ‘peace of the gods' (pax deorum). He appointed roving commissioners, who required all citizens to honour the traditional state gods by sprinkling incense on a brazier or pouring a libation for the health of the emperor. Loyal subjects received a certificate of compliance (libellus).
The real consequence of Decius's policy (which was not directed specifically at Christians) was to cause division within the ranks of the brethren, isolating the extremists.
Christian historians gleefully regard this as the "first real persecution" because some fanatics refused to toast the emperor's health and provoked the state into retaliation.

[Drich]

[quote='Minimalist' pid='386069' dateline='1358193956']

The first is good enough. That is exactly right. All the bullshit that Hollywood spills out is simply that. Bullshit.

That is why I gave you 9 other points of reference minnie. Ranging from PBS to Wiki, to encyclopedia britanica, to 15th century book on martyrs, to a couple different university web sites that all say the same thing, and the best you can do is ONE Atheist God/hate web site that magically supports you position... I can now see why you got your poster of the year award. Keep up the good work minnie!

[John V]

i think religion has a expiration date because nobody (where i live) goes to church anymore and the new generations are barely interested in jesus nd co.
do you agree? will there be a church in 200 years?

Atheists frequently note that the biggest predictor of a person's beliefs is their parents' beliefs. So, check birth rates by belief if possible, or by more religious v. less religious countries if that's the best info possible, and see what it shows you. Last time I did so I concluded that some European countries which now have little religion will likely end up Muslim, as the traditional (so to speak) population is reproducing below replacement rate.

IOW if the link between parents' and children's beliefs is strong enough that, for practical purposes, it's a heritable trait, then it's simply a matter of selection. Those who reproduce more survive.

[paulpablo]

Ill probably go to church when im old and bored and have no one to talk to, all my grandads have worked for the church doing gardening work for them and in general its just been a good way for them to keep active and social, its like a local facebook for old people in church.

[jonb]

It would be nice to think of a future, where all people can tell the difference between fantasy and fact, and I don't see it even close to happening in 200 years.

[qcrichardd]

The church will make it. Sad but true people are to naive n self centered to admit they die one day. Even if we plainly prove it which we do they're still stuck on stupid.

[Norfolk And Chance]

i think religion has a expiration date because nobody (where i live) goes to church anymore and the new generations are barely interested in jesus nd co.
do you agree? will there be a church in 200 years?

No.

Religion will be crushed by then. And good riddance to the fucking piece of shit, too.

However, provided we haven't blown ourselves up or overpopulated the planet so much that we all starve, there will still be millions or billions of nutters believing some other BS, more than likely pseudo science, conspiracy theory, that sort of rubbish. We'll still be having conversations with people with ridiculous, illogical, irrational beliefs.

[Cinjin]

[quote='Minimalist' pid='386069' dateline='1358193956']

The first is good enough. That is exactly right. All the bullshit that Hollywood spills out is simply that. Bullshit.

That is why I gave you 9 other points of reference minnie.

this is contentious point with me and with many other legitimate debaters on this site.

Although rules of debate do not carry over into the general conversations of the various forums, there is a certain understanding among thread participants that copying and pasting large list of websites in no way constitutes evidence of a claim.

For instance, if an atheist says to a theist,
"You want evidence for the big bang, go visit National Geographic, Wikipedia and Discovery.com, you'll find your evidence." Even if I agree with that atheist, that is proof of nothing and ANYONE can can go and make claims about nearly anything and find a dozen websites that back their particular brand of idiocy. Likewise, a theist can do what you just did. Hell, I can make ridiculous claims about cold fusion and then offer you a link to a massive database for theoretical quantum mechanics that I know you're never going to read through in a week's time, let alone in the 10 minutes you allotted yourself to be on Atheist Forums this evening.

This is a fucking bull shit response - for anyone to make. No one wants to peruse through endless hours of website information just to see if what you said is legitimate. Drich, if you want to quote from website, no problem, do quote from it - I do it all the time, but don't you fucking list a dozen god damn websites and then sneer about how you have all the evidence in the world. As usual, you fail.


(and that really should go for everyone)

[Minimalist]

That is why I gave you 9 other points of reference minnie.

I'm not your fucking secretary, Drippy. You correctly picked one right off the bat which dismissed all the bullshit that you phonies put forward. As noted, Decius demanded what amounted to loyalty oaths from all citizens in the middle of the 3d century. It is not generally known but it was only in 211 that Caracalla granted Roman citizenship to all free-born males so perhaps Decius was a little concerned with what had been swept in by Caracalla's broom?

In any case, later xtian writers act as if they were the only ones who were put upon which is consistent with their bullshit. When it came to persecution no one could hold a candle to the early xtians under Theodosius.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_p...eodosius_I

Not that I think you are capable of understanding what is written there.

[HorribleOffensiveScouser91]

Maybe the church will be gone but there will be a new kind of lie or fantasy. It's been going on and on before religion. It will die in the age of Aquarius hopefully