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Why be a Christian?
Topic Started: Thursday, 3. January 2013, 02:00 (378 Views)
Gerard

One last point ...

Now people are beginning to avoid marriage altogether (possibly because it is no longer seen as permanent):

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For the first time in memory, unmarried Americans will soon outnumber those who are married, according to the latest research. So is this a watershed moment?

At first glance it would appear that, in common with many Western countries, marriage is in terminal decline in the United States.

In 1960, 72% of all American adults were married; in 2010 just 51% were, according to the Pew Research Center. The number dropped sharply by 5% in the most recent year, 2009-10.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16274740

Gerry
"The institutional and charismatic aspects are quasi coessential to the Church's constitution" (Pope John Paul II, 1998).
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Rose of York
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Civil marriage is often viewed as non-permanent. After two years it can be ended, by mutual agreement, it's simple, all they need to is sign the forms. If one party does not agree to apply for a divorce, after five years separation one can dispose of the other, by signing a form. Get rid of your faithful dog, face disapproval, you have caused it distress by turning it out of its home, it will grieve for you. Get rid of a faithful husband or wife, no big deal nowadays.

It seems to me that in many cases the focus is on the financial and property implications, not on emotional pain, effect on any children or sense of personal failure.
Keep the Faith!

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Rose of York
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Derekap
Friday, 4. January 2013, 12:10
I don't think sin is any more prevalent now than before - the means and methods have modernised of course.

We used to be less aware than we are now, of corruption in finance and business. Financial institutions were smaller, how many young people have heard of Smith's Bank Lincoln, Yorkshire Penny Bank, Provincial or Martin's? Corruption in one bank would have been fairy local, not international. There were few retail chains, so if one shopkeeper was dishonest he may have stolen at the most a few thousand pounds, not billions.

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There is more publicity about sinful activities now. Because of suppression of news do we think child abuse never ocurred?
If it happened in Newcastle the residents of the South of England would not have known. Newspapers had a few pages, concentrating on national and international news. Radio news took ten minutes, television was hardly known before the fifties. If employees of a manufacturer went on strike, generally one town was affected, not the whole country.

It is possible there was always widespread dishonesty, lots of little chunks not the occasional one affecting the whole of this nation and having an international effect.
Keep the Faith!

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Rose of York
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BRING BACK THE AWARENESS OF SIN.

It is possible to commit a crime hoping nobody will know. A criminal can get away with it.

Commit a sin, try preventing God knowing all about it. If we don't repent of sin and mend our ways we don't get away with it.
Keep the Faith!

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Penfold
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It is good to be reminded that not all things are new, and that sin has been around since some chap said, "OK I'll take a bite."

The ways of dealing with sin and sinners has however evolved and I think that somewhere in that evolution we have lost sight of something. What a sin is, or put another way, what is the nature of sin. Jesus gave us a simple guide. Two rules that we as Christians should live by. The problem is we get over complicated, we try to define the nature of love and what is or is not an appropriate expression of that love.
Each generation has had its equivalent of the "Age of Aquarius" were "All you need is love" but the problem is that while the sentiment is true the definition of love has been reduced to the carnal and any expression of friendship, kindness or love is now judged in the context of the carnal and this has led to confusion, misunderstandings and disillusionment.
What it means to be a Christian is to love one another as Jesus loves us. When we work out how... but then perhaps that's what organised religion is for, a sort of self help group with the experience of the ages thrown in.
One problem is that each generation has to discover for itself that the experience of the past, that wisdom of the ages is nothing more threatening than people who have made mistakes passing on their tips as to how to avoid making the same mistake and how to put things right if you do make a mistake.
Why be a Christian? Because it is comforting to know that I am not the first person to encounter a particular problem and that there iis a wonderful person whose example I can learn from. I am not alone and if I swallow my pride and set aside personal ambition there are a great many people around willing to help.
Edited by Penfold, Saturday, 5. January 2013, 12:29.
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PJD

Yes I agree with most of what you say above Penfold.

Trouble also is that love for others is often mixed up to incorporate an agenda of self-love of oneself; and we all do it from time to time.

PJD
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I agree with your general direction Penfold but I disagree that all love is judged against some carnal criterion. Certainly, this is true if you go by the tabloid press but in everyday life the vast majority of people know very well the distinction between love of , say, a child and love of a potential sexual partner

John
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