Caliphate of Zanzibar

Michael Riddell wrote:Why do I get the impression this thread could go downhill fast?

Mike.

It would appear I was right. That's the problem with the athiest/faith divide. You very rarely get a meeting of minds.

Michael Everett wrote:Regarding religions, anyone else find it darkly amusing that any religious figure who "understands the mind of god" discovers that god has exactly the same biases and preconceptions that they do?

How many preachers stand up and say "I have had a religious experience, allowing me to understand God's will, and I have been totally wrong in my stance on women's rights/abortion/alcohol/gay marriage etc"?

The cynical among us would think that they mistake the echo of their preaching for the mountain of god.
Apologies for the bad metaphor

Awaiting further comments.

A very British view, one which I actually have some sympathy with. The big problem is that it's the idiots and bigots that get the headlines i.e. Abu Hamza. Bigots like that do Religion no favours at all!

This problem, I think, coupled with the madness in the Middle East, is leading the UK to complete secularisation. Which is either a bad thing or a good thing depending on your point of view. The number of people who entered "No Faith" in the 2011 National Census went up quite substantially compared with 2001.

UK Wide:

Christian - 72.6% in 2001, 59.5% in 2011,

The census form changed between 2001 and 2011, so this is split:

No Religion and Religion not stated - 23.2% in 2001
No faith - 25.7% in 2011
Faith not stated - 7.2% in 2011.

Crude Total - 32.9%, an increase of 9.7%.

Scotland specific - it appears we're much more secular than the rest of the UK:

Christian - 42.4% in 2001, 32.4% in 2011.
No Faith - 27.6% in 2001, 36.7% 2011.
Religion not stated - 5.5% in 2001, 7.0% in 2011.

UK wide, Islam increased from 2.7% in 2001 to 4.4% in 2011, Hinduism 1.0% to 1.3%, Sikhism 0.6% to 0.7%, Buddhism 0.3% to 0.4% but Judaism decreased 0.5% to 0.4%. The largest changes were in England.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_Kingdom#Statistics

Mike - never been baptised, ergo I'm a heathen!

It's funny but I was a semi believer in God. By that I mean, I believed in God but had no relationship with Him! It took a near death experience to totally change me. Now, I had a pain within my soul since I was young child. That pain kept causing to do actions that sabotaged business and personal relationships. When I was on the other side, somehow that pain was removed. The memories are still their and lessons learned but my actions are no longer dominated by the pain within my soul.

I happen to be Christian but do I think a devout Muslim can go to heaven (Could be Jewish or whatever). Their people in this world that will use a religious view to exercise power over others. I ask this of any faith or religion, "Why kill in the name of "God"! We (members of any particular religion) are taking away the chance of that individual having a relationship with God! By killing or shunning an individual because he or she does not conform to a particular religious standard is inherently evil! We are supposed to love one another and help raise and uplift the spirit rather than the destruction of spirit. We who have a relationship with God are meant to lead by example! Throw not the first stone unless one is sinless. (I am not sinless but I work hard on becoming a better human being and Christian everyday!)