Comments on: Religious life won’t be the same after downturn

By: Facebook User

Facebook User — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:41:10 +0000

@DaveW: My post was soppingly saturated with sarcasm. Personaly, I have NO sympathy for them; nada, zilch, zero, nary a tad. I’m coming up empty, the well is dry, the cupboard is bare, the silo stands empty, the storehouse echose with the patterings of rats and mice with a floor covered in bird droppings and so on and so forth.

By: Drewski

Drewski — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:44:00 +0000

Don’t cheer so fast. “Nondenominational” includes a lot of those arena-sized megachurches. When those things start closing, that’s when I’ll feel some relief.

Jewish organizations have been more pro-gay overall than mainstream Christian groups, and their hardship is far more due to the actions of one man. While organizations saw their wealth erased by Bernie Madoff, the IRS seems to be telling individuals that they can recoup money lost to him as if it were a theft.

When religion is viewed as license to get in your neighbor’s business without restriction, it’s bad. We’ve seen way too much of that, and I hope some of those people are chastened and maybe a little more humble. Now they see that their self-righteous orgy of bigotry didn’t protect them from living in that SUV just like they were mere humans.

Since numbers are dropping pretty fast among the old-school Protestants, it wouldn’t be too surprising if the recession and the gay issue force them to start merging. That’s a definite benefit.

By: jlachett

jlachett — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:07:19 +0000

Ding dong the witch is dead…

By: DaveW

DaveW — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:40:04 +0000

This is truly the good news we should all be celebrating. Even on a gay site where this story doesn’t mention the obvious: this is good news for us who are the target of bigoted theocratic attacks, I’m happy to see what has been obvious for a number of years reported.

Too bad the AP doesn’t understand the definition of news story and has to editorialize:”The sense of community that holds together religious groups is broken when large numbers of people move to find work or if a ministry is forced to close”. Whose opinion is that? I feel that the sense of community is enhanced when the bigot funders move away and stop tithing so the community can heal and come together as humans instead of brainwashed sheep.

Facebook user: are you kidding? What has god ever provided this world except an excuse for people to follow despotic leaders that would be laughed off the world stage otherwise? At least you do understand the nature of your faith “without faith it is impossible to know god”….yes, only faith can let you believe in the stories these cults peddle because the reasoning power of your brain, if used, would help you see truth.

Sorry Wayne, there is no redeemer. You are simply a pawn in the cult.

Such good news! May they all fail!!!!!

By: randy

randy — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:50:56 +0000

No matter. They’ll just change their message. Being poor will become a virtue again, instead of a mark of god’s displeasure. That sort of thing. They’ve had millennia of experience.

By: matt87

matt87 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:11:19 +0000

Jews as a group were not really a problem for California. They voted overwhelmingly to reject proposition 8.

By: Wayne M.

Wayne M. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:54:50 +0000

If the current recession erodes people’s faith, I wonder just what faith they had in the first place. Perhaps too many people see religion as a convenient vehicle to spread ideas, fear and even hate when they would be regarded and nut jobs if they did it outside of religion. This is phony religion.

However, As a Gay Christian, I have faced plenty of difficulties both from fellow Christians, fellow LGBT people and people who are none of the above.. I still proclaim God! As Job said, “I know that my redeemer lives.”

By: George Nellas

George Nellas — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:57:21 +0000

This story was enough to make me want to log in. Having less church around isn’t a bad thing.

By: Nathan Pannell

Nathan Pannell — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:30:33 +0000

I cannot speak for other religions but if the so called Christians did as they were instructed they wouldn’t have a problem however they continue to preach hate, and intolerance while at the same time thinking so highly of themselves they ignore the pain and suffering of others. This recession is horrible however the negative affect on the churches bottom line is just the kick in the rear end to get them to wake up.

By: Facebook User

Facebook User — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:09:40 +0000

Obivously their faith is weak or god would supply ALL their need, including the financial one.

Shame on them for being such poor examples. Now god won’t bless them at all, for without faith, it’s imPOSsible to please god. They’d best repent right quick or they’ll lose their salvation as well.