The popularity of God.

[swissie]

In Europe, the popularity of "God" has diminished greatly. More and more people claim to be not part of any religion. The churches mostly empty. Possibly the result of 250 years of "the age of reason".

 

Not so in the US. Churches are full (some towns feature more churches than bars). The TV evangelists getting wealthy by whipping up their followers into a religious frenzie. Actually, God and Jesus have turned into "big business".

 

How is something like this possible in a country like the US. Has the "age of reason" bypassed the US?

 

Remarkably I see the same dreamy facial expression of Trump fans when he adresses them, just like when the preacher raises a person from his wheelchair, declairing "you are healed". (After having given the wheelchair guy 50 bucks before "the show").

 

Any explanations to this phenomenum?    

[still kicking]

2 minutes ago, swissie said:

In Europe, the popularity of "God" has diminished greatly. More and more people claim to be not part of any religion. The churches mostly empty. Possibly the result of 250 years of "the age of reason".

 

Not so in the US. Churches are full (some towns feature more churches than bars). The TV evangelists getting wealthy by whipping up their followers into a religious frenzie. Actually, God and Jesus have turned into "big business".

 

How is something like this possible in a country like the US. Has the "age of reason" bypassed the US?

 

Remarkably I see the same dreamy facial expression of Trump fans when he adresses them, just like when the preacher raises a person from his wheelchair, declairing "you are healed". (After having given the wheelchair guy 50 bucks before "the show").

 

Any explanations to this phenomenum?    

All religions are con who has seen or met the old guy 

[Will B Good]

25 minutes ago, swissie said:

In Europe, the popularity of "God" has diminished greatly. More and more people claim to be not part of any religion. The churches mostly empty. Possibly the result of 250 years of "the age of reason".

 

Not so in the US. Churches are full (some towns feature more churches than bars). The TV evangelists getting wealthy by whipping up their followers into a religious frenzie. Actually, God and Jesus have turned into "big business".

 

How is something like this possible in a country like the US. Has the "age of reason" bypassed the US?

 

Remarkably I see the same dreamy facial expression of Trump fans when he adresses them, just like when the preacher raises a person from his wheelchair, declairing "you are healed". (After having given the wheelchair guy 50 bucks before "the show").

 

Any explanations to this phenomenum?    

 

No, but it is endlessly fascinating (to me at least) how stupid these people can be......God, ghosts, aliens, lizard people, baby eating Democrats, flat earthers,.....the list goes on.

 

I can (almost) accept the rogues milking it, they know what they are doing........the pastors, the politicians, the billionaires.......but the cult followers????

[save the frogs]

6 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

ghosts, aliens, l

so ghosts and aliens don't exist because you can't see them?

before microscopes were invented, we couldn't see bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. 

 

[swissie]

18 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

so ghosts and aliens don't exist because you can't see them?

before microscopes were invented, we couldn't see bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. 

 

The above mentioned culprits never formed any religious group as far as I know. Nor do they go "bump in the night" as ghosts do.

Today's ghosts are made of flesh and blood, supported by a "public relations firm".

 

I call them modern day "Pied Pipers".

[placeholder]

1 hour ago, swissie said:

In Europe, the popularity of "God" has diminished greatly. More and more people claim to be not part of any religion. The churches mostly empty. Possibly the result of 250 years of "the age of reason".

 

Not so in the US. Churches are full (some towns feature more churches than bars). The TV evangelists getting wealthy by whipping up their followers into a religious frenzie. Actually, God and Jesus have turned into "big business".

 

How is something like this possible in a country like the US. Has the "age of reason" bypassed the US?

 

Remarkably I see the same dreamy facial expression of Trump fans when he adresses them, just like when the preacher raises a person from his wheelchair, declairing "you are healed". (After having given the wheelchair guy 50 bucks before "the show").

 

Any explanations to this phenomenum?    

I'm afraid that a lot less people are willing to spend Sundays with the Big Fella in the USA as well.

Americans exaggerate their frequency of worship attendance, study finds

Americans significantly overstate their rate of church attendance, concludes a paper published this month by a University of Chicago business school professor National Bureau of Economic Research. Dr. Devin Pope reviewed cellphone geodata from over two million Americans to examine their behavior with respect to religion. Pope concluded that only 5 percent of those surveyed attend services each week, and only 21 per cent attend each month – based on their location on Sunday mornings as determined by their cell phone location.

https://anglican.ink/2024/04/22/americans-exaggerate-their-frequency-of-worship-attendance-study-finds/

 

There are lots of other polls and surveys that report the same thing. This one is particularly ingenious, though.

 

[Lacessit]

37 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

so ghosts and aliens don't exist because you can't see them?

before microscopes were invented, we couldn't see bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. 

 

50% of Americans believe in angels, what is the evidence for them?

 

You can't see gravity either, but there is plenty of evidence it exists.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

To which god are you referring?

 

Some gods do a bit better than others. 

None of them exist.

 

Jesus played baseball for the Giants, A's Mets and Astros. His surname was Alou.

 

 

[swissie]

18 minutes ago, placeholder said:

I'm afraid that a lot less people are willing to spend Sundays with the Big Fella in the USA as well.

Americans exaggerate their frequency of worship attendance, study finds

Americans significantly overstate their rate of church attendance, concludes a paper published this month by a University of Chicago business school professor National Bureau of Economic Research. Dr. Devin Pope reviewed cellphone geodata from over two million Americans to examine their behavior with respect to religion. Pope concluded that only 5 percent of those surveyed attend services each week, and only 21 per cent attend each month – based on their location on Sunday mornings as determined by their cell phone location.

https://anglican.ink/2024/04/22/americans-exaggerate-their-frequency-of-worship-attendance-study-finds/

 

There are lots of other polls and surveys that report the same thing. This one is particularly ingenious, though.

 

I doubt if this survey would hold water in the heartland of the USA. At every meal, God is present at the table. (Even if the corn was grown by hard labor of the praying farmer and not by God).

If a pig get's run over by a truck: "It was God's will".

[swissie]

12 minutes ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

To which god are you referring?

 

Some gods do a bit better than others. 

None of them exist.

 

Jesus played baseball for the Giants, A's Mets and Astros. His surname was Alou.

 

 

In "the west" we are referring to the God of the Isrealites. We have no God of our own.

 

Otherwise, I could not possibly choose a God, as there are over 30'000 Gods in India alone and over 40'000 Christian believes (sects).

 

Truly, a smorgasboard of God's available.

[herfiehandbag]

1 hour ago, swissie said:

the preacher raises a person from his wheelchair, declairing "you are healed". (After having given the wheelchair guy 50 bucks before "the show").

 

Any explanations to this phenomenum?    

Donkeys years ago I went to one of those faith healing services.

 

The preacher called up two sufferers, David, who had a very severe speech impediment, and Tony who was crippled and walked with crutches.

 

The two were sent behind a screen. The minister ordered:" Tony, throw away your crutches!" 

 

A pair of crutches flew over the screen.

 

"David, speak to us!"

 

" TTTTony has ffffallen over!"