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Secular Mass

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  • 29-04-2009 3:18am
    #1
    Bottle_of_Smoke
    Registered Users Posts: 9,770 ✭✭✭


    With more and more people not believing in religion its likely in the future a lot of people won't be going to mass.

    I think mass and the surrounding activities are some of the positive aspects of religion, particularly for the elderly.

    Face to face contact and regularity improves peoples spirits(don't mean spiritual kind) and therefore keeps people healthier and happier.

    When people retire they often feel depressed as they lose out on so many relationships(people they only spoke to in work but got on well) and mini relationships(the cook in the canteen they chatted to occasionally)

    Is there anything that can replace this for someone who doesn't believe? I guess there's bingo nights, but I think that would be more clicky and might be awkward for someone to go along to. I don't think internet contact can ever replace face to face.

    Now I don't think there's anything similar at present, but in the presence of a larger non-believing demographic could there be a community activity that might evolve an bring about a sense of community.

    Have to say if I were old/alone etc I'd probably go along to mass, pretend to believe and chat to people after, better than ending up one of the local pubs permanent fixtures depressing the barman


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    #2
    Beruthiel
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 42,362 Mod ✭✭✭✭Beruthiel


    Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »
    Have to say if I were old/alone etc I'd probably go along to mass, pretend to believe and chat to people after, better than ending up one of the local pubs permanent fixtures depressing the barman

    Bingo halls and retirement homes?

    If you keep posting on Boards for the next 50 years, you should know quite a few people fairly well by the time old age hits!


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    #3
    lostexpectation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭lostexpectation


    yes its the regular community gatherings, and regular contact for old people that are the positive aspects of religion that could be kept


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    #4
    philologos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,479 ✭✭✭✭philologos


    Interesting question. I don't think that Christianity will be in a declining state in Europe forever. I don't think any analysts that have published anything do either. However, there is no reason why atheists couldn't meet on Sundays really. In Austin, Texas, the Atheist Community there meet on Sundays, and do charitable projects, and fundraisers etc. I don't see any reason why that cannot happen here. I obviously don't agree with what is being advocated in this group and others, but it's worthy of note on a thread of this subject.


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    #5
    Bottle_of_Smoke
    Registered Users Posts: 9,770 ✭✭✭Bottle_of_Smoke


    Jakkass wrote: »
    Interesting question. I don't think that Christianity will be in a declining state in Europe forever. I don't think any analysts that have published anything do either. However, there is no reason why atheists couldn't meet on Sundays really. In Austin, Texas, the Atheist Community there meet on Sundays, and do charitable projects, and fundraisers etc. I don't see any reason why that cannot happen here. I obviously don't agree with what is being advocated in this group and others, but it's worthy of note on a thread of this subject.

    Yes I think that atheist community is a good example of what could serve the elderly.

    Christianity declining, I'm not sure. I think Protestantism may increase but I certainly think Catholicism will decline further. Some Catholics will convert to Protestantism/Islam but I believe a lot won't.

    Beruthial I mentioned the bingo but also the reasons why it wouldn't be a good replacement, and retirement homes generally aren't liked, and they're only really for elderly who can't live alone, plenty can.


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