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Author Topic: What's good about Christianity?  (Read 15352 times)

Rhiannon

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What's good about Christianity?
« on: July 11, 2017, 07:10:23 PM »
Ok, so I think in all the stuff we debate on here it's easy to lose sight of the fact that Christianity does have good stuff for believer and non believer alike. I guess I thought a thread as a reminder might be an idea.

I'll start with the fact that the CofE always has some poor bugger in a dog collar serving his or her local community, however run down, dangerous, depressing and demoralising it might be. I do find that good.

Also... Gregorian chant. Obviously.

And cloisters. Aren't they beautiful?

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Nearly Sane

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #1 on: July 11, 2017, 07:15:39 PM »
Richard Coles
The Pieta
Gonnagle
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Rhiannon

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2017, 07:17:49 PM »
Ooh yes, two lovely Christian gentlemen.

The Iona Community.
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ad_orientem

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2017, 07:27:53 PM »
The Rule of St. Benedict.
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Anchorman

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2017, 07:31:47 PM »
Quote from: Rhiannon on July 11, 2017, 07:17:49 PM
Ooh yes, two lovely Christian gentlemen. The Iona Community.
Ah, the Iona Community.....very special fellowship, rain, spirituality, rain, laughter, rain, easy conversation, rain - and midgie infested stovies! Oh, and Camas - how could I have missed out Camas? It was a barn when we first aquired it. That was basically it for about twenty years before health and safety threw a collective wobbly. I preferrred the barn.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2017, 07:41:49 PM by Anchorman »
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"for, as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."

Shaker

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2017, 07:35:22 PM »
Desmond Tutu

Richard Holloway

Gloucester cathedral
(plenty of others besides, but that has a special place in my affections)

Tudor polyphony

Orthodox choral music

Cliff Richard I'm sure I can think of more.
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SusanDoris

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2017, 07:35:33 PM »
The CofE, cultural background to British culture, is far better than some, probably most,  of the alternatives.
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Shaker

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2017, 07:38:24 PM »
Quote from: SusanDoris on July 11, 2017, 07:35:33 PM
The CofE, cultural background to British culture, is far better than some, probably most,  of the alternatives.
Well, not really, not if you know your history - that rather relies on cherry-picking the nice bits and ignoring the not very nice bits.

But lest I derail: Christmas carols
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Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

Anchorman

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #8 on: July 11, 2017, 07:38:34 PM »
Quote from: SusanDoris on July 11, 2017, 07:35:33 PM
The CofE, cultural background to British culture, is far better than some, probably most,  of the alternatives.


Er.....English culture, not British.
The Scots went their own way for the most part as far as Episcopalianism goes.
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"for, as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."

Shaker

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #9 on: July 11, 2017, 07:43:36 PM »
Beethoven's Missa solemnis

York minster

Herbert Howells's sacred music

Stanley Spencer's art
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Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

Rhiannon

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #10 on: July 11, 2017, 07:44:13 PM »
The church at St Just-In-Roseland.
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Rhiannon

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #11 on: July 11, 2017, 07:45:33 PM »
Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross.
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Shaker

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2017, 07:46:04 PM »
Ely cathedral

Langley chapel

The Authorized Version

The 1662 BCP
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Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

Rhiannon

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2017, 07:47:44 PM »
My old parish priest - shout out for Father David.

And my mate Sara.
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Shaker

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #14 on: July 11, 2017, 07:50:14 PM »
Part One of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress

Vaughan Williams's opera of the preceding

Coverdale's Psalter

« Last Edit: July 11, 2017, 07:52:28 PM by Shaker »
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Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

Anchorman

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #15 on: July 11, 2017, 07:52:24 PM »
Quote from: Rhiannon on July 11, 2017, 07:45:33 PM
Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross.
It's a stunning work. It's leaving the room dedicated to it at the magnificently refurbished Kelvingrove to go south to join a major Dali exhibition in a couple of months time. I have a reproduction in my hall. https://www.dalipaintings.com/christ-of-saint-john-of-the-cross.jsp
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"for, as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."

SusanDoris

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #16 on: July 11, 2017, 07:53:50 PM »
Quote from: Shaker on July 11, 2017, 07:38:24 PM
Well, not really, not if you know your history - that rather relies on cherry-picking the nice bits and ignoring the not very nice bits.

But lest I derail: Christmas carols
I'm not referring to history, I just mean that in the current climate, the Cof E takes first place in the an if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it category!
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Shaker

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #17 on: July 11, 2017, 07:54:07 PM »
Matisse's Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence

Vaughan Williams's Mass in G minor

Arvo Pärt's music
« Last Edit: July 11, 2017, 08:02:01 PM by Shaker »
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Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

Rhiannon

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #18 on: July 11, 2017, 07:59:52 PM »
Quote from: Anchorman on July 11, 2017, 07:52:24 PM
It's a stunning work. It's leaving the room dedicated to it at the magnificently refurbished Kelvingrove to go south to join a major Dali exhibition in a couple of months time. I have a reproduction in my hall. https://www.dalipaintings.com/christ-of-saint-john-of-the-cross.jsp

I saw it on its travels once at the Seeing Salvation exhibition at the National.
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Shaker

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #19 on: July 11, 2017, 08:06:06 PM »
Brahms's German Requiem
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Pain, or damage, don't end the world. Or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man, and give some back. - Al Swearengen, Deadwood.

Rhiannon

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #20 on: July 11, 2017, 08:12:13 PM »
Quote from: Shaker on July 11, 2017, 08:09:57 PM
Derail!  :D

Indeed. And not exactly in the spirit of the thread either.  ;)
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Gordon

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #21 on: July 11, 2017, 08:15:58 PM »
Quote from: Rhiannon on July 11, 2017, 08:12:13 PM
Indeed. And not exactly in the spirit of the thread either.  ;)

True - I shall therefore remove it forthwith (if not sooner).

Which I've done.

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Gordon

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #22 on: July 11, 2017, 08:25:09 PM »
Quote from: Shaker on July 11, 2017, 08:20:51 PM
Aw - we were only kidding!

I know: but you were correct anyway.  :)

On topic - I'd add that most Christians I've ever come across are invariably thoughtful and generous people.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2017, 08:37:03 PM by Gordon »
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Nearly Sane

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #23 on: July 11, 2017, 08:34:01 PM »
Quote from: ad_orientem on July 11, 2017, 07:27:53 PM
The Rule of St. Benedict.
Patron saint of servants who break the property of their masters and spelunkers
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Nearly Sane

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Re: What's good about Christianity?
« Reply #24 on: July 11, 2017, 08:43:06 PM »
Poussin's Sacraments at the Nat Gallery in Edinburgh
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