Summary
Churches across the U.S. are grappling with dwindling attendance and financial instability, forcing many to close or sell properties.
The Diocese of Buffalo has shut down 100 parishes since the 2000s and plans to close 70 more. Nationwide, church membership has dropped from 80% in the 1940s to 45% today.
Some churches repurpose their land to survive, like Atlanta’s First United Methodist Church, which is building affordable housing.
Others, like Calcium Church in New York, make cutbacks to stay open. Leaders warn of the long-term risks of declining community and support for churches.
So, what? Luciferianism has nothing to do with Christianity. Lucifer from Luciferianism isn’t the “Lucifer” from Christianity. Same etymological origins? Sort of… Except that Luciferianism takes the etymology (Lucifer: Lux ferre, Latin for light bringer) really seriously, while Christianity just blames Him as “devil”.
Also, there’s an atheist branch of Luciferianism, one that sees Lucifer not as a spiritual entity, but as the ideal archetype to be followed, without any deities (not even Lucifer Himself), similar to how Buddhism sees Buddha not as a deity, but as an ideal to be followed.
Feel free to check out my Lemmy comment history and you’ll see my reasons on why I’m advocating for such faiths. If pointing out how several faiths, including Luciferianism, are targets of misunderstanding, if it’s “trolling” to you, I’m really disappointed.
Because of Newton’s third law: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”. It’s called “karma” on certain occult/esoteric faiths. Respect and be respected, attack and be attacked, simple as that! If it’s a difficult thing for you, well… Nothing I can do to help with your bigotry. Because even when I say about Christianity, I try to be “respectful”, even when they see me now as a “devil worshiper”. Respectfulness is a must, and if you don’t have it, again, nothing I can do.
Ridiculous statement, holy shit. The only reason that name is relevant is Christianity, it absolutely is related from it’s very beginning.
Lost enough brain cells already, thanks
“Respect people’s mythical bullshit because of mythical bullshit!” What an argument! Sadly: nah, fuck that
It absolutely isn’t
Do you know that things can branch off, take different paths and become completely different things, so different that they no longer have anything to do with each other, right?
Take Chemistry, for example, a scientific field of knowledge. Do you know how Chemistry originated? Spoiler: it has to do with what you would call “mystical bullshit”.
What about Biology and the discovery of genes? Do you know who first discovered the existence of genes, who they were, what they were?
Should we associate your (possibly) beloved science with Christianity too?
Going back to the Upper Paleolithic, when so-called “proto-religions” began to emerge, human associations between death and ritualistic practices were part of the contributing factors to where we are now, discussing on Lemmy, because their “mystical associations” and their “irrational” fear of death as an “unknown transcendental force” helped them try to avoid deadly things/predators/places, survive and reproduce, which propagated Homo sapiens as a species in the face of natural dangers. Here we are today, with 8 billion people, with better understanding of cosmic and natural phenomena through scientific inquiry, all thanks to our cave-dwelling ritualistic ancestors.