Whenever you hear someone blame the West's decline and downfall on the decline of religion, simply poke them a bit and you'll find that they are really complaining about collapsing white birthrates and replacement immigration.
Kindly suggest that the problem is feminism and women's rights though, and they'll look at you like you're mad.
@Tfmonkey
There's no difference between your two options since they are both symptoms of the same origin, the decline in religion.
There's no better example than Pope Francis. Under his leadership, majority Catholic countries have seen a decline in birthrates, increase in divorce and abortion, a feminized church followed by those countries having female-led political power & immigration policies.
In other words, Ireland.
@UncleIroh you beat me to it.
Was pretty much going to say the same thing but with an asterisk.
A decline in religion, specifically adherence to scripture.
Not this nonsense when old men in pointy hats make up new rules as they see fit.
Well that's where we differ.
Protestants rely on the theological doctrine of "sola sciptura", or "by scripture alone".
That results in every Protestant being their own little Pope. You've just moved the authority down to the individual.
Orthodox Christians don't use sola scriptura or a Pope, but rely on the church fathers, council decrees, writing of the saints & martyrs, mediated through priests and bishops.
Islam is closer to that model than Western Christianity.
>but rely on the church fathers, council decrees, writing of the saints & martyrs, mediated through priests and bishops.
No disrepsect but I think that's an antiquated model.
In modern society where most people are literate you can understand most of scripture pretty well on your own.
Also it provides checks and balances when someone wants to take some nonsensical interpretation of the Bible.
>it's antiquated and that's precisely why it works. It has kept it's traditions
Touche
>It's not the job of Christ's Church to track "modern society". It's to keep society in God's Laws.
I agree. I was referring to the past where so called "men of God" would try to lead people astray with bizarre interpretations of scripture.
>This isnt the place to get into a big theological discussion.
Agreed
@basedbagel @UncleIroh @Tfmonkey
I'd love to hear a "discussion" between @Tfmonkey and Andrew Wilson, but sadly I don't think that will ever happen.
Andrew and his wife are very adamant about a return to patriarchal arrangement, but from the perspective of Christian Orthodoxy as the prescription.
@red_dread @basedbagel @Tfmonkey
Yeah I don't see that happening. AW is all about debate and TFM hates debate. Shame.
No reason why he couldn't join an open panel debate like the one Rollo hosted a few months back. Part debate, part discussion, part guys just shit-talking.
@basedbagel @Tfmonkey
You're right, it's antiquated and that's precisely why it works. It has kept it's traditions where Protestants and Catholics have clearly not.
Sola scriptura + revelation has lead to a thousand splinter churches, millions of little Popes, and LGBT churches with transgender pastors. All claiming authority.
It's not the job of Christ's Church to track "modern society". It's to keep society in God's Laws.
This isnt the place to get into a big theological discussion.