tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3601946653328882528.post6933611146275001299..comments2023-09-15T08:54:19.379-04:00Comments on New England Pastor: Why Art Thou Secular, Ye Olde New England?Shawn Bracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10603380405719498288noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3601946653328882528.post-3810731887377595892008-12-01T10:09:00.000-05:002008-12-01T10:09:00.000-05:00Hello all!A lot to respond to. I've been away for ...Hello all!<BR/><BR/>A lot to respond to. I've been away for Thanksgiving, so I apologize for my tardiness. Let me respond to each person, as best I can.<BR/><BR/><B>Andrew</B>: you are right about the similarities between New England and Europe. I meant to point that out. This was definitely evident to me when I was in Scotland during that year. I also overheard someone from Northern Ireland a Shawn Bracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10603380405719498288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3601946653328882528.post-24175019697157224512008-11-30T21:29:00.000-05:002008-11-30T21:29:00.000-05:00As a member of the laity, I often get cracked up a...As a member of the laity, I often get cracked up at traditional SDA focus when it comes to church. Sure, the "Body" in Acts met EVERY day, but then the body went out and brought people in. It eventually became "lost focused".<BR/><BR/>As I see it currently, "Church" is basically designed to fulfill the teaching and tradition of "the faithful". Otherwise, church as it is played out, is Charleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12413657503068245221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3601946653328882528.post-46744323655668749392008-11-30T08:34:00.000-05:002008-11-30T08:34:00.000-05:00I know this might be going off on a tangent, howev...I know this might be going off on a tangent, however your observations (and those of others in New England and here in Europe) about secularism leads me to question the training of future ministers. How well are ministers being equipped for the challenging realities of ministry in certain parts of the states (and the world, i.e. northwest Europe and Australasia) <BR/><BR/>In the eighties there Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09388557823920630437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3601946653328882528.post-82952617687991558522008-11-28T21:22:00.000-05:002008-11-28T21:22:00.000-05:00Shawn,I think that you've laid out some very good ...Shawn,<BR/><BR/>I think that you've laid out some very good points about what causes secularism to be so prevalent in New England. I would like to add a comment to your first point about the "independent" thinking of New Englanders. I think Corey was on to something. I think the term independent may be misleading because it is difficult to determine how they are independent. New Englanders are Kyle Baldwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10242332718552395078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3601946653328882528.post-66237914900855270902008-11-27T22:58:00.000-05:002008-11-27T22:58:00.000-05:00I wonder also if sociological factors don't play a...I wonder also if sociological factors don't play a major role. <BR/><BR/>I have spent much of the past two years in Germany, where perhaps 30% of the people have any kind of belief in God, much less a traditional orthodox belief. (And the postcard-perfect cathedrals cannot even draw flies.) When I encounter people here and they learn that I am studying religion, they are often taken aback. nelson moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06228267908108874770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3601946653328882528.post-75557712623009977802008-11-25T21:56:00.000-05:002008-11-25T21:56:00.000-05:00I do agree with your first point about independenc...I do agree with your first point about independence and wanting the government to stay out of people's business. But the irony is that isn't that the exact opposite of being a liberal politically? A liberal typically is for the government taking taxpayers money and using it as they will - - although they would never word it as such. If someone truly wants independence, it seems to me that theyCoreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15727347601358618588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3601946653328882528.post-11290444419527022712008-11-25T17:01:00.000-05:002008-11-25T17:01:00.000-05:00Shawn - wow! Your answers were clear and concise....Shawn - wow! Your answers were clear and concise. I had no idea of the climate, but I was aware of New Hampshire's motto, so it makes perfect sense.<BR/><BR/>Here's an interesting question: Are all those beautifully picturesque white, steepled and post-card-perfect churches empty?Charleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12413657503068245221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3601946653328882528.post-34382255772740466162008-11-25T14:26:00.000-05:002008-11-25T14:26:00.000-05:00Shawn,This is one of the best essays on why New En...Shawn,<BR/><BR/>This is one of the best essays on why New England fights religion I've ever read. As someone who's come in from the outside, but been here for 10 years, I can relate to and attest to everything you've said here.<BR/>I think anyone coming into this area to minister or start a church should read this. Thanks for it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3601946653328882528.post-69856764749271726672008-11-25T13:10:00.000-05:002008-11-25T13:10:00.000-05:00"because its following merry olde england"(tongue ..."because its following merry olde england"<BR/><BR/>(tongue firmly in cheek!<BR/><BR/> -although there is some truth in the fact that New England does bare some resemblance to the old continent of Europe, especially as far as secularism goes)Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09388557823920630437noreply@blogger.com