Street Pastors.....

[The Horseman]

Comments pls.........

[Bill Fernie]

Many aspects of our society are dealt with by volunteers. This is another example of altruism by those willing to give up their free time to help others. It seems that churches of several denominations are pushing it forward. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Pastors

There is plenty of information -
https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk...orward-190073/

https://www.streetpastors.org/

https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/...-for-Caithness

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/l...-grow-21252833

https://morayepiscopalchurch.scot/in...treet-pastors/

Generally looks like a good thing to do to help individuals and communities.

[mi16]

Churches should be outlawed, religion is the root of a lot of the worlds problems.

[Fulmar]

It is the abuse of religion by those with evil intent that is the problem, not religion itself which, for countless people throughout the world, is a source of solace, hope and giving meaning to life that includes a desire to help others. As usual, the good that is done by churches and religious organisations and individual people of faith is seldom talked about and only the bad comes out.

[Gronnuck]

Churches should be outlawed, religion is the root of a lot of the worlds problems.

Particularly those who argue their invisible friend is bigger and better than other peoples' invisible friend.

[joxville]

Comments pls.........

Why not give your view first then open it for debate? ��

[orkneycadian]

It is the abuse of religion by those with evil intent that is the problem, not religion itself which, for countless people throughout the world, is a false source of solace, false hope and giving false meaning to life that includes a desire to help others.

Apologies for adding comments to your sentence.....

[mi16]

Correct, a load of old cobblers.

[Fulmar]

Apologies for adding comments to your sentence.....

It's fine, I don't agree but obviously you're entitled to hold your views as I am mine. None of it is false for those who hold those views and those people do not think so and neither do I think so.
I wonder, if and when (and I'm sure you have done this, haven't you?) you have attended a funeral held in church, you have come out from said service and told the bereaved and possibly the minister that the whole thing was false and any comfort, hope and solace gained from it by the bereaved was also false.

[orkneycadian]

None of it is false for those who hold those views and those people do not think so and neither do I think so.

Unfortunately, holding a view on something does not somehow make it so. There are people (all over the globe! ) who hold the view that the earth is flat. Holding that view, doesn't make it so. The earth is roughly spherical. Educating people that the earth is flat, and letting them believe it, doesn't make it so.

Leviticus lays down quite a lot of regulations on various matters. It would be reasonable to, if following the Christian religion, hold the view that whats written in Leviticus is true - After all, it can't be false based on what you say above. But I don't think holding the view that members of the LGBTQ+ community should be stoned to death, because their acts are detestable is going to keep you out of jail. Even without the stoning, or the deaths, declaring anything detestable these days will get you in enough hot water. So something must be false - Either the position laid down in the big book, or our current laws.

I wonder, if and when (and I'm sure you have done this, haven't you?) you have attended a funeral held in church, you have come out from said service and told the bereaved and possibly the minister that the whole thing was false and any comfort, hope and solace gained from it by the bereaved was also false.

Not in as many words - That would be rather insensitive. But I have been to plenty funerals in kirks where even the close family of the deceased acknowledge that the only reason the funeral was held in the kirk was because the expected a big turn out. "Of course, Jimmy didn't believe in any of that kirky stuff, but it is kinda the done thing to have the funeral in the kirk"

Now that there is a funeral home opened in Orkney, more and more folk are choosing to have non religious send offs.

[The Horseman]

Jox......I am surprised! That’s all.........
Last time I was in Wick on a Fri/Sat nite, there were drunks all hanging around the bars.
Perhaps some extra enforcement by the Polis mite quash the problems before catering to those in ‘distress’.
And Castletown.....with a population of 700!
There is a train of thought in larger Cities and other Countries, that the more you cater to these issues, the issues expand.
Just my thoughts......

[joxville]

I have to admit ignorance of Street Pastors, my first thought was that they are the people you see at shopping centres around the country dispensing their own brand of hellfire and brimstone, the ones we try to avoid looking in the eye in case they snare us for 20 minutes! But having read what they do, and if they can help calm a difficult situation, then I see no harm in what they do.

[Fulmar]

Orkneycanadian, no Christian that I know follows Levitical old testament law! If you want to know why, then read the Gospels and you'll soon find out. That is if you are open minded enough to do so?
I hope that I never have to live in a Scotland where churches are banned, as according to Mi16, they should be as it would mean that I was living under a repressive, totalitarian regime with no freedom of religious expression. There is no nice, cosy way of achieving that. I do not know if Mi16 means it should be just christian churches that should be banned? There are plenty of places that agree with him and now world wide, Christians are the most likely people of faith to be killed for their faith. They are the most at risk group. In China, there are more underground churches than ever before though so it doesn't work in any case.
If Mi16 means all religions should be banned then I would remind him, on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, what such an attitude soon leads to and what is currently going on in China with the Uyghur Muslim people. Of course, there are so many other examples. Anyway, have to dash as am off to church this morning. God Bless.

[mi16]

So you believe the world was created by god then?

[orkneycadian]

So you believe the world was created by god then?

Must be tricky as all that stuff about 13 billion years of the universes history, and 4.8 billion years for earth, gets compressed into just 6 days in the book of Genesis. Which being Old Testament, is apparently no longer followed.

[orkneycadian]

There is a train of thought in larger Cities and other Countries, that the more you cater to these issues, the issues expand.

A bit like the Kirkwall "Safe Space" they had before Christmas then?

https://www.orcadian.co.uk/kirkwall-...is-mad-friday/

Apparently played on a lot by the fairer sex to get prioritised in the demand for taxis home.

[The Horseman]

Yes! They/we are catering to the effect not the cause.
What I saw in Wick on a Fri/Sat nite was astounding.
On the Bridge in Inverness the traffic was stopped due to drunks wandering in traffic.
It just seems to be accepted, thus the ‘after effect’! It is so unnecessary.
I have read some more on the subject and see many Towns/Cities are in the same boat.
I have nothing against people helping, but are we ‘enabling’?

[orkneycadian]

On the Bridge in Inverness the traffic was stopped due to drunks wandering in traffic.

I thought you were getting traffic wardens to keep the flow of traffic on Bridge Street moving? Deffo needed, as last time I was through Wick, the parking on the double yellows was as bad as ever......

I doubt that the pi$$heads will be tanking up thinking "Its OK, the Street Pastors will look after me - Pour me another one"

[orkneycadian]

Orkneycanadian, no Christian that I know follows Levitical old testament law! If you want to know why, then read the Gospels and you'll soon find out. That is if you are open minded enough to do so?

Is it time then for the Bible to get some twenty first century editing? Chop out all the stuff that is no longer relevant?

[mi16]

be a shorter read, two covers a tale of some bloke pretending he is god.
Bono's autobiography wouldnt be far off it