The Catholic Church mandates church attendance at least once a week on Sundays because Sunday is the day that Christ rose from the dead, and in so gathering Christians follow in His command to eat His flesh and drink His blood “in remembrance of (Him).” Protestants have continued to observe this for centuries, but do not believe in the real presence of the Eucharist.
A recent ruling from the Church of England, which continues to find ways to make herself more irrelevant than what she has already made herself into, has now declared that Churches will not be required to have compulsory services on Sunday according to the BBC:
A weekly Sunday service will no longer be compulsory for churches after a vote to change a 400-year-old law was passed by the Church of England’s ruling body.
The General Synod voted to end the law – dating back to 1603 – which required priests to hold a Sunday service in every church they looked after.
The Bishop of Willesden, who proposed the change, called it “out of date”.
Meanwhile, the General Synod has introduced six “pastoral principles” to improve the treatment of LGBT people.
Decades of falling church attendances have left some priests looking after up to 20 rural churches.
Previously, a rural priest would need to apply for permission from a bishop to not hold a Sunday service in each church.
The Bishop of Willesden – the Right Reverend Pete Broadbent – chairs the Simplification Task Force formed in 2014 to improve the process of the Church of England.
He said changing the law reflected the current practice of priests who look after multiple churches.
Following the vote, he said: “You’re meant to get a dispensation from the bishop – this just changes the rules to make it easier for people to do what they’re already doing. It stops the bureaucracy.
“This was just one (amendment) where we said, ‘Out of date, doesn’t work, we’re operating differently in the countryside now, therefore let’s find a way of making it work.'”
When asked if the decision would affect elderly churchgoers in rural locations, who might have to travel further to attend a service, Rev Broadbent said: “No, because at the moment this is already regularised and it’s already happening.”
The Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, a chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, said although it was “wonderful” to have “that one day where everyone can concentrate”, the Church had to be realistic about people’s day to day lives.
“Times are changing – it is not just about a shortage of clergy but also the fact that people work on a Sunday,” she said.
“There is no use in crying over spilt milk. We need to find creative ways to worship.”
She added that at her churches “Thursday is the new Sunday”.
At the meeting of the General Synod on Thursday, a document outlining six principles to help improve the treatment of LGBT people was released.
It said the Church had been “found wanting in its welcome and treatment of LGBTI+ people”.
The “pastoral principles” aim to encourage churches to see “difference as a gift rather than a problem”, and build “trust” and “generosity”.
The principles encourage people to acknowledge their prejudice, make churches places of welcome, conduct theological discussions with respect, “cast out” fear, extend courtesy and kindness to all and refuse to exploit power over others.
The document added that adopting the six principles “could be transformative for the Church” but would “require a change of culture in terms of the quality of our relationships”. (source, source)
I have discussed at length the rise of Islam in Europe and the UK, and noted that much of that said rise has been facilitated for the purpose of inciting nationalism. However, one must also note that the rise of Islam cannot simply be attributed to politics and immigration. The power of Islam is growing because of a vacuum created by the former Christian society that was the UK which is no more. This is not so much a “takeover”, but the occupation of an abandoned space.
While Islam is an evil religion, the fact is that many people believe in Islam because they genuinely believe it to be true. Christianity in the UK, what little is left, is for the most part associated with national identity and not genuine religious belief.
This decision from the Church of England just reinforces this belief. It would seem that the church herself does not even belief and more, and by saying that Christians do not need to routinely remember Jesus’ death and resurrection on the day he rose from the dead just reinforces this along with the Muslims’ belief that they really are correct and Christianity is wrong.
In this way, the “Christians” of the UK are just as much at fault to blame for the situation they find themselves in, for the state of their “church” is just a reflection of themselves.