Churches fight to stay open as attendance dwindles
abcnews.go.com
Churches faced with empty pews are fighting to keep their doors open, while former houses of worship are being converted into bars, clubs and luxury condos.

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.

  • queermunist she/her
    12·
    8 days ago

    Another brilliant take from someone on .ml

    You’re obviously human. Not someone i would talk to in person, but still human.

    You are making an ass of yourself and being surprised when folks start getting snippy?

    Id ask what ya expected to happen but expecting something implies you’ve thought about it, clearly you haven’t.

    You read these and tell me they’re the kinds of comments that build community.

    You want to know why I don’t think internet communities work? Because people talk to each other like this, completely unprovoked. This is mean as shit. What the fuck??

    And you think this is okay, because this is just how people are on the internet.

    This doesn’t feel like community to me. This feels like bullying.

    I don’t know why I comment on the internet. I just get my feelings hurt.

    • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
      3·
      8 days ago

      No it was very much prompted, this is basically the internet comments section version of talk shit get hit. You spouted off a highly polarizing opinion that people almost universally disagree with on a fundamental level and then got surprised when folks bit back.

      It also wasnt unprovoked you pissed folks off by spouting crap not allowing a lick of nuance. Fuck people probably wouldnt have gotten so pissy if ya just left it at lemmy, but you included all forms of internet communities.

      You made absolutists statements about highly complex sociological topics and then when people gave up on civility and bit back in the tiniest of ways you act as if you just had your arm blown off. You are a child if not literally then in mentality.

      You reap what ya sowed, and you sowed anger. Dont expect folks to try to build a community with someone who claims to not believe in it. Go cry wolf elsewhere.

      • queermunist she/her
        14·
        8 days ago

        this is basically the internet comments section version of talk shit get hit.

        Thus proving my point. This is not a place to build community. It’s a place to get hit.

        • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
          3·
          8 days ago

          Breaking news! Pissing people off makes them aggressive thusly no community can exist according to you. Give me a break, ya couldve bowed out ages ago and nobody wouldve cared. People got annoyed at you because you stuck around and talked shit. Thats the social contract in effect, you acted as if there was no community and folks followed through with your wishes.

          • queermunist she/her
            12·
            8 days ago

            You feel entitled to act this way because the Internet is not a community. Keep proving my point.

            • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
              3·
              7 days ago

              I am an asshole both IRL and online. I am not proving your point given the fact that I am a dickhead to all but kith and kin by default. I am the too much of a tainted data point to be used as an average.