this post was submitted on 29 Dec 2024
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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.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I think you're a person. You should be more kind to yourself. That kind of talk never gets us anywhere.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Not on the internet. I'm a string of characters. I don't have a face, I don't have a voice, I don't have a body, I am a handle and a comment tree. I cease to exist as soon as you aren't paying attention to this comment chain. I could be a bot, you have no idea.

The internet can never be community. We are only human when we do human things. This digital space isn't human at all.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I mean, why are you even here then? Exchanging information IS a human thing, and we're (probably) all people behind the screens. I agree that physicality is a necessity for a 3rd space, but I disagree that it's necessary for community.

To say that we can't help people with our words strikes me as rather pessimistic.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

~~I'm here for fun, not community. None of this shit matters. It's not real.~~

I don't know why I'm here. Just to get ganged up on and hurt myself.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

._. *patpat*

It do be like that sometimes...

But even having fun maybe matters too?

I'm sorry you got ganged up on... I, at least, enjoyed reading your comments.

Edit:

It just occurred to me that tone really doesn't come across on the internet, and "Why are you even here then?" could be read in an accusatory way, when I really didn't intend it as such. I meant it in more of an interrogatory sense, and I wasn't trying to be mean. I was curious. ._.

You have as much right to be here as anyone else!

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Tell that to the numerous thriving online communities.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Like this one? You think this is community? You don't even know anyone's names.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I mean, does that matter that much? Your irl name is just an identifier that points to you. Just like queermunist is an identifier that also points to you.

I've seen you before, I've read some of your comments. I wouldn't say I know you per se, but I at least recognize your name in passing and have an inkling of what to expect from you.

You could almost think of it as we both go to the same school, but have different friend groups so maybe never really interact, but still know each other exists.

And some of the more prolific users I understand a bit more of. And some of the smaller communities I'm part of I know all of the regular users a little bit better.

But you're right, it's a bit harder than in person because you can't put a face or mannerisms to the handle, but I think you can still know people here a little bit.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Also, it seems weird that someone who is openly trans is complaining that we don't know people's names rather than us knowing the names people chose for themselves.

I'm fine with my real name, but if the world called me Flying Squid, I'd be cool with that too.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

The internet can never be community.

Bullshit. There are millions of communities on the internet. Maybe not the kind of communities you personally want, but communities just the same. Don't gatekeep how others interact with different social groups.

Also there are countless communities that exist both online and in meatspace. You can enjoy people in the real world, go home and resume those connections via internet with the same people. Those people don't cease to exist when they're not physically standing in front of you.

These are not just letters on a screen. They were put here by a human being named Kevin. I have an entire life, history, interpersonal connections, my own thoughts and feelings. Tomorrow you will likely see more things that I write along with everyone else who's part of This community.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

The internet is a community only in a sense that abstracts and extends the original meaning. It only has any of the defining aspects of a community by analogy. A closer analogy is that it's a glory hole without the hole.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Another brilliant take from someone on .ml

[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

See, this kind of nastiness proves my point. I'm not human to you, I'm a random encounter in the posting RPG.

You just want to hurt me so you can win. That's not community.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

What the fuck did I do to you to deserve you talking to me this way? Really feeling the community here.

Do you treat strangers like this in real life? I doubt it. That's the key difference between internet and reality.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

All I said was that the internet isn't a communal space and that I could be a bot. We need real, in-person communal spaces.

The way you are treating me proves it. You wouldn't talk like this to someone to their face.

Do you think the way you are talking to me right now is how you build community?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You are claiming that you cant build a community online, something most folks disagree with. Then you double, triple, and quadruple down and get surprised when folks get a bit pissy with you. You have had every opportunity to accept that people disagree with you on a baseline and could agree to disagree and bow out, rather than do that you claim folks are being mean to ya and play the fucken victim. Itd be funny if it wasnt pathetic.

Also yes I would talk to folks like this IRL, hell I may actually be worse since I wouldnt be trying to articulate over text. Ive outright told folks to kill themselves with a smile a mile wide. Believe it or not but I am being polite, I just aint a backbiting Southerner about it and will give my honest words on a matter.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week 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.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

What part of "you're obviously human" required you to lash out and swear?

You're the only one here that's arguing you cannot build a community, and also showing everyone exactly how not to act in a community.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

The part where you said "Not someone i would talk to in person." Is this how you think you build community? Telling people that they're stupid, you don't want to talk to them, and they're an ass?

Why did you do that to me?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Playing the victim because you're being disagreed with is not how to build a community.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Commenting on lemmy is self harm sometimes.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yes, this discussion thread has been really stressful and hurtful.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You should probably reflect on why, and strive to be better.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

It's because the Internet is a mean place where people feel entitled to get nasty with each other for no reason. "Talk shit, get hit." This only proves my point.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It's everyone elses fault. Got it.
You'll get no sympathy from me by acting like a victim of your own choices.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Sorry, Im pretty sure thats all were likely to get. The way things are going well be lucky to have public schools in 20 years, let alone a bunch of new publicly funded community spaces.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The internet can form community but it's not the same. I'm about to move across the country and crash with a friend I met through the internet; and I've only seen her irl twice. That whole friend group are some of my best friends. And they aren't even the only close friendships I have through the internet.

But also, I've done the only socialize online thing and it broke my mind in college and again in the pandemic (which is when I met both friend groups I mentioned earlier). I need physical places where I can interact positively with other physical humans. I need physical places that I can coexist with other people and that's what an actual third space is. And I've seen what only existing on the internet does to people and it's not good

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 week ago

Yes yes thank you, this is what I meant. I know I pissed a lot of people off by saying that internet communities aren't real, but what I meant is that they aren't a replacement for community. The distance, the lag, the lack of a face or voice or body, the time zones, there's so many elements that make internet "community" into something that I struggle to call community.

If people want to call it community then fine, but it's not a neighborhood or a workplace or (in the earlier example) congregation.