Posted on 05/14/2015 6:53:17 AM PDT by Biggirl
A significant contributor to an apparent decline is the great loss of attenders in the fossilized old denominations, who quit their trust in scripture around 1900 and now only function as leftist social clubs.
I hear there is a great revival in Iran. I hope it gets here soon.
It could be that the outright assault against people of faith make many folks reluctant to tell pollsters the truth.
Rugged times grow enduring Christians. Falsehoods proffered by wishful thinkers who kick at the prick... to assuage their consciences and promote despair so they will not suffer judgement alone... are what these proclamations are. Misery craves company. Pray for reclamation of the miserable, obdurate rebels. Tares into wheat. God can do anything. He did the work in me. And does, continually, every day.
See, I don’t see a decline in “religion” with that data. If you take the growth of the unaffiliated (of which I consider myself in my Christian church, we are unaffiliated with a conference association, Church of Christ or Assembly of God, for example) with the growth of other faiths, there is a net gain of 7.9%, compared to the decline of the Evangelical and Mainline Protestant and Catholic decline of 7.4%, for a net gain of ALL religion of .5%.
You can also tie the apparent decline in Christian faiths as a percentage of population to the rise in immigration, illegal and otherwise, especially Muslim.
....Then a needed rebuilding.
Here’s an important nugget from the Pew study that Mr. Shapiro left out:
“The new survey indicates that churches in the evangelical Protestant tradition – including the Southern Baptist Convention, the Assemblies of God, Churches of Christ, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Presbyterian Church in America, 0ther evangelical denominations and many nondenominational congregations – now have a total of about 62 million adult adherents. That is an increase of roughly 2 million since 2007, though once the margins of error are taken into account, it is possible that the number of evangelicals may have risen by as many as 5 million or remained essentially unchanged.”
In other words, the “worst case” scenario for evangelicals is that their numbers have remained unchanged since 2007; it’s more likely their representation has increased, compared to the dramatic drop among main-line Protestant denominations.
The reason? Evangelicals, by and large, haven’t caved on issues like gay marriage and the ordination of gay clergy. And more importantly, their theology is still based on the ideal of personal salvation through Jesus Christ, and a relationship with him as part of your new walk in life. It’s a message that speaks to the heart and soul of man—not half-baked liberalism spewed in the pulpits of mainline Protestant churches.
Keep looking and praying! It took me and my family about 1-1/2 years to find our new, Biblical home.
One of the sad ironies of the 21st Century is that Christian churches and denominations in Third World countries are now sending missionaries to the United States—the same country whose missionaries helped spread the Gospel to their homeland years ago.
Finding “god” alright: the god they see in the mirror.
I’m thinking (and just my opinion) that people nowadays are simply being increasingly rebellious. They abandon religion and God because they’re thinking “NO ONE is going to tell me what to do, what to like, or who to love. I decide that myself!” Yes...they view themselves as their own ‘god’.
My sister and her husband are such people, as are most of their friends. They view those who are Christians as ‘backward’ and ‘ignorant’ because they believe that there is a God who is over all. They idolize people like Neil Degrasse Tyson who exalt science and pooh-pooh “outdated philosophies” like belief in a Creator God.
I think this Pope will be around for at least two more years, once he reaches 80, look for him to step down.
A Christian revival in Iran?
A Christian revival in Iran?
I hear a big one.
Look for Christians from the southern nations to do in the USA and the west what the USA and the west did years ago, send the missionaries needed to bring the Gospel of Jesus back to the USA and the west.
Yep, and wait until such folks have a “foxhole” moment and they will be screaming to the top of their lungs for God to help them.
Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)
Buddhism is agnostic with regard to the existence of a God who is Creator, Lawgiver and Judge. Buddhists do not worship Buddha. They hold him to be an enlightened teacher.
Look around you. Is this really what you see?
Extremely well said and true.
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