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To: icwhatudo; Buckeye McFrog; SeekAndFind; Dr. Sivana
Nope, this is not by-and-large people seeking conservativeness, but most flocking to Pentecostal groups. Incidently pentecostalism is also mostly spreading in Africa and lower-income Asia.

The reason is mostly that the pentecostals with the song-and-dance have a sensory impact that fits in with these cultures where they are now. That some (like the AoG) bring theology into the mix adds the benefits for some over what they see as stodgy orthodox masses

Pentecostl preachers like Benny Hinn (the one who said there were 9 gods) and J Duplantis (the one who said he visited heaven and comforted Jesus) along with prosperity gospel types etc. get huge crowds in these poorer countries with their premise of "sing, praise, give me money and you'll be as rich as i am"

The second reason is also complacency on the Church's part - what was needed and is needed are the itinerant preachers and friars.

a watered-down theology like the pentecostal way is not the option, neither the shaking and talking gibberish to prove you are saved, however the pentecostals with their joy for God and their reach-out to people are a kick to orthodoxy to remember these basic things -- God is not just solemnity but also joy. Pentecostalism gets it wrong in that it focusses only on the sing-and-dance but is light on sombre theology and retrospect, but Christian Scientists, Presbyerians are also wrong with the focus only on solemnity. The Catholic Church was the solemnity and joy mix (just as God is not solemnity OR joy but solemnity AND joy), but forgot that.

9 posted on 07/03/2012 11:11:04 PM PDT by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: icwhatudo; Buckeye McFrog; SeekAndFind; Dr. Sivana
Babbling in tongues is unusual in existent Christian societies, so this gets a lot of attention.

In Africa for example, speaking in tongues and healings are not considered extraordinary - they can even be found in some indigenous pagan religions -- over there speaking in tongues is not even "supernatural,"

Pentecostalism by its very nature has a tendency to segregate and separate into countless denominations all the time.

For instance when I went to India in the early 90s they were all in the news among the Catholic communities there, spreading like wild-fire (or so it seemed), but then when I went in 2008 they had died out quickly. On inquiring I found that they had split and re-split and re-re-re-split so many times over petty things and incorporated so much non-Christian ideas that people were disillusioned and returned to orthodoxy.

That's what would happen across the world in the coming decades. Folks will turn away from the oversimplification and the emphasis only on emotionalism as opposed to emotions with spirituality and intellect torgether. The emphasis on man-centered happiness versus God-centered holiness and on the prosperity gospel leads to downfall

10 posted on 07/03/2012 11:45:47 PM PDT by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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To: icwhatudo; Buckeye McFrog; SeekAndFind; Dr. Sivana
Of course, one must add that the Pentecostal groups have done a lot of good by distributing a lot of money, financial and social aid to the poor in Brazil and giving poor folks money. They helped when Brazil was going through its economic ups and downs

Also, the pentecostal "I can be one too" pastor was in general more approachable with the rock and roll liturgy compared to orthodoxy

Pentecostalism is growing, but although the Assembly of God church is the second-largest growing in number of worshippers, it is closely followed by “spiritism,” a mix of Afro-American cults and New Age practices developed locally by cult leader Allan Kardec.

11 posted on 07/03/2012 11:52:36 PM PDT by Cronos (**Marriage is about commitment, cohabitation is about convenience.**)
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