I don’t need a stupid survey to demonstrate this...
> In Pew Research Center telephone surveys... <
Well, that might be part of the problem right there. I get these phone surveys occasionally. I just hang up. It’s none of their business what religion I am, who I’m voting for, etc.
Scriptural END TIMES are often marked by a turning against God as referenced in Matthew 24 looking back on Genesis 6:
Matthew 24:
37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Genesis 6:
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
“...certainly many who are agnostic today who were passionate and committed in the past...”
passionate and committed?
BUT WERE THEY SAVED? answer, NO!
The language here is key. “Identify as”. Just like “trannys”.
“Identifying as” doesn’t make you a Christian. Just like “Identifying as” a woman doesn’t make you one.
You become a Christian by humbling yourself before God, repenting of your sins asking His forgiveness, accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Not some phony prayer (you can’t fool an “all knowing” God), but really meaning it. Then and only then do you become a child of God, saved by faith, a “Christian”.
It’s not like becoming an Eagle, Moose, or Elk. It’s not becoming a member of “The Christian Club”. It’s a LIFE CHANGING profession of FAITH! A Holy act, from the depths of your soul to the heart of God!
For later.
Churches in my area are closing up left and right.
The Methodist church down the road would get 400 people with a f/t pastor, now it’s 50 on a average Sunday and a p/t pastor.
In the first article, I referred to the insights of the German theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg, who pointed out in the 1970s that, “Religion that is 'more of the same' is not likely to be very interesting.”
That certainly holds true for Mainstream Protestantism, which has been in decline for 60 years, and for other forms of liberal religion. But it also looks like evangelicals have lost steam in the past few years. Religious enthusiasm relies on "Great Awakenings," and between revivals, the enthusiasm wanes. That's not to say that their aren't still churches and believers, but they aren't attracting new adherents from the larger population at the rate they once were and don't have the confidence they once did. This has happened before, in the years between the mid-18th century Great Awakening and the early 19th century Second Great Awakening or in the years between the late 19th century awakening and the most recent late 20th century awakening. It's not the end of Christianity in America by any means. The cycle continues and, under other circumstances, we may see a new Great Awakening in the future.
As for me and mine, we are in church most every Sunday. Others can do as they please.