Posted on 05/12/2015 6:26:45 PM PDT by robowombat
The New York Times has a breathless report on the decline of Christianity in America. Much of the lefty twitterverse is celebrating the decline.
The Christian share of adults in the United States has declined sharply since 2007, affecting nearly all major Christian traditions and denominations, and crossing age, race and region, according to an extensive survey by the Pew Research Center. Seventy-one percent of American adults were Christian in 2014, the lowest estimate from any sizable survey to date, and a decline of 5 million adults and 8 percentage points since a similar Pew survey in 2007. But that really does not paint an accurate picture.
“Christian” like “Catholic” and “Jew” have become expressions of ethnicity or culture in this country. Being an actual Christian, as opposed to calling yourself one because you were born into a supposedly Christian household, is a completely different thing.
In fact, actual practicing Christianity in America isn’t that bad off. Consider this from the same New York Times story:
Not all religions or even Christian traditions declined so markedly. The number of evangelical Protestants dipped only slightly as a share of the population, by 1 percentage point, and actually increased in raw numbers. Yes, the Christian cultural traditions in the United States are in decline. But that corresponds to the number of denominations that have actually left the faith. Sure, they still go to church on Sunday as ceremony. But they’ve drifted from a Bible-centered, Christ as God centered faith, to a secularized, civil religion of ceremony and secularized liturgy. Emo, weepy Jesus who bakes cakes for gay weddings has replaced the actual Jesus who spent more time talking about hell than anyone else in the Bible and said he is the only and exclusive path to Heaven.
Christians who actually believe the Bible is inerrant and that one must surrender all to Christ are still there and “increas[ing] in raw numbers” “dipp[ing] only slightly as a share of population.”
It is too complex for your average reporter to understand, but cultural Christendom and actual Christendom are not the same. The former is dying off as its chief priests give way to the world. But the later remains strong, vibrant, and resurgent.
In the grand scheme of things, this is not necessarily a bad thing for the church itself, though looking to European church decline, it suggests a far less stable future for the nation.
Turns out guys like Francis Schaeffer and . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . Joseph Ratzinger, yeah that guy, were right. Serve up fluffy, worldly nonsense as Christianity and watch the flock sniff out the scam and go in search of real soul nourishment while the poseurs get consumed by the wolves.
Quality, not quantity.
one of the reasons I have faith that Christianity is true is that Jesus said, 2000 years ago, that the world would always hate Him and His followers. That’s certainl true today, his “prediction” rings true. He spoke Truth.
Weird how we down here and others who we know never get polled.
If everyone walked away from Christ, would that somehow lower the thermostat in hell? Pointless article. The Lord will reign with or without American approval.
Even a large scale poll usually samples opinions from no more than a few thousand people at most.
Thus, in a country of 320M, your chances of being interviewed are pretty slim.
Let me know when the majority of the nation stops voting for socialists, and we can talk about "actual Christianity" increasing in raw numbers and "not being that bad off."
“... and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Christianity is in decline on Manhattan Island south of 96th street, and they mistakenly assumed it was a universal trend.
Love that!
As a Gen Yer, to say publicly, or even privately that you’re against “gay rights” is like saying you’re a Communist in the 1950s.
The amount of media propaganda is insane. Yet whenever people bring up how destructive the lifestyle is people wave it off with, “Well if they weren’t discriminated against they wouldn’t be that way!”
Honestly I’m writing the generation off on the issue, the level of indoctrination is too much.
Maybe the current generation can be rescued if young parents intervene now. Pull your kids out of the system if you can.
This is well worth discussing.
China and African nations are seeing tremendous growth in Christianity. This is where the greatest opposition to Christianity is occurring.
Here in the US hostility toward Christianity grows when Christianity is practiced most faithfully.
Government opposition to Christian practice increases as opposition to the policies of government grows.
Obama complains that Christians oppose homosexuality and abortion.
Hillary demands that Christians keep their faith in their churches and not in the wider culture.
Christians are having none of it. The rising popularity of Sen Cruz is creating havoc in progressive circles. His direct appeal to Christian faithful is increasingly capturing the spirit of religious people who see in his campaign a way to stand against the tide of secularism.
Enormous efforts are being made to stop the rise of the Christian faithful. We may well see a decision by the Supreme Court to end the ancient rite of marriage.
The Spirit of Christ will not be denied or stopped. He has the final victory. Those who surrender their will to God are impervious to the torments of the world. They cannot be stopped, not by government, terrorists or popular icons.
We, the people who established this nation, will not surrender the promise of our fore bearers. We will not surrender the dream of freedom that stands at the crossroads of history here in this place at this time.
There probably aren’t enough Christians in media for them to even miss a news cast following the Rapture.
In our area under age 40 church attendance is very low, no matter the denomination.
The context of that quote from Yeshua was in response to Kefa (Peter), who had just told Yeshua, “You are the Mashiach, Ben of the Elohim Chayim! The Master then exclaims “Flesh and Blood did not reveal this to you Kefa! But my Father in Heaven! You are the prototype! My first living stone..... And with such stones I will build my eidah!, my movement, my Chaverah! And the gates of Hell itself will fall by it, they will not be able to resist its power. This will happen in our days IF we can find Peter. Remember the scene in Robin Williams film “Hook”? The little lost boy holds his face and looks deep in his eyes until suddenly he says “Oh, there you are Peter!” He had forgotten that He himself was Peter Pan; thought he was a lawyer. He had to remember. And so for the sincere Christian. Go back and do the first works and return to your true Identity. For true believers that identity is Israel. There is no other Covenant Nation.
Maybe that’s a good strategy. But the lost generation is going to have kids too. God help me. I’m trying not to kill my favorite nephew because of his ultra liberal views.
I have to speak up on the reality of gay life, even if it turns them off to me. To many adults scared to alienate the precious ones.
And we MUST get hold of some more media!! I mean a network station that reaches the average joe. Maybe a gofundme for a billion dollars lol.
It’s sad. ABC, CBS, and NBC have done their work well. Demean something long enough and it will suffer. And to be fair, I’m a Catholic, and the almost complete blindness by the powers that be to the homosexual rape and gay sex that is entrenched in high levels hasn’t helped.
Christ is Risen!
I am a member of two Orthodox Christian parishes. Both have an abundance of Millennial members, including young parents.
Indeed He is Risen!!!!
In my church, there is an abundance of young people. The theme of the the church is to reach out to those far from God.
They brought me in.
I was “far from God” for a long time.
When I asked for help, he was there.
I was looking for a church when I found the one I now belong to. It was clear from the beginning that it was the right choice.
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