Poll: Pentecostals widening influence

Yahoo News ^ | October 5, 2006 | Rachel Zoll

[NYer]

NEW YORK - A new 10-nation survey of Pentecostal and charismatic Christians, considered the fastest-growing stream of Christianity worldwide, shows they are deeply influencing the Roman Catholic and mainstream Protestant churches and are poised to make a big impact on global affairs. p>The poll released Thursday by the Washington-based Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that "spirit-filled" Christians, who speak in tongues and believe in healing through prayer, comprise at least 10 percent of the population in nine of the 10 surveyed countries.

The study also found that followers are more willing than previously thought to bring their traditional values into public debates, potentially shaping government policies in the years ahead.

The surveys were conducted over the spring and summer in Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, India, the Philippines, South Korea" /> Researchers polled both Pentecostals, who form their own denominations such as the Assemblies of God, and charismatics, who have adopted some Pentecostal beliefs but remain members of traditional Protestant and Catholic churches.

The survey estimated that Pentecostals and charismatics together comprise at least half the population of Brazil, Guatemala and Kenya, and 44 percent of the Philippines.

They make up about one-third of the population of South Africa and Chile and nearly one-quarter of Nigerians and U.S. residents. The figure for South Korea is smaller, at 11 percent. In India, the poll was limited to three states with large Christian populations, so a national estimate could not be made.

The study found Pentecostal beliefs have a strong hold in major churches in many countries.

In the traditionally Catholic nations of Brazil, Guatemala and the Philippines, charismatics are a larger share of the population than Pentecostals.

In six of the 10 countries, Pentecostals and charismatics together make up the majority of the overall Protestant population, according to the survey.

The Pentecostal movement, which began a century ago in Los Angeles, spread quickly overseas because of its adaptability to local cultures, whose indigenous beliefs often include healings and casting out of evil spirits, and because of the exuberance of its worship.

While Pentecostals and charismatics are known for speaking in tongues, the survey found respondents were more likely to say that they had personally witnessed or experienced other signs of the Holy Spirit, such as a healing through prayer or a direct revelation from God.

The majority of Pentecostals in every nation surveyed except South Korea and India believed religious groups should express their views on social and political issues. In seven of the 10 countries, 70 percent of charismatics agreed.

"These are folks for whom the world of spirit is remarkably alive ... but that in no way diminishes their commitment to social justice for the poor, for instance, or a role for government in meeting those needs," said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum.

The polls were conducted by phone in the U.S., and in person overseas, with margins of error ranging from plus or minus 4 percentage points to 9 percentage points for some subgroups.

The polls in Brazil, South Africa and South Korea focused on urban areas.

[RoseofTexas]

I'd rather walk into a Jesus freak house than a slaughter house where folk are constantly reminded to submit or be beheaded!!...ANYTIME!

[Lunatic Fringe]

I'd rather walk into a Jesus freak house than a slaughter house where folk are constantly reminded to submit or be beheaded!!

My choice is to avoid both at all costs.

[mugs99]

makes the boldface passages that which really frightens the mainstream.

Yes, some of us are old enough to remember the last "big impact on global affairs"...millions murdered.
.

[Not just another dumb blonde]

Being that I come from a conservative baptist background, I had the misfortune of belonging to a penecostal church when my family and I moved to n. ca.. I couldn't get past the fact that the pastor's wife wanted so bad for me to speak in my heavenly language. I thought that it would be more important to strive for love, but she was hung up on the speaking in tongues. There was a reason for that in Acts. They had many different tongues they had to preach to, and for that reason they spoke in tongues. They also believe you can lose your salvation, which I consistently opposed. When you accept Christ, truly accept Him, He bought you and you aren't your own any longer.

[right-wingin_It]

I've listened to some Pentacostal preachin'. While I like its livelyness and position on issues, its hard for me to listen to it when it turns anti-Catholic, as it does at times.

[Mr. Brightside]

Pentecostalism is the denomination within Christianity with the highest dropout rate.

If a church is growing, which most are not, there will be a LOT of "dropouts."

The reason most churches don't have many dropouts is because they never bring in anybody new.

[100-Fold_Return]

"Yes, some of us are old enough to remember the last "big impact on global affairs"...millions murdered."

?

[Old_Mil]

100 year fad?

It's been around for a hundred years, but hasn't been popular for much of that time. The TBN faith healers, prosperity preachers, and false prophets running around claiming false miracles are what has boosted interest.

[mugs99]

?
Germany. 1930s.
.

[Talking_Mouse]

Blessed be God and praise to His Holy Name. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

[metmom]

ping

[MissionMan]

The movement we would recognize as Pentacostalism began at the Azusa Street revival in 1906.

There are stories of specific Godly discernment throughout the life of the ancient church. Like men of God who would stand at the gates of the cities they lived in and God would speak to them about who to let in and who to keep out during the Black Plagues of the 1200-1300s.

Kenneth LatTourette wrote about a remnant or a thread of the movement of the Spirit of God throughout these last days.

[Radix]

If they ain't too busy compelling women to using oatmeal boxes for hair curlers, and harping on passages that are largely used for relegating women to the back of the ecclesiastical bus, then they might actually get taken serious by intelligent people some day.

Don't count on that happening anytime soon.

Many are doctrinally, rather scripturally correct, but in other ways, there is little distinction b/n them and the Taliban.

That is, they read the words, but do not heed them.

Repeating words is not exactly the same as understanding them and practicing what they mean.

[Radix]

"i heard that. bloody freakshow."

 

You seem unwilling to appreciate the metaphor.  I'd advise you to read more. Perhaps you might appreciate some time the psalms, and a whole lot more.

 

 

2 Samuel 6 :16....And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

 

...... 

 

2 Samuel 6 : 23....Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

 

 

Saul's Daughter Michal Watching David Dance Before the Ark

 

If you do not understand the metaphor(s), then perhaps a bit more reading might be in order.

[Blackirish]

OOOgA Bekuu ggugg!

[Celtman]

Fads run their course.

      Fad???  At the current rate of growth, Pentecostals/Charismatics will be the largest Christian category worldwide by the middle of century.

      The article (and many others) refer to charismatics as though the term applies to those who stay within other churches.  This is only partially correct.  Many charismatic churches (including some of the largest congregations is the US/world) prefer to call themselves non-denominational, rather than pentecostal.

      Obviously, the "dropout rate" is lower than the "dropin rate".

[Celtman]

The problem is that many Pentecostls cannot be even classified as Christians because of their views on the Trinity

      That applies to only a small fraction of Pentecostals/Charismatics.  99% are solidly Trinitarian.

[Quix]

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN1

PRAISE GOD AND PASS THE AMMUNITION!

This has been growing for several decades.

Certainly Joel was right!

DEAR LORD, PLEASE LEAD ALL OF US DEEPER INTO YOURSELF, into your heart; into your priorities. Give us all your passion for your priorities. Help us Love you utterly and wholey and others as ourselves. Help us to love what you love and hate what you hate. Create in us a new heart and a right spirit more and more completely day by day.

Dear Lord, this night, please send angelic assists to the uprising in Iran. Show your self mighty in behalf of all those of good heart and of all those who truly seek You and Your Truth, Oh Lord. IN Jesus' Name.

PING END TIMES/DREAMS/VISIONS/PROPHECY PING LIST

Please let me know if you want on or off the list.

[Quix]

Lord, God, may all the naysayers be confronted with your emphatic truths in such phenomena. Show yourself real in this era as in no other.

Help folks realize the priority of the moves of your Spirit in this closing age of history as we have known it.

Lord, you alone are mighty. You alone are Power and Might incarnate. LET GOD ARISE AND HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED.

Let all who mock Holy Spirit's true functions and operations be humbled by His Presence and His convicting power.

Let all who so glibly naysay find loved ones touched by the Holy Spirit in unmistakable, life-saving ways.

Let the naysayers be silenced in humility. If they stubbornly refuse humility, let them be silenced in humiliation.

In Jesus' Name.

[LowOiL]

I went to a Pentecostal service. More than once I felt I accidentally walked into a nuthouse.

Ditto, after the dancing started and went on and on and on, the preacher gave up and just went with the flow... The message was not given to the flock... Sorta defeated the purpose of teaching IMHO... Sorry... want some meat with my church service...