Most of the masses at my church have to have people standing in the back. We sit over 400 and all the pews are usually filled. We are currently saving up to build on.
I'm Methodist so attending church has about the same spiritual significance as watching American Idle these days.
Three items in the survey especially alarmed me. They are
64% contend that Satan is not a living being but is just a symbol of evil.
62% believe that a good person can earn eternal salvation.
51% believe that Jesus Christ sinned while He lived on earth.
I do not think it is a coincidence that the unchurched believe this. Awareness of the reality of evil and the existence of Satan remind Christians of the need for Jesus and our being part of His body. There is strength in numbers. In the words of John Donne " No man is an Island"
As for being able to earn salvation. If that is true what need than do we have for grace? Or the need to worship and praise God for the grace so freely given. If my Salvation is in my hands I sure do not need any community to support and sustain me in my walk with Christ.
If Jesus sinned, he sure as heck can not be God. Why go to church to worship someone who is just a good man. A superior moral teacher and loving friend yes. But God no.
I can worship my other heroes at home by myself. Why not this Jesus guy?
The Truth is that the we are meant to worship and praise God as a community. For we are called the Body of Christ for a reason.
Of all the thousands of verses in the Bible, not a single one reads, "Go to church."
29% of 34% is almost 10% of the US Population, or 30 million people.
This implies we've lost 33% of the total Catholic population, which should be in the 90-100 million range (to say nothing of another 50% of the Catholic population that rarely attends Mass). Think of the influence we Catholics should have were we really 100 million strong and united and faithful.
"And seeing the multitudes, he had compassion on them: because they were distressed, and lying like sheep that have no shepherd. Then he saith to his disciples, The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth labourers into his harvest." (St. Matthew 9.36-38)
"Do you not say, There are yet four months, and then the harvest cometh? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and see the countries; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life everlasting: that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth, may rejoice together." (St. John 4.35-36)
Ora et labora!
"We can speak only with a heavy heart of so few laborers for such a great harvest, for although there are many to hear the good news there are only a few to preach it." (St. Gregory the Great)
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BTTT
I've known a few "born agains" who said that church is only for hypocrites.
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I'm not surprised that a large number of that 'unchurched' group is young unmarried adults. Folks will sometimes drift away from attending church when they're in college, or if they've moved away from their families. When they start having kids, they start thinking again in terms of church and a solid moral foundation for them.