[raynearhood]

Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it.

[raynearhood]

Very interesting article.

[RegulatorCountry]

This author is not exactly an unbiased observer. He has his own blog, called “NetMonk” or some such. He’s Catholic.

[Colonel Kangaroo]

I feel sorry for kids for having to take what’s shoveled at them in the name of religious training. All feelings and emotion and no emphasis on scholarship and learning to search the scriptures for themselves. Kids are smarter than many adults seem to think.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

I think I read about how this was supposed to happen 10 years ago, too.

[jettester]

So, let’s see. You want me to seriously consider an article critical of evangelical Chrisitanity from a source that is a cult, critical of evangelical Christianity?

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Aggressively evangelistic fundamentalist churches will begin to disappear.

Odd statement, considering that these churches are actually growing. To give some examples, my church (which fits this category) is growing slowly but steadily, even though we're in liberal Orange Co. NC. The daughter church we started in Northern Wake Co. is flourishing, and a church we fellowship with up in a very liberal part of Maine that was planted just a few years ago has also seen exceptional growth. Most of this growth is from new converts, not "personnel shifting."

It's interesting, but there are many, many doctrinally strong fundamental churches in the North - Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine - they're all over, and continue to spread.

[DJ MacWoW]

Bunk. Home churches are springing up where I live. The main protestant denominations have left Biblical interpretation and they are responsible for home churches growing. Evangelicals are simply moving away from denominations.

[schu]

Ping for later

[two23]

The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ is more powerful than what any one man can presume.

[Brookhaven]

The author is confusing protestants and evangelicals.

No, we’re aready well into a mainstream PROTESTANT collapse. The major protestant denomiantions (Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Luthern, etc...) have been shrinking for a long time due to straying from the Bible.

Those Bible-thumping, fundamentalists evangelicals that insist that the Bible is actually the word of God and should be followed are doing just fine.

Evangelical is a nice way of saying fundamentalist. NONE of the major protestant denominations are evangelical/fundamentalist.

[DManA]

Amazingly arrogant to try to predict how the Holy Spirit is going to move next.

[American_Centurion]

It’s really because PARENTS rely on the church to teach their children THEIR faith.

I’ve been guilty of it, I am now on a path to correct that. Luckily my 16 year old is well grounded in faith, as are my two boys 10 and 5. I will not however continue to rely on OTHERS to teach my children what I know they need to know. Nightly family bible study solves this.

[x_plus_one]

Someone should spearhead a drive to setup parochial schools for evangelical kids...

[iowamark]

In the "Protestant" 20th century, Evangelicals flourished. But they will soon be living in a very secular and religiously antagonistic 21st century.

This collapse will herald the arrival of an anti-Christian chapter of the post-Christian West. Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become hostile toward evangelical Christianity, seeing it as the opponent of the common good.

Quite correct about the future persecutions being planned by the Obamists.

[greyfoxx39]

Ping

[svcw]

I would agree the so called “mainline” will probably collapse. But the non denominational Spirit filled Biblical New Testament models will thrive.

I believe young people are tired of religiosity and want Bible based Spirit filled relationship gathering together of Christians who don't worry about big buildings and fancy clothes but Christians who get in the dirt and do something for the Kingdom.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Christian Science Monitor writing about...... Christians???

Right!

[Elsie]

Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it.

AMEN!!

But we ALSO have a lot of OLDER Christians that are in the same boat; but they are complaining about the 'music'!

[wmfights]

We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it.

Some see the glass half empty others see it half full.

I remember another thread where Baptist missionaries have been planting fundamentalist churches in Vermont where The Gospel is preached. These churches are growing. IOW, when The Gospel is preached "itching ears" will come. The end of the marketing age in the church will not mean the end of the church.

[Lee N. Field]

You might want to give a listen to Phil Johnson's Shepherd's Conference talk "What is an Evangelical?.

He wants to be called a "paleo-evangelical" -- a sola scriptura, sola fide evangelical. That title I can live with.