[Biggirl]

Goes to show that Christianity is going to the four corners of the world.

[LoveUSA]

Read the post hoping to read substantiation for the "Christianity is on the rise" premise because, frankly, I fear that it is Islam that is growing geometrically.

Nothing here demonstrated support for the Christianity's growth. The essay - to quote its own words - is wishful thinking.

Color me disappointed....

[Liberty1970]

Likewise historians have determined that the Spanish Inquisition was “a quite temperate body that was responsible for very few deaths and saved a great many lives by opposing the witch hunts that swept through the rest of Europe.”

Nice article, and I like how it pokes some holes in some atheistic myths. Like the Inquisition, which only had professing Christians within its scope of operation. Too few people understand that it basically reigned in the more lawless and unjust secular proceedings that were going on at the time. As a Protestant I'm not remotely positive about it, but the notion that non-Christians were hunted by it, or that it operated in a generally unjust manner, are historical fabrications.

[Alex Murphy]

Perhaps the greatest surprise was the damage done by Constantine who, having made it the religion of his empire, gave rise to an indolent and hypocritical Church hierarchy initially composed of Roman aristocracy. It fostered a clergy who were ignorant of the faith and indifferent to its mission. Not until the Reformation was competition introduced, forcing the Church to return to piety, as various Protestant sects emerged, and energized Christianity in the process.

Ping for later

[FatherofFive]

Not until the Reformation was competition introduced, forcing the Church to return to piety, as various Protestant sects emerged, and energized Christianity in the process.

BS. Much of the ‘reformation’ was to seize Church lands, resources and power.

We know from Scripture that the basic premise of “Protestantism” cannot be true:

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Mat 6:18

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” John 16:12-13

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” 1Tim 3:15

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Mat 28:18-20

Fortunately, we have Christ’s promise that heresies will never prevail against the Church. They will arise, endure sometimes for centuries, like Protestantism, but we can be confident in Christ’s promise that the Church He established will always teach the Truth.

The Church is to be one, not many.

“I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 1Cor 1:10-17

You could easily read the above as “One of you says, "I follow Luther"; another, "I follow Calvin"; another, "I follow Wesley"; still another, "I follow Christ."

Christians cannot be “perfectly united in mind and thought” when they have different beliefs on, say, the necessity of water baptism, while others believe “This is my Body” means “This is a cookie”

[bkopto]

More than forty percent of the people on Earth today are Christians and their number is growing more rapidly than that of any other major faith.

From Daniel 2:35:

Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.

[D-fendr]

This is good news, but this part:

“...the damage done by Constantine who, having made it the religion of his empire..”

I think is way wrong.

Among other things this gave emphasis to a truly catholic, one, faith. And without that, Christianity would have splintered into several pieces before the 4th Century. And, the great evangelism of Europe after the fall of Rome would have been much less likely.

It’s truly a miracle how the faith survived and thrived, and this was a key part of it.

[narses]

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