Posted on 06/08/2015 8:37:40 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Tear down that cross and toss it in the wood chipper because the American church is toast. So goes conventional wisdom after recent revelations from the Pew Research Center, which found that in just 7 years, the percentage of Christians in the United States dropped nearly 8 points.
The news was met with uncontrolled fits of glee from liberal publications like Salon, where author Patricia Miller gloated that the benefits from the decline of Christianity would be, “huge.” No doubt the scores of natural disaster victims around the globe who have profited from all the atheist relief trucks rolling in would agree.
But far more annoying than the juvenile taunts of clueless journalists were the myriad of suggestions that poured in from “Christian” thinkers as to how to right the ship, or Ark if you prefer.
The most common refrain echoed repeatedly in both religious and mainstream media was that the church desperately needed to become culturally “relevant” to survive. For some, that term merely implies ministers in jeans and fog machines. I have my own preferences in that regard, but they are just that -- preferences. My serious objection is reserved for those who intend the cry for “relevance” in a substantive rather than superficial manner. These are the voices calling to deliberately neuter the confrontational truth of Christianity to compromise with the spirit of the age.
Take the recent Washington Post op-ed by Rachel Held Evans. Evans pinpoints what she sees as the real problem when she chastises Christianity for being too “judgmental” and “exclusive.” In other words, she yearns for a church more open-minded and inclusive of alternative ideas, beliefs and lifestyles.
I suppose there is some merit to what she is saying if the sole purpose of the church is to fill seats on Sunday mornings.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
One day, some day Rachel will find out how wrong she has been. Satan has blinded her.
The Church trying to be relevant is what is causing the decline. I do not want to receive mans word to follow I want to receive God’s word to follow
Our work does nothing but intensify.
My niece attended a UU church shortly after arriving here in the South. At first she loved it and the people. One day when we were discussing her church, she mentioned that there was talk in the church about how they got lots of visitors but fewer and fewer joiners. A few months later she hardly spoke of her church and when I asked how things were going she said there was dissension in the church. The new (female) pastor was great in her opinion, but several regular members were grumbling that she “preached” too much. A few months later she stopped going there altogether. It’s a flaky church with very prickly and demanding people.
With moronic smiles and repeated empty platitudes.
So I guess Christians-the real ones-can expect they will outlive the modern pagans. I do think there is truth in that idea, because modern pagans are contracepting and aborting themselves into oblivion. Divorce, homosexuality and fatal STD’s are clipping the population at an outrageous rate. Marijuana also decreases fertility and has other long term effects that would decrease the population.
Good article.
Christian morality is probably at bottom no harder than keeping one’s weight at, say, no more than 20lbs above f what it was at age 18. We see how that works. Spiritually most of us whits the scales at about 300. Sure does rock the boat, especially in heavy seas. No wonder we want to keep the numbers down.
In HS I had a Unitarian friend ..(before the merger) ..I used to go to "youth group" with her and even on a 3 day "retreat"
Two things stuck out to me...their "worship service " was secular ...reading Shakespeare, or Gandhi or some other "mystic " or poet ...all the music was secular ... no prayer
The second thing I remember they mocked other churches.. .this open minded , liberal "church" invited an RC priest to speak on Catholicism.. At that time I was RC... when I happened to walk into the hall they were mocking that guest
These are people that want church without God and salvation just because
**The second thing I remember they mocked other churches.. .this open minded , liberal “church” invited an RC priest to speak on Catholicism.. At that time I was RC... when I happened to walk into the hall they were mocking that guest**
Did you pick up a habit of mocking the Catholic Church from that experience?
Where did you pick up your skill on launching personal attacks?
I hope I cause readers to think ...
Even though the Catholic Church may be losing members in some locations, I don’t think that, overall, it is as this article says “Committing Suicide.”
I asked her a question, that’s all.
Most would much rather fight one another than try to bring what's now a horde of anti-Christian jerks in society to Christ.
My niece loved the structureless structure of the UU church. All happy and sweet and no rules - no judgment - or so it seemed. But this lady pastor that she liked told little stories that my niece enjoyed and they left her with a happy feeling each Sunday. Some of the music was slightly religious and many of the people were professionals (doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers). She fit right in as a hospice nurse. But this bickering over the pastor’s preachiness really turned her off. The church had a facebook page and people would go on there and complain and argue. Hateful. Not that it doesn’t happen in regular churches - it does. But the belief that being “nonjudgmental” is always better is naive.
Psalm 14
For the director of music. Of David.
1
The fool[a] says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2
The Lord looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3
All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
4
Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on the Lord.
5
But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6
You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is their refuge.
7
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
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