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Losing their religion: Why US churches are on the decline; As the US adjusts to an increasingly non-religious population, thousands of churches are closing each year
The Guardian ^ | 01/31/023 | Adam Gabbatt

Posted on 01/31/2023 6:54:43 AM PST by SeekAndFind

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To: srmanuel

Very true. When religions cease to be counter cultural, that is to actively oppose on a firm moral basis, the neo pagan, hedonistic, decadence that the popular and political culture embraces, then rational and decent people no longer look to religion as a moral bastion and guide. There is a “Battle of Gettysburg” now occurring within the Catholic Church. The current pope aid by his agnostic, largely homosexual Jesuits and other perverts within the hierarchy are in a death struggle with traditional believers. Who wins this battle will not only determine the future of the Church but the future of Western culture.


21 posted on 01/31/2023 7:26:13 AM PST by allendale
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To: shadowlands1960
Most churches have gone ‘woke’ from what I can tell. They are hardly recognizable as Christian institutions anymore... especially the old establishment mainline churches.

Commie/progressives took over school boards too... AND non-profits. I;st the same people - we either fight to keep our culture or we hand it over to George Soros and his minions...

22 posted on 01/31/2023 7:27:12 AM PST by GOPJ ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muw22wTePqQ Gumballs: Immigrants by the numbers.)
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To: All

Too many Churches tell you the same thing that you can hear on television . Why would anyone go?
And let’s be honest : half the country is morbidly obese , addicted to anti depression medication , pain killers , gambling and online pornography. They made their choice to turn away from religion a long time ago.
A man has many masters as he has vices and the goverment realized it’s easier to control the population if they promote immorality


23 posted on 01/31/2023 7:27:22 AM PST by escapefromboston (Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.)
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To: All

Anyone looking for a church with sound, solid, rich, verse-by-verse teaching of the Bible (video, audio, written transcripts, live-streaming, etc.), all freely accessible online, try:

West Houston Bible Church
Dr. Robert L. Dean

About the pastor: https://www.deanbible.org/dr-robert-dean
Live-stream: https://www.deanbible.org/live
Free Bible classes (archives) : https://www.deanbible.org/bible-studies
Doctrinal statement: https://www.deanbible.org/doctrinal-statement
Home page: https://www.deanbible.org/

Sugar Land Bible Church
Dr. Andy Woods

About the pastor: https://slbc.org/about/pastoral-staff/
Live-stream: https://slbc.org/media/watch-live/
Free Bible classes (archives) : https://slbc.org/media/sermon-archives/
Doctrinal statement: https://slbc.org/about/statement-of-beliefs/
Home page: https://slbc.org/


24 posted on 01/31/2023 7:27:36 AM PST by onthelookout777
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To: ottbmare

That may be true, but I find non-denom to be childish and unfulfilling pablum.

In fact, many of the people who embrace today’s garbage fully embrace these churches. They like it because there is lots of rock music and it’s “fun”, like a concert. They’re told simplistic things such as “love” with little discussion of biblical teachings to guide people in how they live, which IS important (look at our society). They are most often not at all pious in every-day life, not at all. They continue to embrace modern hedonistic sinful ways. That does not bespeak “religious”.


25 posted on 01/31/2023 7:28:16 AM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DM)
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To: the OlLine Rebel

I’m sure there are fewer “religious” people.

BUT, the churches are less “religious”, too.


Nothing new. There has only ever been a remnant.

This is just revealing what is. Hearts are being revealed.

The question is for each of us. Are we a part of the remnant?


26 posted on 01/31/2023 7:29:13 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: SeekAndFind

I always post John 3:8 but arrogant pastors would rather lose their congregants than listen to the word of God:

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

When the spirit of God moves the church must follow just like the fire by night in the days of Moses.


27 posted on 01/31/2023 7:29:30 AM PST by Karliner (Heb 4:12 Rom 8:28 Rev 3, "...This is the end of the beginning." Churchill)
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To: imabadboy99

The lack of Church attendance is exactly what the New World Order/One World Gov’t need to destroy the Sovereignty of the USA. Religion is the last stopgap to Socialism in the USA and Worldwide.


28 posted on 01/31/2023 7:29:42 AM PST by chopperk ( )
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To: SeekAndFind

Franco Harris the NFL great used to be known for a particular catch he made.
It was called the Immaculate Reception.

I would bet money that the majority of football fans under the age of 40 would need to ask their fathers where that phrase came from? “What does “immaculate reception” mean? It was a clean catch?”

Wiser fans already know it was borrowed from the Bible story of how Mary became ‘with child’ even though she was still a virgin. Most young people would never have the opportunity to learn these stories and proverbs unless the parents made sure they were exposed to such literature early in life.


29 posted on 01/31/2023 7:31:42 AM PST by lee martell (.)
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To: entropy12
Same thing happening in all other major religions. Except Islam. In another 100 years the whole world will live under sharia if the trend continues.

I have to give credit to Islam for that. Only a few faiths are that disciplined. Maybe the Amish, Mormons and the Orthodox Jews.

30 posted on 01/31/2023 7:33:42 AM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: T.B. Yoits

[The congregants didn’t leave the churches, the churches left them.
At a time of a global “pandemic”, people turned to their church only to be told; “We’re an extension of government. Stay home. Put on a mask. Take an experimental jab.”]

As insightful a comment as has ever been posted to FR. Thank you. Far too many “pastors” bloviated that going along with the Leviathan was proof of “loving your neighbor.” Hogwash. It is never loving to accede to a lie, and compounding this by kneeling before Fauci was the death knell for many “churches.”


31 posted on 01/31/2023 7:36:16 AM PST by crusher (GREEN: Globaloney for the Gullible)
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To: SeekAndFind

Decline is a choice - this is true for nations, and it’s also true for religions.


32 posted on 01/31/2023 7:41:13 AM PST by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: ottbmare

The Traditine Catholic Parishes are bursting at the seams too..sometime hard to find a seat.

Of course the Pope on a Rope is upset by this as these Parishes are conservative and very traditional. He is trying to squash it.


33 posted on 01/31/2023 7:42:38 AM PST by FreshPrince
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To: SeekAndFind

A thought.

The NEW COVENANT is a PERSONAL relationship with God, not an INSTITUTIONAL relationship like the old.

Get your Bibles out and God says very, clearly what God says about the NEW Covenant.

Hint for those with Bibles:

Jer 31:33

and it is also in Hebrews.


34 posted on 01/31/2023 7:42:48 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: entropy12
Same thing happening in all other major religions. Except Islam.

I doubt there has been any major decline in the Hindu and Buddhist faiths in their traditional geographical strongholds. The decline in Christianity has far more to do with the culture and society of the West than it does with worldwide religious faith.
35 posted on 01/31/2023 7:44:43 AM PST by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: imabadboy99

Exactly!
This is the “story” the gay community is using on church leadership.
“We are loosing membership because we are not diversified”
In reality, the church is loosing members because members no longer need the church leadership.

I gave up listing to any of their “advice” when my pastor told me I should become a missionary.
I told him he was a moron and went into engineering.


36 posted on 01/31/2023 7:49:14 AM PST by Zathras
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To: imabadboy99
America is God's second chosen people.

Satan has been after us from the beginning.

The public school system intentionally prevented American children from becoming American in heart.

The invasion is a cake walk.

37 posted on 01/31/2023 7:54:09 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true . . . I have no proof, but they're true.)
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To: YouGoTexasGirl

Do what works for you but your response is one of the reasons why people turn away from religion, IMO there is no perfect way to worship god so long as you do and telling people what they are doing is incorrect is condescending


38 posted on 01/31/2023 8:07:49 AM PST by srmanuel (t)
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To: SeekAndFind

I have been spending a lot of time with people in their 20’s and 30’s lately, socially. My son got married and my other son and his wife are expecting, so we have been to more gatherings of their friends than usual.

Both of my boys are on the conservative side of things. My youngest is in the police academy and is a very conservative Christian. My eldest is a little less conservative.

At the wedding of my younger son I was pleasantly surprised to find most of his friends to be conservative, church going, level-headed young adults. Even among this group almost everyone was tattooed and pierced. Heavy sigh. It was interesting, however, when it came to COVID, there was a definite split in opinion. Some otherwise conservatives suddenly became fearful sheep and almost bragged about the number of shots they had received while others boasted about how they stood up to their employers and refused to take the clot shot. They attend church fairly regularly, but not every week. The biggest excuse for not going to church seems to be work. There were some who were in real estate who need to show houses on Sunday, others who are low on the totem pole in retail and get stuck working Sundays. They seemed to blame their employers for being open on Sunday as to why they couldn’t attend church. There was a lot of discussion as to how great their small groups were as opposed to the actual worship services on Sunday and how much more they get out of those.

It was worse among my older son’s friends. He married a Mormon girl and they “compromised” by not really attending either one’s church regularly. He still reads the Bible and we discuss such matters, but he does not attend any church. His friends are mostly from work and he works in elevator service and installation. These are blue collar, union member guys. On one hand, they seem sort of conservative, but then it goes off into la la land. They believe in the 2nd Amendment. They believe in closing the border. They also believe we should raise taxes on the rich, give free education through college to everyone and provide free healthcare to everyone. Student loan debt should be forgiven and that should be paid for by “the billionaires”. They aren’t too keen on gay or trans rights, but they also think women should have the right to an abortion. As for church going, about 80% of them were Catholic, but few of those attend regularly. They seem to feel that the church is a bunch of old people with old ideas that don’t address the issues facing the world today.


39 posted on 01/31/2023 8:13:36 AM PST by Crusher138 ("Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just")
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

I was born a Hindu and have not visited a temple in decades.
Hinduism was never as organized as Christian churches. We older Hindu’s pray only at home. The younger Hindu’s are too busy making money in growing economy in India to spend time in temples.

Buddhism’s is on the way down due to communist countries obsession of repealing religion, such as China, Myanmar, old North Vietnam, etc. Indonesia and Malaysia are already majority Muslim.


40 posted on 01/31/2023 8:15:07 AM PST by entropy12 (Food is most popular anxiety drug, exercise is the least popular.)
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