On the other side of the theological divide, most conservative denominations are growing. The conservative Presbyterian Church in America [PCA] grew 42.4 percent.....
So much for Calvinist Churches not growing.
This is for sure happening in Judaism as well. Congregations that don't answer the hard questions and give a half-assed version of the bible are simply being abandoned. Why should the congregants stay if religion is just about "being a good person"? Can't you be a "good person" without going to church/synagogue or studying the bible? That's my narrow view of what's happening.
I wonder why there is no mention of the Catholic Church...
Liberals are like locusts, they destroy everything in their wake.
"Mainline Protestantism will reach a certain point where it will appeal only to Wiccans, vegetarians, sandal-wearers, and people who play the recorder. No one will feel at home there if they believe in God."
LOL... that's a perfect description of what's happened to reform judaism. He's absolutely right that the same thing is happening in liberal protestant congregations. What's the point of a church that doesn't believe in G-d?
It could not be otherwise. Over time, God will send those who are seeking Him to churches where He is proclaimed. Liberals have taken over nearly every major Protestant denomination over the last 100 years. Not coincidentally these denominations started losing members to Southern Baptists, Bible Churches, Assembly of God and independent charismatics. No denomination is perfect and all have flaws, but those that hold the word of God in high esteem and seek God through faith will find open hearts.
Liberals never take over denominations and lead them to new heights of evangelism, discipleship and works of service. They take over denominations and run them into the ground.
Aren't those two groups one and the same?
and the funny thing is, the liberals are claiming that people are pouring out of The Catholic church and other orthodox churches and into theirs.
***In its place is a church that preaches a message Shiflett summarizes as this: "God is love...***
No, they preach "Love is god."
Sheep do not eat bull$hit and they don't follow shepherds who are leading them over a cliff.
They follow shepherds who will feed them whole grain truth milled in the "Faith-of-Our-Fathers' Milling, Co. Their motto: "We separate the Wheat from the chaff."
On the other side of the theological divide, most conservative denominations are growing. The conservative Presbyterian Church in America [PCA] grew 42.4 percent.....
So much for Calvinist Churches not growing.
Thank you for the post. To me, it just exemplifies what is written in Rev. 2 and 3 (the messages to the seven churches). The messages in the letters (which copies of all seven letters were sent to each church) are to (1) the local church (2) all churches in all time as tests by which they may discern their true spiritual state in the sight of God (3) personal "he who has an ear to hear", and (4) prophetic, disclosing the phases in the spiritual history of the church. The last letter, to the Laodicians, show the church in its final state of apostasy. No wonder true believers are leaving the liberal churches!
"Mainline Protestantism will reach a certain point where it will appeal only to Wiccans, vegetarians, sandal-wearers, and people who play the recorder...."
LOL! Thanks for posting this, it really is a good review. Shifflet is also a good writer, I've always enjoyed reading his stuff. This might definately be one to put in the old Amazon shopping cart!
I think that the churches that stand for something treat the human person with dignity. They don't talk down to him/her, making things easy because of a 'poor little person, he/she just couldn't hack it otherwise' mentality.
God dignifies us with difficult challenges, assuring us all the while that "underneath are the everlasting arms" to catch us when we inevitably trip up.
Churches experiencing the exodus do so because of their lack of respect for the human person,
That is patent nonsense, of course, but this is what passes for theological argument among those pushing the homosexual agenda.
It is also almost verbatim out of the ELCA's "Journey Together Faithfully" study of homosexuality, about which they blatantly ignored member feedback.
Ping for later reading
Ping.
Also there are a number of posts on the UCC church synod now meeting. I wonder if some of the UCC proposals are going to be at the DoC General meeting?
Many of these people are not atheists but neo-platonists, or something like it. They make Augustine's choice in reverse.