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Christianity isn't dying, cultural Christianity is

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Revmitchell, Oct 29, 2012.

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  1. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    NASHVILLE (BP) -- You've heard it suggested the United States is simply Europe on a 50 year delay. Supposedly most churches will be museums before our grandchildren reach adulthood.

    Though new numbers from Pew Research released this month point to a decline in American Protestants, no serious scholar believes Christianity in America is on a trajectory of extinction. And, as a Ph.D. researcher and practicing evangelical Christian, I say to those who've read recent reports and come to that conclusion, "Not so fast."

    You see, many in the U.S. who identify as Christian do so only superficially. These cultural Christians use the term but do not practice the faith. Now it seems many of them are giving up the Christian label, and those cultural or nominal Christians are becoming "nones," people with no religious label.


    http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=38981
     
    #1 Revmitchell, Oct 29, 2012
  2. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    The biggest problem in Christianity today is not the church itself or how people do church but disgruntled Christians who, when they do not like what is going on, look to polls and surveys that include "cultural Christians" who have no real faith to support any assertion they are trying to make in order to condemn what they do not like.
     
    #2 Revmitchell, Oct 29, 2012
  3. nodak

    nodak Active Member
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    Actually, I think the coming die off of some churches may be due to some good things happening in the church and to the trend to decentralization.

    Christendom can die off quickly for all I care, but that doesn't affect the real church which is composed of the saved. Sooner the unsaved quit playing church the better!

    As to decentralization, we already see it in education as more and more people get their learning on line or through distance learning and seminars, etc. The church is going to have to adapt to the information age.

    People used to have no source of live music in their village save the church. Only the drs, lawyers, and preachers could read. Add in a rural lifestyle amenable to the "once a week observance" and blue laws and church as we know it flourished.

    People's schedules today are all over the place. We have almost unlimited choices in well performed music. I can sit at my computer and listen to a sermon from some obsure church in Iowa if I so choose.

    The information getting part of church is just going to have to adapt to a tech savvy, most literate culture with wild schedules to survive.

    I have no predictions what church will be in 50 years if the Lord tarries, but whatever it looks like it will probably be very different from today, and He will be Lord.
     
    #3 nodak, Oct 29, 2012
  4. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Thats your opinion right? Anyway, my opinion would differ from yours.
     
    #4 Earth Wind and Fire, Oct 29, 2012
  5. mont974x4

    mont974x4 New Member

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    Could be God trimming the fat. You know the Church should be a lean mean praying machine. Tough days are ahead and the Church must be prepared.
     
    #5 mont974x4, Oct 29, 2012
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