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Location: In a little house on the prairie - literally
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A very interesting discussion of why there supposedly majority of Americans who call themselves "Christian" are only that way nominally or through culture. He suggested only 25% of Americans are religious Christians and are so by conviction, and that total will continue to decline.
Particularly he discusses that the impact on American culture will dissipate. Left unsaid was the influence on public policy.
I view this as a very positive development, as long as there is no corresponding rise in any other Abrahamic religion.
I graduated from a Christian high school in 2008. Of my graduating class, I'd estimate, based on Facebook and real-life interaction, that 30% are still Christians, 20% are openly non-Christian and the remaining 50% are seemingly indifferent (don't go to church except when they visit their parents; figure it's better to continue identifying as a Christian so they don't become alienated from their Christian friends and family; are privately skeptical or uncaring; etc.). As soon as people leave the Christian bubble that they were pressured into by their parents, their "Faith" tends to just fizzle out. Oftentimes they become resentful of their Christian upbringing. It's kinda sad.
I graduated from a Christian high school in 2008. Of my graduating class, I'd estimate, based on Facebook and real-life interaction, that 30% are still Christians, 20% are openly non-Christian and the remaining 50% are seemingly indifferent (don't go to church except when they visit their parents; figure it's better to continue identifying as a Christian so they don't become alienated from their Christian friends and family; are privately skeptical or uncaring; etc.). As soon as people leave the Christian bubble that they were pressured into by their parents, their "Faith" tends to just fizzle out. Oftentimes they become resentful of their Christian upbringing. It's kinda sad.
Just because someone attends a Christian school does not necessary mean they are Christian. After all Christian schools accept people from other faiths and I hear Muslims, Jews and other non Christians go to them.
In addition I like to point just because someone is at church does not mean they are Christian as well.
Location: Sitting on a bar stool. Guinness in hand.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cupper3
A very interesting discussion of why there supposedly majority of Americans who call themselves "Christian" are only that way nominally or through culture. He suggested only 25% of Americans are religious Christians and are so by conviction, and that total will continue to decline.
Particularly he discusses that the impact on American culture will dissipate. Left unsaid was the influence on public policy.
I view this as a very positive development, as long as there is no corresponding rise in any other Abrahamic religion.
I honestly don't think overall that America is one giant monocultural country. And if anything the demographic shift from a majority white to a majority minority country will have much, much larger impact. I don't think Christianity and it's possible decline will have remotely the same level of impact from my pov.
And if anything the demographic shift from a majority white to a majority minority country will have much, much larger impact. I don't think Christianity and it's possible decline will have remotely the same level of impact from my pov.
Hello baystarter.
I disagree, especially if you look at those growing minority demographics...Latin Americans (historically Roman Catholic) and African Americans (historically various forms of Protestantism). Although America contains a variety sub-cultures, Christianity runs strongly though many of them.
I graduated from a Christian high school in 2008. Of my graduating class, I'd estimate, based on Facebook and real-life interaction, that 30% are still Christians, 20% are openly non-Christian and the remaining 50% are seemingly indifferent (don't go to church except when they visit their parents; figure it's better to continue identifying as a Christian so they don't become alienated from their Christian friends and family; are privately skeptical or uncaring; etc.). As soon as people leave the Christian bubble that they were pressured into by their parents, their "Faith" tends to just fizzle out. Oftentimes they become resentful of their Christian upbringing. It's kinda sad.
This is interesting. In some ways I am resentful of my Christian upbringing. In other ways I miss the comfort that it brings.
All in all I just try and realize that the basis of my Christian upbringing is founded on a set of falsehoods that have nothing to do with the original question of "who/what made all of this and what happens what happens when we die?"
I mean we went from that question to..............................
angels rebelling in heaven, to the concept of original sin, to blood sacrifices, to holy books,to Jewish zombies, to sequels of holy books, and now we have Jews waiting for the so called Messiah to come and the Christians waiting for the Messiah (that the Jews dismiss) to return. And this list of crazy goes on and on.
I realize now that I will never know how we got here and what happens when we die. And when I do die, I probably still won't know because I will not exist as a sentient being any longer.
I suppose there is that "outside" chance that the Christian tale is true, but IMO that is highly unlikely considering that just about every other culture in pre bronze age culture came up with their own stories that are just as imaginary. We just got stuck with this one due to Constantine and the subsequent evolution of power in Europe.
The point this pastor is missing, through the blindness of his zeal, is that there is nothing in the Christian Faith that directs the faithful to a civil behavior which is any better than the morality that is observed by practitioners of any of the non-Christian faiths, nor those with no religious faith at all.
Walk down the street in any heathen country, and you will be treated with exactly the same upstanding moral propriety that you would find in any southern Denny's at Sunday brunch. Morality and common decency are universal, "nominally through culture", irrespective of our pastor's bible-thumping. The veneer of Christian Faith that overlays the morality of human culture is of no importance. If anything, it erodes morality by fostering discriminatory faith-labeled judgmentalism among the citizenry, a-la the OP's pastor..
By the way, is Ed Stetzer a Pastor? Where in the blog does it identify him as such?
The point this pastor is missing, through the blindness of his zeal, is that there is nothing in the Christian Faith that directs the faithful to a civil behavior which is any better than the morality that is observed by practitioners of any of the non-Christian faiths, nor those with no religious faith at all.
Walk down the street in any heathen country, and you will be treated with exactly the same upstanding moral propriety that you would find in any southern Denny's at Sunday brunch. Morality and common decency are universal, "nominally through culture", irrespective of our pastor's bible-thumping. The veneer of Christian Faith that overlays the morality of human culture is of no importance. If anything, it erodes morality by fostering discriminatory faith-labeled judgmentalism among the citizenry, a-la the OP's pastor..
By the way, is Ed Stetzer a Pastor? Where in the blog does it identify him as such?
Yeah, it's worse than he even realizes it is, Christianity has got nothing useful on offer and people are starting to realize that. Where he's wrong is that the surviving churches will be "stronger" and "more considered" in their actions. They will simply be more isolationist / obstinate and militant. And irrelevant.
Yeah, it's worse than he even realizes it is, Christianity has got nothing useful on offer and people are starting to realize that. Where he's wrong is that the surviving churches will be "stronger" and "more considered" in their actions. They will simply be more isolationist / obstinate and militant. And irrelevant.
You do realize that Christian churches are at the forefront of providing for the needs of people in times of tragedy, right?
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