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Back in the day, it was the norm to attend church or Synagogue. Societal pressure dictated it so. Reasons to attend worship not only included a desire to worship God, but for some, to make social and business connections. Decent people attended church or Synagogue.
As a result you had a number of people who attended, not because the wanted to, but because they were expected to. By 2000, society changed and social pressures shifted. No longer was it expected that all decent people attend worship. So many left the church, because, while they still believed, they saw no want for organized religion. Besides, it felt better to sleep in on a Sunday morning.
So the people who really didn’t care to attend left, leaving those who did care to attend still there. In my opinion, the dead wood left, leaving the congregation smaller, but healthier.
Back in the day, it was the norm to attend church or Synagogue. Societal pressure dictated it so. Reasons to attend worship not only included a desire to worship God, but for some, to make social and business connections. Decent people attended church or Synagogue.
As a result you had a number of people who attended, not because the wanted to, but because they were expected to. By 2000, society changed and social pressures shifted. No longer was it expected that all decent people attend worship. So many left the church, because, while they still believed, they saw no want for organized religion. Besides, it felt better to sleep in on a Sunday morning.
So the people who really didn’t care to attend left, leaving those who did care to attend still there. In my opinion, the dead wood left, leaving the congregation smaller, but healthier.
Well okay...but that still means that church attendance is way down.
And I guess what you're saying is that -- in a sense -- it always was a mirage.
The OP is right, many of us never bought into religion and only went to church because our parents dragged us there on Sundays. There were 9 of us kids raised Catholic, of those currently one still goes to church, and even my mother (now 92) hasn't gone in probably 30 years. For me Sunday mass was torture, with the sickening smells of the perfume the women wore, and having to wear a tie.
Church was boring and getting dressed up was no fun.... but even worse was having to put up with some of the people there. If a guy was a deacon or an elder there was about a 50% chance he was a pompous arrogant jerk... for Jesus of course.
Church was boring and getting dressed up was no fun.... but even worse was having to put up with some of the people there. If a guy was a deacon or an elder there was about a 50% chance he was a pompous arrogant jerk... for Jesus of course.
I'm not doubting your experience, but I didn't find that to be true in the Methodist church I was dragged to every Sunday.
Well okay...but that still means that church attendance is way down.
And I guess what you're saying is that -- in a sense -- it always was a mirage.
But bear in mind, church attendance and belief in God and/or Christ are not 100% related. What we have is people who don’t care for organized religion.
And presently the major cause of lower church attendance is Covid, not loss of belief. So it is in my town.
But bear in mind, church attendance and belief in God and/or Christ are not 100% related. What we have is people who don’t care for organized religion.
And presently the major cause of lower church attendance is Covid, not loss of belief. So it is in my town.
Maybe you need to keep in mind what the premise of the thread is -- the reason that church attendance is down.
How religious christians are is another topic. Perhaps you'd like to start a thread about that.
The OP is right, many of us never bought into religion and only went to church because our parents dragged us there on Sundays. There were 9 of us kids raised Catholic, of those currently one still goes to church, and even my mother (now 92) hasn't gone in probably 30 years. For me Sunday mass was torture, with the sickening smells of the perfume the women wore, and having to wear a tie.
I was totally done with the Roman Catholic Church by the time that I was 14 years old. I got got dragged back in for my wedding - not my choice - and funerals. Except for Father Dang from Vietnam who spoke at my father's funeral. I really liked him.
Or that person understands what the Body of Christ means. You do realize that the reformed Baptist church doesn’t have a monopoly on biblical truth.
I didn't suggest we do. I'm not actually in a "Reformed Baptist" denomination. I'm in a conservative Baptist church in a more liberal Baptist denomination. I have in the past been part of E Free, SBC, Bible Church, and other churches, all of which taught the Word of God.
...i simply asked you a question...sounds to me like you're judging a fellow Christian, which by proxy, is taking the Lords name in vain...you are not the judge of anyone but yourself...
Stop putting words in my mouth. I never suggested any of what you're saying.
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