Is Christianity in decline in America? When you examine the cold, hard numbers it is simply not possible to come to any other conclusion. Over the past few decades, the percentage of Christians in America has been steadily declining. This has especially been true among young people. As you will see later in this article, there has been a mass exodus of teens and young adults out of U.S. churches. In addition, what "Christianity" means to American Christians today is often far different from what "Christianity" meant to their parents and their grandparents. Millions upon millions of Christians in the United States simply do not believe many of the fundamental principles of the Christian faith any longer. Without a doubt, America is becoming a less "Christian" nation. This has staggering implications for the future of this country. The United States was founded primarily by Christians that were seeking to escape religious persecution. For those early settlers, the Christian faith was the very center of their lives, and it deeply affected the laws that they made and the governmental structures that they established. So what is the future of America going to look like if we totally reject the principles that this nation was founded on?
Overall, Christianity is still the largest religion in the world by far. According to the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, there are currently 2.2 billion Christians in the world. So Christianity is not in danger of disappearing any time soon. In fact, in some areas of the globe it is experiencing absolutely explosive growth.
But in the United States, things are different. Churches are shrinking, skepticism is growing and apathy about spiritual matters seems to be at an all-time high.
Before we examine the data, let me disclose that I am a Christian. I am not bashing Christians or the Christian faith at all in this article. In fact, I consider the decline of Christianity in America to be a very bad thing. Not everyone is going to agree with me on that, but hopefully this article will help spark a debate on the role of religion in America that everyone can learn something from.
Unfortunately, the reality is that most Americans spend very little time thinking about religion or spiritual matters these days.
Just consider the following quote from a recent USA Today article....
"The real dirty little secret of religiosity in America is that there are so many people for whom spiritual interest, thinking about ultimate questions, is minimal," says Mark Silk, professor of religion and public life at Trinity College"
This is backed up by the numbers. For example, a survey taken last year by LifeWay Research found that 46 percent of all Americans never think about whether they will go to heaven or not.
To most Americans, faith is simply not a big deal. This is particularly true of our young people. Those under the age of 30 are leaving U.S. churches in droves. The following comes from a recent CNN article....
David Kinnaman, the 38-year-old president of the Barna Group, an evangelical research firm, is the latest to sound the alarm. In his new book, "You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church and Rethinking Faith," he says that 18- to 29-year-olds have fallen down a "black hole" of church attendance. There is a 43% drop in Christian church attendance between the teen and early adult years, he says.
But it isn't just young people that are leaving American churches. The proportion of Americans that consider themselves to be Christians has been steadily declining for many years. Back in 1990, 86 percent of all Americans considered themselves to be Christian. By 2008, that number had dropped to 76 percent.
Meanwhile, the number of Americans that reject religion entirely has absolutely soared. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans with "no religion" more than doubled between 1990 and 2008.
So what is going to happen if these trends continue?
Dave Olson, the director of church planting for the Evangelical Covenant Church, has made some really interesting projections regarding what is going to happen to church attendance in America if current trends continue.
According to Olson, only 18.7 percent of all Americans regularly attend church right now. If this number continues to decline at the current pace, Olson says that the percentage of Americans attending church in 2050 will be about half of what it is today.
Other research has produced similar results.
According to a study done by LifeWay Research, membership in Southern Baptist churches will fall nearly 50 percent by the year 2050 if current trends persist.
If you are a Christian, you should be quite alarmed by these numbers.
But what is happening to the faith of our young people should be even more alarming for Christians.
The American Religious Identification Survey by the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society & Culture at Trinity College is one of the most comprehensive studies on religion in America that has ever been done.
According to that study, 15 percent of all Americans say that they have "no religion".
That is up from 8 percent in 1990.
That is quite a change.
But the move away from religion is particularly pronounced among our young people.
One recent survey found that 25 percent of all Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 say that they have no religion.
Obviously the Christian faith is not winning the battle for the hearts and the minds of our young people. The cold, hard truth is that in America today, the younger you are, the less likely you are to consider yourself to be a Christian.
Large numbers of young Americans that went to church while they were growing up are now leaving U.S. churches entirely. A recent study by the Barna Group discovered that nearly 60 percent of all Christians between the ages of 15 and 29 are no long actively involved in any church.
But not only have they left the church, our young people have also abandoned just about all forms of Christian spirituality.
Just check out the results of one survey of young adults that was conducted by LifeWay Christian Resources....
•65% rarely or never pray with others, and 38% almost never pray by themselves either.
•65% rarely or never attend worship services of any kind.
•67% don't read the Bible or any other religious texts on a regular basis.
If this does not get turned around, churches all over America will be closing their doors. When the survey above first came out, the president of LifeWay Christian Resources stated that "the Millennial generation will see churches closing as quickly as GM dealerships."
But it is not just church that our young people are rejecting.
The reality is that they are also rejecting the fundamental principles of the Christian faith.
One survey conducted by the Barna Group found that less than 1 percent of all Americans between the ages of 18 and 23 hold a Biblical worldview.
The Barna Group asked participants in the survey if they agreed with the following six statements....
1) Believing that absolute moral truth exists.
2) Believing that the Bible is completely accurate in all of the principles it teaches.
3) Believing that Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic.
4) Believing that a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or by doing good works.
5) Believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth.
6) Believing that God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today.
Less than 1 percent of the participants agreed with all of those statements.
That is staggering.
But it is not just young adults that are rejecting the fundamentals of the Christian faith.
Even large numbers of "evangelical Christians" are rejecting the fundamental principles of the Christian faith.
For example, one survey found that 52 percent of all American Christians believe that "at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life".
Another survey found that 29 percent of all American Christians claim to have been in contact with the dead, 23 percent believe in astrology and 22 percent believe in reincarnation.
Without a doubt, the religious landscape of America is changing.
Over the past several decades, church attendance has been steadily declining, the percentage of Americans that consider themselves to be Christians has been going down, and the number of people that hold traditional Christian beliefs has been dropping like a rock.
So what does all of this mean for the future of America?
Please feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts below....
Since God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow we can look at what happened to Israel when they strayed from his instruction.
In an age where everything is customized, religion (yes I said religion, not relationship) has become another item Americans customize in an attempt to trail blaze their own path to God.
Even within the church I have seen significant changes in the last thirty years. Bible study has taken a backseat to practically everything these days. I leave the house at 6AM Thursday morning to walk 45 minutes to lead a Bible study at a local university where several men in my church work, but even when it is in the same building most of them often have other priorities. The most recent excuse was they start work early every day so they can work a four day week.
The difference between Charles Stanley and his son Andy highlight the changes in attitude. Charles funded every building project through savings whereas Andy funds every one through debt. Debt is not longer something to avoid.
The scripture did not change. We changed our interpretation of it to justify our own desires. We read that the love of money is the root of all evil, but have forgotten that no one loves money more than he who is willing to borrow it.
Pastor- You are right my brother. All of us Christians need some of that straight talk. So, thank you for mentioning that of your bible study.
I am reading Bruce D Allen’s book – Glazing Into Glory where he talks about having an intense desire for God and how many answers to prayer are from that passion for seeking him out. His book is for those who are truly seeking more of the supernatural gifts from God. He (YAHWEH) IS THE word, so we need to study it.
In Rebecca Browns book, she mentioned that she was called to get up at 1 am, (or some very early time)to pray and fast for Gods intervention, and she was called to do this for a long period of time. Would any Christian do this for Gods presence in their lives? Before Bill Schnoebelen became a Christian, and was deeply involved in witchcraft, he would get up and (pray)several hours before going to work for darkness. Witches even devote more time for their works than the modern Christian. More than ever we have so many choices that lead us away from the word, such as tv, hobbies and entertainment, that we give God our very last. Although, more than ever we are seeing many Christians choose to become more set apart for Yahweh. We are seeing more Christians divorce themselves from the world. A large awakening is happening, where there is going to be worldly Christians, and also Christians who walk much like the early disciples did. So we have some exciting times ahead of us to look forward to. We will be able to do even greater works than Yeshua himself, because he said so.
Luke 16:16 “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
I think the keys are in this scripture. We need to fight our way into it, force our way into it, and make it a passionate desire to do so. Yahweh loves all of his children, as he is a NOT a respecter of persons. Although, some Christians will be able to raise the dead, heal the sick, and feed thousands with little food, because they have developed faith and an anointing from spending time with God. I always love to see Strong Christians read this site. Huge Blessings to you my brother!
This is sad and our countries values could change for the worse. One change that might happen with the comming economic collaspe is that stubborn pride that to many harbor will fall away and more might soften their hearts and come unto Christ. We can always hope and pray for positive change.
There can be morality without religion. There can be social consciousness without Jesus. There can be order and progress without churches. We can function successfully without a bible. I imagine that there will come a time when we will give it a try.
ummmmmmmmm……..wrong. Show it to me in Society. We can’t even do those things WITH JESUS how can we do them without him?
Good luck with that thought process. The Mayans were still cutting each others’ heart out in the name of a higher power before the “Conquistadores” came to shore. Is that what you were thinking?
I watched an episode of that show Curb Your Enthusiasim with Larry David where he urinates on a portriat of Jesus Christ and and old religous women thinks that the painting actually crying and runs off to church to pray. Now, if that had been a portriat of Mohammed, or any other religous figure, then there would be a manjor backlash against any who thought it up. However, the christian faith is constantly rediculed in the media and entertainment. People have a right to beleive whatever they see fit, but no one shoudl be ridicued for their beliefs either.
Look at how Ron Paul was booed for suggesting that we have a foriegn policy based on the Golden Rule.
The interesting thing is that Jesus promised that his followers would be mocked, hated, killed, etc. for following him. This kind of antagonism against Christianity should not surprise us at all. In fact, I am actually surprises it has taken this long to start happening in America. Too many Americans think that somehow our freedoms given by our founding fathers and the Christian heritage of this nation, somehow will prtect us from persecution.
Or look at this guy making fun of Christians……..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGmh_w05gFY
Pathetic I tell ya…Pathetic
We live in a scientific age. There is no depth to people any more, no soul searching, no reflecting and still, most think they can reason. Where is God, what is God? Where is the proof? I think people believe too much in the symbolism of a church, the physical building to be the proof they need of their belief. My wife grew up in the church and a question I’ve asked her is, “can you keep the faith of what you believe without setting foot in the building”. She’s perplexed by this. She can’t separate the two, church is the building. Proof for her is the actual location she goes to worship and with a community of followers that support her view, not what she carries in her heart. There is no connection to what is being dispensed in the church. I stopped going a while ago. Why go when all you do is sit for an hour and listen to a guy regurgitate his view of the good book? Where is the exchange? Where is the dialogue? Next time you’re sitting in the pews, take a second to look around you at all the people sitting there glassy eyed, waiting for the hour to be up. Then they mope about after the service like a night club closed. Unfortunately, there is no passion, no original dialogue, therefore no connection. Just my two cents.
Semper Fi
Thank you for your two cents. I am a very similar position. My wife also likens the church to a building. If she does not “go to” church she feels guilty. Sadly,I have stopped attending “church” for a season also, having a VERY difficult time finding a fellowship(church) that is not in compromise and apostacy and not a seeker friendly,peace & prosperity preaching, void of any mention of sin or repentance in their evangelizing.
Decades of the church losing its salt and preaching a seeker friendly, life enhancing “gospel” has ended in the dead, lifeless, Laodician system that they call “Christianity”
You think too much. If you go, go for yourself and battle your faith. If not, then you don’t need to rationalize why……
That is why the Gospel of Thomas has been denied for so long by the church. It teaches that Jesus doesn’t have to be a building, but just you and him is all you need, and to be honest, isn’t that correct?
I like your brain!
“And it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers,… houses full of all good things…when you have eaten and are full (obese) — then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of… the house of bondage (in your native lands and in your own life in bondage to sin).” (Deut.6:10-12)
I guess one of the reasons I as a pastor have become a believer in economic collapse, is I really don’t see any other way to shake people of the addiction to materialism. It must be taken away to wake people up to the reality that this life is not forever.
I will be there, not with hell fire and damnation sermons, but with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Another great article. I am a member of the Philadelphia Church of God and I invite all the readers of this blog to check out our website at http://www.thetrumpet.com
Godspeed
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thess:2:3)
Worldwide, Christians are not nearly as plentiful as we are told. Endeavor to be saved by faith, and acknowledge that your very faith is a gift from God.
BLENDING ALL RELIGIONS…THE OLD RELIGIONS WILL HAVE TO GO
http://100777.com/nwo/barbarians
This article is a pretty accurate picture of what is happening among the youth in the American Church today.
I sent my 2 christian daughters to a Baptist college, the same one I attended over 30 years ago. Both were challenged yet came away with a deeper commitment to Christ as a result. I really believe a large part of the problem lies with our public educational system. My girls were home schooled, attended private school and spent a few years in a specialized charter school. I am very proud of my girls, to say the least, but I must give a great deal of credit to their teachers and so on. They were led in the way that they should go, and it was a blessing to them.
Of course it helps if the parents of these young people practice what they preach. My wife and I have tried to be faithful to God our whole lives. Yes we failed some, but for the most part we lived out our commitment to Christ in and out of our home.
Today’s youth are also bombarded with temptation in a way that many could not imagine 30 years ago. There is no wonder my hair is grey and I feel like I’ve lived much longer than I have. But, I am thankful for my girls who both teach young people how to live a happy life devoted to Christ. There is hope for us yet.
We are in the last days, thats how i sum this article up. There are millions of people who are falling away from their faith.
I would be very interested in some discussion regarding precisely why this decline is occurring. What has changed from generations past, that the Church is in such decline?
Is it just that the Gospel, as presented by most churches, simply can’t compete with the flashy/trashy glitz of modern media/technology?
It is because the evangelistic preaching is void of the LAW. You do not give someone the good news until you give them the bad news. The law should be a schoolmaster to bring sinners to repentance. They need to know WHY they need a savior before they get the good news. Like Jesus said, don’t cast pearls to swine and dogs.
I would highly recommend you check out the messages ” True and False Converts” and “God Has a Wonderful Plan For Your Life” both by Ray Comfort of livingwaters ministries.
http://www.livingwaters.com/learn/trueandfalse.htm
http://www.livingwaters.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=18&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=489&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=199&lang=en
Why do you think it is?
For those who are looking for a rock concert, and those churches that cater to that crowd, will get church attendance. Although what happens, is those believers tend to leave, because they are there for entertainment only. Those Christians who start off in that church and want the REAL meat, often leave because they know that is not the true gospel.
There is a mass migration to home studies now, because many Churches are way off base. Most Christians don’t want to sit in a lukewarm church with no power.
Churches who keep Christmas, and hold Halloween parties ARE NOT going to see ANY move of God.
I think many passionate Christians are keeping an eye of what is going on in Africa and some of the other countries such as China. Why is the power of God moving in great miracles in these countries? It is because the people are seeking him out first and with a passion.
I truly think many young people are getting involved in Witchcraft because of the supernaturalism that they experience. Yet, the Church can see 10 times as much of these sort of occurences, but the church doesn’t or CANNOT produce them. They are knee deep in sin, and have no personal relationship with God.
I have sit in many services where prayer, and fasting, are not even on the plate EVER!! Speaking in tongues is considered to be WAY out there, so it is no wonder there is no glue that holds the attentions of most believers.
Sid Roth weekly features guests on his show who are moving in the greater gifts. Many Christians are leaving the lukewarm churches and gathering together with like minded believers.
There comes a point, where you just don’t want anything to do with the ways of the world, much like creating a barrier to the wind so your fire doesn’t go out.
We live in interesting times, and I do think very exciting times are ahead.
I think it’s a combination of different factors. I think the first step was for the overall church to get too “comfortable”. Here in the USA, we have enjoyed one of the few respites in world history from anti-Christian persecution. The curve that Satan threw at us, however, was prosperity. The American Church has become the most prosperous, well-off group of believers the world has ever seen. In short, we have been able to partake of the world’s luxuries while still professing our faith. I wonder if maybe Satan might have deliberately called off his “hounds” long enough for us to get too “comfortable”. If he did, then it was probably a decision that he made at some point late in the 19th Century, after he failed to split our nation with the Civil War, if not even earlier. It wasn’t long afterward that the Industrial Revolution began and made America the richest, most powerful nation the world has ever seen. I wonder if this might have been by design. Since then, we American Christians have enjoyed a level of prosperity that is unique in the Church’s history – and therein lies the hook/bait.
Now, today, having gotten so “comfortable” with our prosperity, it is difficult indeed to see beyond the physical and financial luxuries that we have been enjoying, and to remember that there is an eternal spiritual component to our existence that is even more foundational than our bodies. To use the Apostle Paul’s footrace analogy, we have “taken our eyes off the prize” and have instead turned them to the cheering crowd. We are so busy waving at the stands that we haven’t even noticed Satan stepping up the pace in the next lane over. By the time we bother turning our eyes back to the race, Satan will already be crossing the finish line and will be putting his “man of perdition” in place.
So, bottom line, I think the American Church has allowed ourselves to become distracted enough to be outfoxed by Satan. Fortunately, we individuals still have the God-given privilege or choosing whether or not we will allow ourselves to be caught up in all that.
This country needs God more than ever now.
Without Him, this country is… merde. (Which is the French word for “merde”.)
The English translation is:
“Change you can believe in!”
Riddle me this:
To those of you who don’t believe hell exists:
Why would our Savior Jesus give his life on a cross? Because He felt like it?
No!!!
He did that to give us an escape route out. He willingly sacrificed His life, so that humanity would not spend eternity, um, elsewhere. Why?
I’m not an expert on the Scriptures, but here goes.
All men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Being good won’t get you to heaven. Your (self) righteousness is like a filthy rag comparied to God’s holiness. Read the chapter of Job. This dude Job was a righteous man, no doubt about that. His problem was that he was SELF righteous! At the end of the chapter, God gives Job a good butt kicking and reminds him of who really is in charge. Oh yeah, He also rewards Job with some great blessings too.
If we believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who died, and rose from the grave in 3 days – and ask Him to forgive our sins, we won’t end up in hell.(John 3:16 is well known, but John 3:17 is even more pertinent. Not many people realize this).
Ahhh, so you don’t believe in hell? Well, why would there be the need for a Savior, if there was nothing to be saved from? If there was no hell, why would we need to be saved from something that doesn’t exist? There is much, much more to this. Read your Bible. If you don’t have a Bible, buy one.
Just my viewpoints. Yours may differ, in fact, yours probably will differ. But that’s okay.
Jesus came to earth for a purpose. He fulfilled it.
Way to go! Tell it like it is……. http://lifeafterdeathheavenandhell.com/
Why would god, over the course of human history, create billions of people only to have the majority of them go to hell when they die?
Christianity makes up about 1/6th of the current world population. According to most sects of christianity, only good christians go to heaven. If you belong to the wrong religion, you go to hell. If you belong to the wrong sect of christianity, you go to hell. That means that a majority of the people alive today are already going to hell. Why would a good and just god do that?
What if you die, and go before god, and he says “I have seen that in your entire lifetime, you were a good and just person. You gave to the needy, you helped the poor, you taught the bible to all that you could. However, you worshipped the god of [insert your religion here], which is not correct. Therefore, you go to hell.”
Religion is simply a tool of control. It dulls the masses into complacency with threats of eternal damnation. Those threats are so strong that most people think twice about undertaking major crimes/sins.
Me, personally, when I’m dead and gone…that’s it. I cease to be, I cease to exist. There is no garden, there is no burning pit of fire. And you know what, that’s perfectly fine with me. It’s the cycle of life. I don’t need the promises or threats from religion to do good in the world. I live each day knowing fully that it just may be my last. And, knowing that when you die, that’s it…you have a better appreciation for life; your own life and the lives of people around you. Just look at the horrors people commit due to thinking there is some paradise after death. If every potential suicide bomber knew there was no afterlife, they would never blow themselves up.
Think about it, from a logical standpoint.
Why? Free will. Each of us pick our own fate, our own ultimate destination. There will be multitudes who will enjoy God’s creation the way God intended it to be before sin intervened to create this present evil age. I am absolutely totally convinced that Jesus redeemed all humanity from the curse of sin but it avails not for those who refuse to accept by faith what Jesus did for them personally.
“Those threats are so strong that most people think twice about undertaking major crimes/sins.”
And that’s a bad thing??????? Sounds like that “thinking twice” is probably a good thing for society. Your presuppositions are based on earning your way to Heaven. The Bible says that we ar already condemned, and Jesus spoke more about hell than heaven. Do you think Jesus was a good teacher?
You said the same thing below so, I will repeat myself a bit too. If I committed horrible acts in your name would that make you a bad person OR make anything you believe true or false? NO. So, I think your point is malformed.
Faith and religion are 2 different things. Religion is a group of people who create organizations around the faith of others. They buy buildings, raise money, do things both good and bad. In the end, religions are only tools used by people to express themselves and often end up becoming corrupt.
Faith, on the other hand, is an individual experience and not religion. Faith is simply a core set of beliefs based on God that form the way a person sees the world and behaves in it.
I find organized religion a fraud for the most part but, I have great faith.
I would add to D.Kline that faith is not blind, but supported by evidence and reason. You demonstrated this when you logged on to this site. You assumed ( by faith, because you were’nt looking at it )that the site would be there when you logged on. You had previous evidence that the site existed and reason led you to believe that it still did exist. Faith in Christ is also based on evidence and reason.
Religion is the biggest con in human history. Anybody with modicum of intelligence would realise this. The Earth and humans are one incredibly small speck in an infinitely massive universe. To assume that we are more than that is incredibly arrogant.
Are you sure about that? http://www.evidence4christianity.blogspot.com/
Ridiculous! It’s this very fact that points to a God. Even Einstein acknowledged this fact. He called the Universe a infinitely complex watch and said that there was so much order in the universe that there had to be a “watchmaker”. Acknowledging a creator is the opposite of arrogance…it is supremely humbling. Imagine a sentient insect staring up at a human. Would that make him humble or arrogant? I think you have it flipped!
No, you are wrong. Again, you just don’t have evidence of a creator or a deity. You just believe what you were taught as a child. You cannot prove a negative. Okay, lets say a deity exists, which one does exist? Shiva, Ra, Isis, Thor, pagan gods or your christian god. Then we get to holy wars again. Sorry, you have no evidence that your god exists.
Xander cross, Please produce the evidence that he does not exist. Simply laying the question at the feet of christians will not due, you also must provide a basis on which to believe that atheism ( which is a religon as well ) is fact. I will check back.
No, you have you prove that your god exists since you said that it does. The burden of proof is on you, not me. Also you have to prove which god exists like the Viking gods, black (Egyptian gods) pagan gods, and Hindu gods. Until then, you have no evidence that your god exists.
I have presented many times on this site many different evidences for Gods existence, but have yet to read even one bit from you to prove that he does not. This tells me that you don’t really understand WHY you believe what you believe. You just say that God does not exist ( THATS NOT EVIDENCE, THATS A COP OUT ). If you have a worldview, then lets here it, I state what I believe here every day, and why. Why don’t you?
Christians are meant to be salt of the earth which preserves society against rot and decay. They function as salt only when they are radically committed to Christ in a life of faith and repentance. If the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. This is what Jesus said 2000 years ago. This is what is happening to Christianity in North America: the churches are no longer salty and so will be thrown out and trampled underfoot. See Matthew 5.
I see that people equate morality with religion, and that if one doesn’t exist, then the other doesn’t exist. I think this belief is wrong.
There have been individuals who had strong moral principles who weren’t religious. As an example, there was the noted Republican Charles T. Beaird. According to Wikipedia, he was an “…industrialist, newspaper publisher, philanthropist, and civic leader.” Mr. Beaird was a strong advocate for civil rights.
Another strong figure on the right who was an atheist was Heath MacDonald who preached secular conservatism, and openly stated that conservatism doesn’t need God.
These are just two examples of historical figures on the right who didn’t believe in a God, and who practiced morality without the benefits of religion.
I may not agree with their notions of morality, but I accept they did have a strong moral core at the heart of their personality.
I believe that morality exists in one’s character before one is introduced to religion.
I think that what is happening in our culture is that when a people begin to reject or leave an institution, then that institution is no longer serving a function in society and hasn’t changed to meet the needs of its current and future members.
An extreme example of this is Judaism which is declining rapidly in this country, and will be extinct in this country as a religion by century’s end.
For me, one of the reasons that I find religion in this country so repulsive is that there are individuals in this country who hide their hatred of other races and sexism in the cloak of their religiosity. As I am writing this, Republican legislators in New Hampshire are working to defund Planned Parenthood and to curtail the protections accorded to victims of domestic abuse based partially on their religious beliefs.
No, YOU equate morality with religion. The reason Christ came was because NO MAN, NOT EVEN YOUR ” historical figures ” would be able to live up to Gods standard, which is perfection. As for Christianity and Judaism becoming extinct soon, You remind me of another man who said that, I believe his name was Voltaire. He said the same sort of thing, 100 years after he died, they were printing bibles in his house.
Planned parenthood is simply eugenics used against people of color. Wake up.
You find religion repulsive because some people use religions to hide their hatred of others? Well, that would make you normal but, not necessarily correct. There are plenty of people who give up their lives to help others in the name of religion as well. Mother Theresa slaved in the poverty ravaged villages of India. There are plenty of others as well. I think you should be more honest with yourself. I think you are hiding behind your contempt of the religious in order to hide your prejudiced opinions.
Morality cannot exist apart from God. In order to have morals one has to know whats right and whats wrong. There has to be an OBJECTIVE standard, apart from man, a standard of perfection and goodness, in order to know what evil is. If there is no OBJECTIVE standard that exists apart from man, then all you have are subjective standards ( personal preference ). One person can say he thinks rape is o.k, while another thinks its a crime worthy of death. Who decides whats right and wrong in society. If theres such a thing as evil, then there also has to be a such a thing as good, if good and evil exist then there also has to be a moral law in which to base it on, and if there is a moral law then there has to be a moral law giver.
Your brain is showing!
Just my opinion but….you won’t get through to most people BECAUSE…..they don’t want to accept a universal truth. They will self delude themselves until there is no turning back and they have become hardened to the spirit of God reaching out to them.
The fact is that because we are made in God’s image we make “rules”. If there were no God then humanity would be based on survival of the fittest but it is not. We think it’s wrong to take what is not yours, to kill the innocent etc. That is because we are God’s children and we make rules of proper behavior just as he does. There is a universal standard of right and wrong and the fact that we make rules proves it….even if we get it wrong sometimes.
What does all of this mean for the future of America?
It means there isn’t one.
I am convinced tha the USA has passed the point of no return. The US is heading for destruction. Her time is over.
I agree with the author on what he has written here . However I also want to point out some good reasons for not going to church . First many pastors preach a “watered down” virson of the Bible , I don’t meen to say that I need to hear hell fire and brimstone but I do expect to hear the truth and that is not happening in most churches . Next many churches and church goers seem to get into your personal affairs and want to know everything that you do, This offends me greatly . Churches today seem to have turned a blind eye to sin and ignore it, the truth is to follow Jesus example to love the sinner but to hate the sin . What I do for christian fellowship is to go to certin web sites and chat with fellow christians . I pray every day at any time that I feel compelled to do so . I will leave those of you who read this with the following that one of the christians I chat with said : ” The time to pray for GOD’S blessings is over , the time to pray for his MERCY is upon us . “
“First many pastors preach a “watered down” version of the Bible , I don’t mean to say that I need to hear hell fire and brimstone but I do expect to hear the truth and that is not happening in most churches”
You are so right! What church do you know is preparing their believers for the end days? How many churches teach the evidence for Christianity and how you can share the gospel? Most do not. A service should be full of fire, yet it is not.
You mentioned that you go online to fellowship with other believers. Many people are getting together in small groups and studying the heck out of the word. Actually this is what the original church looked like. Small groups allow you to study the word, and flip through the bible where YOU HAVE to participate and learn the word first hand. Sitting there and enjoying a presentation doesn’t allow you to learn.
God does promise that if we keep the commandments we will ride the high hills. He will take care of us and BLESS US in a storm of destruction.
This is so funny. I like how you all can claim that you know what a god thinks. Like how people say that they know what a spirit is. The bottom line is very simple, you don’t have any evidence that a deity exist.
Christianity in America is under attack by the very same group that destroyed the Orthodox churches in Russia. This group HATES Christians. Most in America have no real grasp of the TRUTH, and are so stubbornly brain dead that they REFUSE to accept facts.
This group of Christian Haters is now attacking Putin as he is the only one on the planet to stand up and defeat the haters. I have read in many sources that it will be RUSSIA which saves Christianity. That is difficult to swallow, I know, but, after viewing events for over 60 years, I now believe it.
Believe it or not, the truth is that america will soon have religious based laws enacted. This story represents the ripe enviornment for such laws. The removal of the constitution was nesessary for their implimentation. Europeans need time and persuasion to accept these laws. Americans need an emotional trigger. (911 sound familiar?)
Goodbye, Christianity!
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!
Funny you should mention the Christians leaving through an open door, I read that too, in the book of Revelation.
I read that they get beheaded….don’t delude yourself. The beast overcomes the saints.
In Rev. CH. 9, All but the 144,000 jews from ch. 7 that recieved the mark from God were tormented. Understanding of course, that ch. 9 is referring to the tribulation period, are you saying ( because you are not one of the 144,000 ) that God intends to torment you as well for 5 months? Also, the Church is not mentioned from ch. 4 to ch. 19, why? If there is no rapture, and God clearly states in 1 Thess. CH. 4 & 1 Cor. 15 that there will be some who are taken while they are still alive, then it seems to me that you are going to have a bit of a transportation problem when it comes time for you to be taken home, assuming you are alive at the time of Christs return as the bible clearly states some will be. Many take issue with the rapture because they view it as an escapist theology, but I personally believe that we here in America will have our faith tested by the fall of America, to see whether we will depart from the faith when the Lord ” taketh away ” the blessings we have enjoyed for so long. The rapture is a sensitive issue, but don’t think that i’m attacking you on it, i’m not. If you don’t believe in it, we’re still family. God bless you and your family.
that’s one of the wiser and lovlier comments I’ve read in a long time,r.bit. Let’s you and me be family, too.
I am the pastor of a small congregational Church and though I hate to say it, you are absolutely correct. Church attendance is no longer important to the majority of Christians. Church is the place to go if there is absolutely nothing else to do and nowhere else to go. Our lives are so bound up in self-service and having fun and entertaining ourselves that we forget that we are called by our maker to forsake ourselves an take up our cross and follow Jesus. Church never has been and never will be about us…rather it is an opportunity to fulfill our mission and be a blessing to our brethren. The younger ones have no faith because they have witnessed how little faith their parents had. It is heartbreaking to watch but only reinforces our calling. For those who truly belong to Christ there is only one thing paramount and that is to go and make disciples.
Only an American Christian could be delusional enough to think the loss of delusional belief is a BAD THING. Honestly, what planet are you from? Talking to the voices in your head is regarded as mental illness if the dude’s name ain’t Jesus, or Allah, or whatever, in the rest of the world. You are no different. Get over death, stop crying about it, and accept a godless universe. Why is so bad? Now, when you help people, you won’t be doing it to score points with God and get a room upgrade. You’ll be, like me, doing it for no reward whatsoever. I am the future, you are the past. Long may it stay that way.
It’s interesting to see that you have a problem with both Americans AND Christians…very interesting. It says a lot about you.
So…what mighty deeds of charity have you done that can compare the great Christian philanthropists who founded hospitals, medical missions, food outreaches, shelters for the homeless etc.?
There are 480-some demoninations of christianity (not including all those backwater churches); then add cathlocism, mormonism, judism and islam (and all the little sects within each), all of which has articulated their own version of biblical events. This is just the difference of religious beliefs from a single part of the world!!!
This gives you no choice but to conclude that there is not uniformity when it comes to what transpired during “biblical times”. This fact is what made me question what I was “learning” as I was growing up christian. Once I started asking questions, I found that no one had adequate answers. When I was 17, I made the decision that I was not going to be controlled anymore and dropped from christianity. I haven’t looked back.
Religion, in virtually every form, is nothing more than behavior control. Freedom and Liberty are mutually exclusive ideals when compared to religion. Of course, that same Freedom and Liberty provides you the CHOICE to be religious; however, once those “religious” people attempt to force their moral beliefs onto others, thereby infringing on the Freedom and Liberty of others, it becomes a controlling mechanism. This is even more insidious as these “religious” people use the power of government to force these beliefs on the population as a whole.
As a result, it is no wonder that more and more Americans are turning their backs on religion. For me, Freedom and Liberty today are more important than controlling others under the promise of “everlasting life” or “72 virgins”. In fact, I could easily claim that I live a more “christian life” than most christians.
So if there is a heaven and I am standing before the pearly gates after I die, I will KNOW without a shadow of a doubt the quality of the life I lived. I don’t have to worry about “forgiveness” because I did the best I could with what I had….and frankly, that is far better than most people have done. If there are gods out there, I believe that they would expect nothing less.
How do you know that your “best that you did” is good enough? How many lies do you have to tell to make you a liar? How many things do you have to steal to make you a thief? If no one is perfect, how good is good enough? What is the standard? We have standards in the natural laws of our land, what would make you think that there are no absoulute standards in the spiritual realm?
You have a Christian background. Have you kept the 10 commandments? If you have not you are guilty of breaking God’s law, in which the Bible tells us that the penalty is death. In fact the Bible tells us that we are all children of wrath, already condemned. That is why we need to repent and turn to the only Name under heaven in which man can be saved. Jesus came to save us from an angry God. Yes, angry God. He is angry at sinners every day and will judge the world soon. (read the description of Jesus in revelation, this is not the blond haired, blue eyed surfer Jesus being preached today, this is a Lord of wrath)
The only way to life is by the mercy of God through repentance and belief IN Jesus Christ, thus being born again.
I fear that you seem to think that everything is alright, well it is not. You could die tonight. I pray you ponder about the things of God today asnd get right with the Living God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
HOG WASH! Christianity in “biblical times” was a Jewish Sect and was absolutely uniform. Jesus was a Jew and was fulfilling the Jewish Prophecy of the Messiah. Of course, there was uniformity.
“Religion is behavior control” is probably true 99% of the time. The answer is faith not religion. Faith is not something that can be proven. It’s as simple as knowing that God loves you and allowing that fact to guide your actions. Finally, just because some people get it wrong and confuse faith with religion does not mean that faith itself is invalid. It only means that some people get it wrong. Which applies, as I see it, to every important event, thought and philosophy since the dawn of time.
Maybe you should be more honest and acknowledge that God can be seen in the smile of a child, a beautiful sunset, the billions of stars and in the mirror. Maybe you should stop, think and realize that God loves you and start living with a bit of faith?
You are judging yourself on human standards, God will judge you according to his. If your freind stole $1000.00 and your other freind stole 500.00, do you really think the judge will let the one who stole the lesser amount off without being punished. Quit making horizontal comparisons ( man vs man ) and see how you measure up to Gods standard. Go read Exodus ch. 20, the 10 commandments or Matthew ch. 5 & 6, the sermon on the mount, and see how well you fare. Then when you realize you won’t be able to stand before God without being guilty of violating his standard, Come to Christ for forgiveness. As it stands right now, you have created a God in your own mind, who condones whatever YOU think should be acceptable. You have placed yourself in grave danger with that thinking which is based on nothing more that your feelings. It’s possible to be sincere and be dead wrong.
Science flies you to the moon.
Religion flies you into buildings.
Sorry, the single most cause of death and suffering in the history of mankind is religion. The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, the current strife going on with the middle east….all because of religious differences. How many millions/billions of people have died throughout history because members of one religious order were intolerant/hostile towards a different religious order?
I don’t need some all-powerful omnipotent deity in the sky to guide me to do what is “right”. I don’t need the promise of some afterlife in order to steer me to doing good in the world. Fact of the matter, I had good parents that taught me right from wrong based on the principle of “how would you like someone to do that to you” and “put yourself in the other person’s shoes”, rather than being threatened with “If you do bad things, you won’t go to heaven” or “God is watching you”.
For those that think people who do not believe in god, or people that do not believe in YOUR god, are bad and evil, here’s some enlightenment: There are good people in the world who are not christian. Christianity isn’t the answer to every single problem. Our founding fathers knew this. They wanted a nation where persons of ANY faith (or no faith) could come and make their homes, without persecution.
This constant call for “bringing christianity back into running this country” is wrong. Completely and absolutely wrong. How would you like for a large group of people to say “we need to put more islam into running this country”? I am 100% certain that a large majority of the christian population would be against that. Leave religion out of government. Religion is supposed to be a personal experience. Practice it at home, or at your church, with your family and friends.
If I kill people in YOUR name does that make YOU a bad person? I think you have not thought this through.
Science flies you to the moon.
Religion flies you into buildings.
I’m using that. That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.
Um….Galileo was a christian and Newton was a Christian. Both were scientists without whom you would never have gotten to the moon. So, don’t make me laugh.
Most science is based on theories penned by religious scientists….AND…most Ivy League Colleges were founded by Christians. Wake up. Faith is not the opposite of science. Only fools (religious or otherwise) think that.
Well said. To date, religion (all religions, not just Christianity) has been the most divisive force in human existence. Why perpetuate that which teaches superiority over another with different beliefs? I am a Diest, and proud to say that my past, present, and my future is the product of my choices, not a divine plan. Therefore, I don’t walk around with a “get out of jail free card” by confessing my sins. I do the right thing, because it is the right thing. No need for the threat of eternal hell and damnation to scare me into compliance…
You are incorrect. Many, many more died at the hands of Hitler, Stalin, mussolini and Pol Pot. ALL ATHIESTS.
Sorry R.Bitting, you are incorrect.
What Hitler did WAS due to religion. He murdered 10 million JEWS (which is religious).
And, how many millions of people died in all 12 major Holy Crusades?
It is important to make a distinction between good religion and bad religion.
“Religion” in and of itself is not good.
But following the one true God is.
Michael
Not so, Hitler was an athiest, and believed Darwins theory of evolution, even hand delivering a copy of Darwins book to Joseph Stalin personally. Many millions more died at the hands of secular humanists than in the crusades. Besides, you should not judge a philosophy by it’s abuses. You steryotype all christians, but I bet if someone steryotypes you, you are object to it.
When Cain Killed Able, was their any religion at that time?
No, there was not.
Please Stop blaming everything bad that happens on religion, though that is a valid point, the real issue is the sin nature in every one of us.
And until we repent, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, and are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, human beings will continue, ( as they always have) to kill, cheat, lie, etc.
It is a heart problem.
You couldn’t be further off base. Now more than ever young people are craving a real, genuine spirituality beyond their received religion. Assent to doctrinal litmus test is not a test of Christ-likeness. Barna himself helped write an incredible indictment of the massive, encrusted, decaying *religion* behind Christianity in Pagan Christianity here: http://www.paganchristianity.org . I believe you have only written about the gum-encrusted *underside* of this coin, brother. I am a lover of Christ as well and loathe what we call *church* today.
Matt:
That looks like a very interesting book. I will have to check it out.
Michael
Matt,
I agree with you. I do think there is a separation with many Christians. On one hand, there are going to be Christians who go more towards the ways of this world, and then there are going to be Christians who truly divorce the paganism that has been tangled up in Christianity, (Easter and Christmas) Sid Roth is a great example of the amazing supernatural occurrences that are happening in the church today, which should have been there all along. Although when you have lukewarm Christians, and the fruit of the spirit is never developed how can they POSSIBLY develop the greater gifts? We are seeing more than ever a large amount of Christians moving towards the Messianic movement, that are walking a walk much like the original disciples. There is no other God except Yeshua. For over 80 pages of evidence proving Christianity is the only way, check out this evidence http://www.evidence4christianity.blogspot.com/
Read Deuteronomy Chapter 8 and notice the comparisons of the children of Israel and the United States today. God warns the Israelites of the consequences of a nation that forgets God. Times are no different when it com heed.es to the sinful nature of man. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. God’s view of sin has’nt changed. We have been warned from the only absolute truth in existence, I pray this nation takes heed.
SOOOOO true my brother!! This nation was Christian to begin with. Look at our nation compared to any other in the world! We have been very blessed! We are now going to experience Yahweh lifting his hand off this nation because of what we have been involved in, and the fact that the people (not me or you) have turned their backs against him. It is good to see STRONG Christians reading this blog.
Oh, please. The USA has always been kind of an evil nation. Do you remember the genocide against the Indians, the enslavement of the blacks and the subsequent oppression of the blacks, and the war in Vietnam? America has never been that moral, with or without a belief in a higher power.
Same with canada, though we love to point a sort of morally-superior simply slightly British attitude at our ruder, meaner, tougher american brothers and sisters.
Our nations were both built with Satan’s expansion plan in full force, and we are seeing the full flowering and fruit of the poison trees.
God help us all.
Considering that this country was never founded on religion at all and is NOT a Christian Nation, I lost some credence in you after reading previous posts of yours.
First Amendment – “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. ”
Treaty of Tripoli – Art. 11. “As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity… etc…”
I’m a little glad this is occuring. More people are starting to think.
You may have heard of these guys mentioned below…
They must have been confused about where they stood?
There WAS a Christian influence in the founding of this nation and most of the early laws used the Biblical book of Leviticus as a foundation, the Bible was taught in early PUBLIC schools, cntenential congress started in prayer mentioning Jesus Christ, who in case you don’t know, founded Christianity:
First Prayer of the Continental Congress, 1774
The Prayer in the First Congress, A.D. 1774 O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle!
Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior.
Amen.
Reverend Jacob Duché
Rector of Christ Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
September 7, 1774, 9 o’clock a.m.
——————————————————————————–
George Washington
1st U.S. President
“While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.”
–The Writings of Washington, pp. 342-343.
John Adams
2nd U.S. President and Signer of the Declaration of Independence
“Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God … What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be.”
–Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, Vol. III, p. 9.
“The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”
–Adams wrote this on June 28, 1813, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson.
Benjamin Franklin
Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Unites States Constitution
“Here is my Creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His Providence. That He ought to be worshipped.
That the most acceptable service we render to him is in doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points in all sound religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever sect I meet with them.
As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and his religion, as he left them to us, is the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see;
But I apprehend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have, with most of the present dissenters in England, some doubts as to his divinity; though it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the truth with less trouble. I see no harm, however, in its being believed, if that belief has the good consequence, as probably it has, of making his doctrines more respected and more observed; especially as I do not perceive, that the Supreme takes it amiss, by distinguishing the unbelievers in his government of the world with any peculiar marks of his displeasure.”
–Benjamin Franklin wrote this in a letter to Ezra Stiles, President of Yale University on March 9, 1790.
Benjamin Rush
Signer of the Declaration of Independence and Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution
“The gospel of Jesus Christ prescribes the wisest rules for just conduct in every situation of life. Happy they who are enabled to obey them in all situations!”
–The Autobiography of Benjamin Rush, pp. 165-166.
Actually, this shows that less are thinking anymore.
BUNK! We are not a theistic government but, the founders were Christian (barring the few that people still debate over) and they founded a government based on Christian Natural Law. In addition, God is mentioned continuously throughout our governmental documents. Every original state seal/emblem has a cross or dove or some other symbol of Christianity. Almost every major college was founded by a Christian ministry. Almost every state constitution mentions God and some explicitly mention Christ. Diversity is a great thing but, it is not a time machine and cannot change the truth. Our country was founded by Christians and they intended it to be a Christian Nation.
Bull******. There is NO mention of God in the Constitution. The Founders were men of the Enlightenment, of the Age of Reason.
As C.S Lewis says, The door to hell is locked from the inside… There are those who say to God ” your will be done” and those to whom God says “your will be done”.. Jesus IS the only way that God has provided for a fallen humanity to be saved.
Michael,
Why is this even relevant? So what if christianity is on the decline? It’s not as if christians have stood against the following that a merciful god would require of them:
1. Genocide of Native Americans
2. Slavery, jim crow era lynchings and discrimination
3. Unjust and murderous wars, not to mention a death penalty we know is discriminatory on several grounds
4. Churches and clergy that rape and abuse children then cover it up
5. Freedom killing police state and brutal police tactics against unarmed and peaceful protesters, not to mention the daily dose of police brutality served against unarmed suspects and people already in police custody
6. Economic martial law jim crow laws and discrimination aimed at fattening the already wealthy beyond human imagination and people who have more money than even God would know what to do with
7. Much of the bullying of gay and lesbian men and women. If one was to take Prick Rick Santorum’s final solution to heart, then all gay and lesbian men and women would be rounded up in conentration camps and then shot behind the wall at point blank range
8. Christianity and all other religious cults are directly responsible for the never ending death and destruction that continues to plague the world.
Religion, all of them, including the sociopaths and psychopaths in government, needs to be completely done away with…………..
You are 100% correct on those eight points. That’s why it is so many people are confused and steer away from religion all together.
Everything is corrupted, religion usually the most, but only because humans are naturally corrupt and selfish. Jesus/God/The One loves all equally, even murderers. It breaks my heart to see such hate brought out by “Christians” on other people. This is not what the light/Jesus/God is about. Religion has been used as a weapon to control fear, not for loving thy neighbor.
This is because darkness covers the world (the deceiver). The bible has been corrupted and misinterpreted over the years by many, only to use it at a controllable fear factor. This is the deceiver’s work, and that’s why some examples in the bible are hard to interpret or understand. The One knew us and how we would use it for our selfish endeavors, but if you look closely and think outside the box (which you can), you will see there is more to the picture. Don’t listen to other Christians and priests, think for yourself in these matters. I think that’s the problem most of the time (people are confused from the actions and beliefs of corrupt christians).
We are in a spiritual manifestation of the battle between good and evil. The elite are foreseen in the bible as the deceiver’s puppets. The entire world is the trickster’s paradise, and we are literally within hell on earth. The deceiver is the master of his skills and can even fool the most aware of the dire circumstances of the world (such as yourself). How many others, such as proclaimed christians, have the knowledge you possess on the dire world status? Not many. Most are still sheep. This blog is the minority.
Just as we get alternative forms of news from this blog, sometimes people need to get alternative forms of this as well.
Check out http://jahtruth.net/ and http://home.iae.nl/users/lightnet/creator/masterfile.htm – Take everything as a grain of salt, but think for yourself. Search the net and there are plenty of others.
I used to think just like you Reed. In fact, I still do, but as I looked further into this world scenario from a scientific and spiritual viewpoint, I eventually found that this evil scheme is masterminded and influenced by something more powerful than us. Decades of bible study and attending church did nothing for me to actually understand. I don’t think they really want you too sometimes (the churches).
You understand evil and corruption, and that is what sets you apart from everyone else. You are a few steps away.
Baloney!
1. There have always been medical missionaries to the Native Americans. Do you really think those people had no problem with genocide?!
2. Slavery?! The entire movement to fight slavery was started in Christian churches including the underground railroad, and most of the leaders both black and white!
3. Unjust wars and the death penalty?! Type something like “christians against the death penalty” and “christians agains unjust wars” into Google and educate yourself.
4. Pedophilia….Oh no….Christians wouldn’t have a problem with that.
5. Police state? Are you serious? That is how 90% of Christian missionaries lose their lives or are imprisoned. Why don’t you look up the biography of Hudson Taylor (missionary to China), Brother Andrew (Missionary during WWII – hint Nazis) etc.
6. Economic oppression…..missionaries bring food, shelter and medical relief to the suffering every single day….often at their own expense. Wake up.
7. That’s just plain ridiculous. Not worth remarking about political remarks made by power hungry politicians.
8. Right, that Mother Theresa is pure evil. Why don’t you read about her life and the lives of others that have dedicated their lives to helping others in God’s name.
This is such an ignorant post! On top of that you sound very prejudiced and full of hate when you say things like…”Religion, all of them, including the sociopaths and psychopaths in government, needs to be completely done away with…………..”
You are ignorant and prejudiced. You should look into this a bit more before you write such an ridiculous comment. And….you seem pretty filled with hate when you say “Religion, all of them, including the sociopaths and psychopaths in government, needs to be completely done away with……”
1. Genocide of Native Americans
CHRISTIANS DID THIS? REALLY? (HINT: THEY WERE NOT CHRISTIANS)
3. Unjust and murderous wars, not to mention a death penalty we know is discriminatory on several grounds
WHICH WARS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
4. Churches and clergy that rape and abuse children then cover it up
THIS IS THE ONE THAT KILLS ME. I AM TIRED OF HAVING TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE ABOVE REFERANCE IS TO THE ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS SYSTEM, NOT BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY
6. Economic martial law jim crow laws and discrimination aimed at fattening the already wealthy beyond human imagination and people who have more money than even God would know what to do with
CHRISTIAN TEACHING IS OPPOSED TO THIS, SO YOU MUST BE REFERRING TO ANOTHER GROUP OR PEOPLE WHO “PROFESS” TO BE CHRISTIAN, BUT ARE NOT.
8. Christianity and all other religious cults are directly responsible for the never ending death and destruction that continues to plague the world.
AGAIN, YOU ARE MISINFORMED. TRUE CHRISTIANITY DOES NOT TEACH THIS AND TRUE FOLLOWERS WOULD NEVER CAUSE DEATH OR DESTRUCTION. YOU, LIKE MANY ARE A LITTLE CONFUSED AND WAY TOO INFLUENCED BY WHAT YOU HEAR IN THE MEDIA. A GOOD EXAMPLE IS THAT MOST PEOPLE THINK ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF PEACE…….IT IS FAR FROM A RELIGION OF PEACE.
this guy explains pretty well how i feel about god
short little video if you have time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY
It is a sad day for the America. We have a hope in God because His words never voids and the nations will pass away.
I have been wondering for years why no one is equating the rampant corruption in government and Wall Street with the declension in true Biblical Christianity. So here we now sit in cesspool Amerika.
Thanks, and please write more about this.
Great article. I would advise all readers here to visit http://www.livingwaters.com This is the ministry run by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron and others. He has several messages that you can download or order on CD regarding WHY the modern church is so ineefective and why so many so called “christians” are not living the faith and not abiding in the things of God. Along with the modern seeker friendly altar calls, modern evangelism has lost a certain element that has caused it to ineffective in producing true coverts and followers of Christ. I will let you check out the messages for yourselves, I encourage you to do so and listen VERY carefully. I really believe God is using Ray Comfort as a instrument in trying to wake up the modern church to get back to preaching of repentance.
The messages that I would highly recommend would be the following:
“Hells Best Kept Secret”
“True And False Converts”
“God Has A Wonderful Plan For Your Life”
I think Ray Comfort is great.
I also highly recommend “Hell’s Best Kept Secret”.
Michael
I’ll take science over religion any day.
Science flies rockets to the moon.
Religion flies airplanes into buildings.
“The cold, hard truth is that in America today, the younger you are, the less likely you are to consider yourself to be a Christian.”
Thank you for the compliment to my generation. You see, we realized unlike your generation or the boomers, that our government is a lie, our media is a lie(that’s why I read your blogs), our money is a lie, and everything you still put faith in is a lie. You tried to feed us this crow and we laughed using reason and logic. Now we realize that your god is also lie.
But don’t be mad at us for being the first generation to understand, use, and accelerate the Internet and its infinite education. It was only a matter of time before we researched people like Dionysius who existed centuries before Jesus, who was half man/half god and also the son of god, who had made water into wine and rose from the dead, if there were copyright laws 2000 years ago, your boy wouldn’t have even existed.
The only thing worth a mention about Christianity is the ethics, which were assembled nicely by Thomas Jefferson without the fluff and puff of the fake miracles, but again we can look before Jesus and see this…
“Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”
—Udanavarga 5:18
-This is a passage from Buddhism, if right now you are trying to figure out where this came from, 500 years before the golden rule was even a thought.
We read through the BS, because we can actually look it up, and refute with astounding evidence to the contrary.
Your generation and especially the laughable and ignorant baby boomer generation have not been fully awakened, and are the epitome of walking zomb-lies.
You have tried to drug my generation (Ritalin) into oblivion with your daily cock tail mix of crap to make us into Zomb-lies too. But it is not working; we have done more in one year (Egypt, Tunisia, etc…OWS) than you have accomplished in an entire generation and you are rightfully jealous. Your machine of lies is telling us that only 30% of the people support the idea of the 99% and we know that its a lie. We are 1776 and you are 1984. And that is what really hurts you, it’s not the fact that we are overthrowing you as we speak, but that we do not believe your lies anymore!
Oh and by the way if you are over the age of 66 like my great grandfather who is 93, than we do respect you and we do realize that your generation was the last of integrity, honesty, and ethics. We are so proud that you defeated fascism & communism. We know you saw your spoiled kids and their kids who are even more spoiled rotting this planet as we speak, but fear not; the great grand kids are here to save the day.
True story – The other day when talking to the great grandfather(93) he said that he was so proud of me for saving as much silver as I could preparing for another depression and that he had rewrtten the will so that I would get everything(I was shocked). I asked why he would skip over dad and grandpa. He said at Christmas when he was telling a story (how he lived in a one room shack and his mother would bring him meals that sometimes had maggots in them and he would have to pick them out because his mother was almost blind and could barely afford to feed them as it was, so he joined the war at 17 and told himself that he would never have a dirty shack, but a paid off clean house.) and no one listened after he said maggots and he saw those two laughing at each other as I was still listening intently, he said he knew then that those two (jag bags is what he calls them) Dad and pa would never get it, and his only hope was with me. We know talk on a consistent basis about how similar 1930’s is to the 2010′s and the currency wars. He says I am the only one he has faith in, for I am the only one who isn’t spoiled quote “stupid with money”. He spilled the beans and told me that Grandpa has refinanced so many times over and that he is afraid to leave the house to him and that dad will probably gamble it away. He then went on to say that it’s so simple that 3rd grader can understand what assest and liabilties are, yet they don’t teach us the basics of finiance because they are stealing it from us. Great Gramps then showed me a chest full of pre 1963 coins of silver then said that he was so happy to listen to me talk about silver. My dad and grandpa have no idea about the chest, Greagranddad thinks they will take to the bank and cash it in and blow it at the local river boat. Dad and pa give me crap daily about prepping, while great grandpa has been my most adamant supporter and the only one I can ask for advice on gardening. This is not anything new, one generation gets it right and then a few screw it up and the next one cleans it up.
I kinda compare to the five stages of death when it come to the realiztion that Christanity isn’t real. My generation is already on stage 5 of acceptance, while you are at best in denial or after reading my comment, in the stage of ANGER arrrggghh. Lol-from the millennials- the greatest generation after the greatest generation, because the ones in between are below average at best.
Just look at the leaders of the gerations to see the difference, going from Churchill/Truman/Eisenhower to Clinton/Bush/Obama should be all you need for real life examples of how screwed up the in between generations are.
If this touches a cord with you then I would say you should be upset at what you have done collectively as a generation, and you can join us and overthrow this international banking cartel that has corrupted the world into unforgivable debt.
If you could just get rid of the Rothchild family, 90% of the world’s problems would be solved at that moment. There is no such thing as money hungry evil jews, but there definetly is an example of money hungry evil Rothchilds. From now on stop using the term “Jewish” or “Jew” to pertain to a cheap scumbags, from now on call by what it is and say quit being so Rothchildish, it’s emabarrising! It’s a war on all fronts, including linguistics.
Sorry for the rant- your article struck a cord with me too.
YAWN…….pointless rant.
You are half right. But your precious silver will not save you in the end. Scripture says the Anti-christ is coming to rule with an iron fist and will eventually DEMAND to be worshipped. Religion is different than faith. Jesus Christ was/is real and died for us all. When the noose tightens and they strip you of all your possessions or kill you…you will maybe see–unless you get with true Bible-believing christians who know their Bible and can direct you to what scripture says. Not as a manipulation–but as the Word of God. I know someone on this blog guided someone else to read a book by a converted atheist. I would suggest you do this. I challenge you to do this. I am 51 years old and have been watching for Jesus all of my life. I believe he is coming in my lifetime. If Jesus didn’t come back, there would be no one left alive after what is to come upon the earth. Your silver will not save you. The iron fist which is the NWO will make sure of that. It is you that is the naive one.
It’s literally refreshing to read logical and reasonable comments like yours Brian, I too look at this blog with less admiration, Michael is so good at using reason and logic when comes to the Government and Politics, but it’s like the dog in the movie UP, when he sees a squirrel, he will just loose all obedience and control when it comes to Religion, kinda sad to see such intelligence go to rationale ignorance. I’m not being mean Michael and I respect your articles, but this one has a squrrel like quality for your Christian readers.
When we look around the world and see the number of bloody conflicts caused by imbeciles wanting to start fights over whose invisible superhero is more powerful, how can any person with a brain be attracted to religion? Why are matters of religious orthodoxy considered so much more important by religious adherents than the moral teachings of those religions? Why are people prepared to kill one another over things which can never be proven? I can’t see the decline of religion as a bad thing. The decline of personal morality is another matter entirely. This article points out how this country was founded by people fleeing religious persecution and then goes on to attempt to ram religion down America’s throat.
Religion is not faith. If I kill in YOUR name does that make you a bad person. If I ram your opinion down the throat of somebody else does that make your opinion wrong? I think you are confusing the actions of people with the actions of God.
Most religions are lifeless organized ways of controlling people and not setting them free. True faith sets you free.
INDEED, IT IS TIME FOR RELIGION TO DISAPPEAR FROM THE UNIVERSE.
You mean the religion of atheism, correct? You know, that led to things like communism and various other flavours of socialism, that in turn murdered over 160 MILLION people last century, according to Dr. RJ Rummel?
Yes, the end of the religion of atheism is welcome indeed.
and how many people of faith did the killing for the Nazis and Communists?
you can’t wash the blood off the hands of those Christians who killed
Gay veteran, If their blood is to be washed, or if they are to be judged, it will be God, who’s mercies are renewed day by day, who will do it, not you or I. Why do you steryotype christians as muderers or homophobic. Would I be just in judging you as a murderer because atheists killed millions in wars themselves? Does’nt judging all people in these groups require you to have knowledge of all people in these groups. Why do you judge one philosophy ( christianity ) by it’s abuses and leave another ( atheism ) untouched. Are you able to wash the blood off the hands of atheistic led slaughters of tens of millions at the hands of hitler, mussolini, stalin or pol pot. Are’nt YOU being biased, the very accusation you raise against the christian. I believe your antagonism towards christians and the bible is fueled by your distain for what the bible has to say in regard to homosexuality. You think that all christians view you as an enemy. If they do, then they are not living out the words Christ spoke in regards to loving thy neighbor as thyself. This is not to say that in order to love you that christians should agree with your lifestyle, but rather let God be the judge of ALL men, including the christian. I think in your case a hypothetical question will serve well.. If God were to reveal himself to you personally, in an undeniable way, say that he appeared before you, and hypothetically, he told you that homosexuality would condemn you if you persisted in it, would you accept his words and repent, or would you continue? If what the bible says on the subject were true, would’nt the christian be your TRUE freind, in that he told you what you needed to hear, not what you wanted to hear? If you don’t think the bible is Gods word or that theres even a God at all, I will still treat you as a person of worth, because thats who you are. I will not, however, be held accountable by God or by you, for those who do not. Apersons ethnicity and a persons sexuality are sacred, in that they were given by God. If he made you, then it’s him you will answer to.
I do NOT steryotype all christians as murderers or homophobic. However, it is painfully obvious that Hitler could not have killed so many Jews (and German Gays) without the active cooperation of German Christians.
Murder is murder, whether done by atheists or Christians.
My “antagonism” towards some Christians is there desire to use the power of the state to make me a second class citizen.
Your problem is that you do NOT know that the Bible is true. You have faith it is, but you do not know if for a fact.
Gay veteran, faith is not blind, it’s accompanied by reason and evidence, of which the bible has plenty for anyone who desires to look for it. Again, you will come to realize that the true freind tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.
Gay veteran, lets assume that you are right about the bible not being fact ( I believe theres countless evidence to support that it is ). If you are right, then at the end of our lives, you and I will both have the same fate, which is simply to die and be no more. But, if I am right, then our fates will be drastically different, because you have not trusted in christ, the only way that God provides for men to attone for their sin. With that fact in mind, don’t you think you should invest a considerable amount of time to investigate the claims of christ? Does’nt it only make good sense to do so? Not only that, but compare the claims of Christ with the other religions. I’m extremely confident, in the words of Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, that you will find only the bible provides you with an answer that addresses all of lifes questions, those of origin, meaning, morality and destiny. Hope you will at least consider it, I do care for you, regardless of what you may think.
Dear irreligious,
Your arrogance blinds you. God’s existence is always affirmed, never questioned throughout the bible and you are either with God or against him. So you can go on about how there are “good” people who arent religious, because there is actually no such thing as a good person in the eyes of God. Your inability to admit you are a sinner and accept God will lead you to hell. I sincerlely hope and pray that you see the truth before it is too late. This is not meant to be condescending or belittling, but serves as a WARNING.
Please, please, please turn to God so that he may have mercy on you at your judgment. There is no use in resisting, there is nowhere to hide and nothing to say that will make God just go away. He always has his way.
Michael,
Not that you respond to anything I post here, but why do you describe this reduction in christianity as shocking? Do you feel like the christians “own” the asylum states? Do you feel as if christianity is the only legitimate religion here? I am really interested in knowing why you would use the word “shocking” to describe this transformation.
Reed:
I used the term shocking to describe the magnitude of the decline. When you take a close look at the numbers they really are staggering.
Michael
Michael-I think you need to blame it on the Neplelim. That is the cause.
You can sing it to the tune “Blame it on the Alcohol” by Jamie Fox.
Blame it on the Neph-eph-eph-eph-ephilm
The devaluing of Christianity can be a good thing.
When I was growing up, I saw attending church as boring. Why was I there? Just because other people were there?
Religion is not the problem itself but the prople that practice it. I was more turned off by oppresive and above all, hypocritical poeple that always showed up in church but never practiced what they preached.
I’m in my 50s now and I saw “Christianity” as someting irrelevant when I was younger and I still do.
Now remember, a relationship with God can be a very personal thing. No churches are required.
But due to the people involved in churches that these young people experienced as children, can you really blame them for not wanting to get involved?
When people grow up and think for themselves, this result can be expected.
The great trickster (deceiver, satan) has infiltrated the churches and religious organizations long ago.
People are turning away because they are confused. We have corrupt churches, priests, ministers, and “Christians” at every step. Many self-proclaimed Christians and affiliates spew tremendous hatred and corruption, yet they fail to realize it.
Non-believers see this corruption and question the reality. They must realize religion can never be perfect because the human race is naturally flawed. They must first understand this human nature and the tricks the great deceiver unfolds to steer us away from the light. It can sometimes be a long, difficult journey.
guess the gimmicks of rock-n-roll, jump up and down mega-fun filled churches not working out……they do not transform and transpire..
The problem is with the fake pastors who claim to care about the “lost” and to “shepherd” the “sheep” but, don’t. The truth is that the “Christian Church” has become a religion. It’s time to embrace faith and discard fake religions. Faith is valid inside or outside of a church. A famous atheist once said that if he believed in the Christian Gospel and the eternal damnation of the lost that he would have crawled across London on his hands and knees on broken glass to save just one. Where are the Christians like that ?! Enjoy your self serving “promise keepers”, prayer breakfasts, guest speakers, build your stupid buildings and have your building funds…etc. because you will reap what you sow. God is not mocked. You are sowing the seeds of your own destruction and they will kick in your door, drag you away imprison you and enslave you. You are raising your own persecutors.
“…According to a study done by LifeWay Research, membership in Southern Baptist churches will fall nearly 50 percent by the year 2050 if current trends persist….”
The obvious question is why?
Maybe because the Southern Baptists are merely part of the right-wing Republican party. Maybe because of the Southern Baptists’ history of racism, sexism, and homophobica. Maybe because too many Southern Baptists believe in Mammon instead of Jesus.
Researchers concluded in the late 1800s that by sometime in the 1900s (I forget the exact date) London would be covered in horse poop up to 20 feet, too.
Billy Graham explicitly insisted on blacks at his meetings from the very start; the *reverend* Martin Luther King, last I looked, was black, as are people like leading southern pastors like Tony Evans. Sexism? Yes, men and women are different, but otherwise you cite nothing other than your own accusations, without citing data. and the “homophobia” thing has gotten a bit old and tired. Yes, homosexuality is not the expression of God’s will for people, and I have had gay friends even way back 40 years ago, when I first became a Christian. While we were in disagreement, we were people that stood up for them as people in the image of God, just as all sinners are. Nevertheless, nature made us male and female; the anus is biologically not the same as female reproductive organs, which are MEANT to stretch (the rectal area is like tissue paper, and tears VERY easily, allowing for immune system suppresants to get into the bloodstream, etc.) The eliminative tract is also the organ of death (eliminating decayed matter, etc.) amd even the very smell of excrement gives a hint to people to keep aways, whereas the female reproductive tract is an organ that, while also having elimination, includes the ability to give life.
No, friend, I am not homophobic, or any of the other things you write about. But you neednt’ be phobic of exploring healing either. There are – in contrast to the phobias shown my many gays, a LOT of ex-gays out there, who found their true life’s purpose (e.g, Exodus Int’l). You, too, can be one of them
Rackets, cults & fake dieties come and go. You worry too much.
Good riddance to backward superstition.
“When men cease to believe in God, they don’t believe in nothing, but ***anything***
– GK Chesterton
(and that “anything,” today, is StuffMart, the NFL, Dancing with the Stars, the Kardashians or Lady Gaga, my personal peace and prosperity, ad nauseam… and by that measure, the atheists and “non-religious” are in fact the most religious of all, where “religion” is defined as anything telling us where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going (to the atheist minds, we came from “chance,” we’re here to enjoy ourselves, and we’re going…. going…. well, we try not to think about that, or else come up with some feel-good hypothesis….
Just do your own google of “Court ruling on atheism as religion” or similar, and you will find court rulings stating atheism is indeed a religion.
Yes, Nick, good riddance to the god of materialism, the god of self, the god of ignorance that absolutely refuses to investigate the claims of Christianity.
“Unfortunately,” folks like Simon Greenleaf, at Harvard (who basically set in place the rules for what constitutes evidence in American courts) had the misfortune to investigate the claims for the resurrection. He was Jewish, BTW. On completeling his investigation, he became a Christian.
You assume much. I was once a foolish Christian, a state sponsored murderer (USMC), and I once gave a damn about this BS racket you call a country. Good riddance.
Fact or folklore, the last part of George Washington’s Vision forecasts the future of the United States…
For the complete vision:
http://www.propheticroundtable.org/vision_of_george_washington.htm
…Greenleaf’s book is called “The Testimony of the Evangelists” BTW (if I recall corrrectly); the author of Ben Hur is another atheist who had the “misfortune” to investigate the claims of Christianity, and became a Christian, similar to what happened to Morrison, who wrote the classic “Who Moved the Stone,” after starting research to put that doggoned resurrection story to rest. A more modern version of this is Lee Strobel, an atheist lawyer form Yale, who also, unfortunately, researched the same issue, and ended up becoming a Christian, writing The Case for Christ.
So…. yes, I agree. Ignorance is bad, as you say. And as former atheist CS Lewis from Oxford once wrote, an atheist can NEVER be too careful about what he reads… he might just end up confronting the real God who is indeed there, and is not silent.
the issue isn’t that religion is declining simply because of some bullshit reason like moral decline or decadence in society, its the attack on religion that is taking place. it’s like we are no longer allowed to believe in christ or god. there are so many stories out there, you could trip over them, at all the attacks on religion out there.
I concur. This is to be entirely expected so I take it as it is: a sad, disturbing, soon to turn violent situation, but when its all over…you know what will happen.
Attacks on religion? If anything it’s the religious who are attacking the atheists and “non-believers”. Christianity is one of the largest religions out there, to claim that it is under attack by a minority group is ridiculous. Just because young people are opening their eyes to rationality and ignoring religion for the lie that it is doesn’t mean Christianity is under attack.
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The church needs to regroup and gather in homes, where faith is restored, private, and truth is real. Forget the church leadership. They are padding their pockets and socially re-engineering your mind with think tank religion and crisis management, and they’re getting paid to do so – much like the public schools and mass media.
Raise your churches in your homes. All you need is a Bible – one will do. Save yourselves and your souls and leave your new and improved church buildings, fancy organs, fundraisers, and colorful windows behind.
As in all Communist countries, the church will survive underground, so to speak, and with genuine prayer!!!!!THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL!!!!WHEN EVER I HEAR THE DEVIL AND HIS DEMONS COMING AT ME I PLAY THIS AT 120 DECIBLE’S LITERALLY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrZK4K6Qzdc!!!THE 501 3 C DAYS ARE OVER!! THE TRUE CHURCH IS UNDERGROUND!!!The religion which is holy and free from evil in the eyes of our God and Father is this: to take care of children who have no fathers and of widows who are in trouble, and to keep oneself untouched by the world.!!!!YOU DONT HAVE NO OIL!! YOUR HOUSE IS BUILT ON SAND!!
right on brother!!
THIS THE END!!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGXeXm0uMDo
Or… Winds of Change:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPlxBA1o4OQ&feature=related
Good article Michael, I’m glad you addressed this issue.
Well, I got into a debate with a “Christian” who said that the teachings of Jesus, agree with homosexuality… If that’s not blasphemy I don’t know what is…
And I’m a Christian as well, and I do not hate homosexuals, but I do believe it is wrong. However, I will not tolerate somebody saying Jesus taught homosexuality, that is simply not true, and a dangerous comment to make.
I think we as a whole, have become lax on religion, morals and values. It’s not just Christianity, but most people have no since of dignity or real self-esteem whatsoever. This makes me upset, because I know it was done deliberately, and the powers that be, want a degenerate, sinful and dumbed-down society.
In all honesty, I don’t blame most people, because they never had a chance. They never went to church, they never had parents who loved them and showed them support, or somebody to care for them and raise them properly.
Most people like to ride the fence, and as a Christian you cannot do that. You can’t be afraid of persecution, scorn or to be openly laughed at or mocked.
So, when I say that I do not agree with homosexuality, I don’t agree with it because the Bible says it’s a sin. And the point that I’m making is, if you are a Christian, then the Bible is the infallible word of God, and it is our duty to uphold and carryout the law.
Now, I don’t agree with “bible thumping” and I’m not trying to hurt anyone’s feelings, I mean, none of us are perfect, we all have our faults and we all sin, but it’s time that people choose a side, and a lot of people think they can be “weekend Christians” but God doesn’t work like that.
Stay Strong and Keep Up the Good Work!
“…the Bible is the infallible word of God…” and used to justify slavery
You don’t need to believe in imaginary people to be moral.
You need to be heard, to feel valued and part of the society you are in.
In America, and here in the UK, the governments are failing its people by allowing the rich to become richer and rest poorer.
Do the research yourself, the happiest countries are those where inequality is low.
It has nothing to do with belief in a God.
AMEN_you are 100% correct! Well Said!
Gary 2
When I read this article, I just knew your name would show up in the comments. I also knew what you would write.
You are obviously obsessed with hating the rich and cosider them to be the cause of every problem we have.
The Obama’s tax return shows they gave one percent to charity, while the “evil, rich” guy, Romney gave 15 percent.
The reason I am not rich, Gary 2, is because I did not make better choices in my life. It’s not because of the rich nor the government. I am not poor because I was shown a good work ethic by my “christian” parents.
You really need to get off the rich bashing; it’s become tiresome and you do come off as being somewhat crazy.
So America is a theocracy! Finally someone admits to it!
Hey Everyone,
I just woke up and have been putting off reading this one, later today after I exercise and have some coffee I’ll read the article and share my full opinion.
But I just wanted to put something out there real quick, religion isn’t the cause of all the world’s problems, just like how science isn’t the solver of all problems either.
IMO we live in a hyperreality, coined by french philosopher Jean Baudrillard. Most of what he argues is that living in a postmodern era, we have lost the original meaning in everything.
A quick example, look at relationships, in the past let’s say 30 years ago, most were built on the cornerstone of love. Today stupid young people get married because their sex life is good, thus in a few years time (and often a few kids later) the mirage ends in a messy divorce, because the sex dries up. In the past most young people realized sex was the natural by-product of love, not and ends to a means.
Why did they get this way? The television raised them, more specifically commercialism raised them. We can’t have a return to lofty ideals of religion, ethics and morals when we live in a society that spawned ‘Sex And The City’.
It’s like trying to paint a house that has no right angles, and then getting upset because the paint job looks bad.
Hope some of that made sense…
Always a pleasure to read your posts. I am concerned, however, that your operationalization of “Christianity” is too narrow to cover many followers of Jesus. The 6 statements in the Barna Group study, for example, would exclude all Roman Catholics who are orthodox, due to the historical discounting of the Pauline denial of “works.” Many Christians also have a strong love for the Bible but acknowledge that God permitted us to make our own errors in its perpetuation. I suppose many people who identify themselves as “Christians” might believe that Catholics aren’t really “Christians,” but that exclusion seems rather like the fallacies that led to the Reformation in the first place. My purpose isn’t to start a big religious debate on your page, but rather to question whether such narrow definitions can be used fairly in arguments about the decline of American Civilization.
D,
THANKS FOR THE KIND WORDS:
I live in a reality based world. I don’t subscribe to the notion that everything is a bed of roses, beer, and pizza unlike most people. And I don’t focus on things that don’t matter either, like gay marriage, school prayer, etc., etc. Most people pay no attention to anything outside of the bubble that they live in. This is why governments around the world, not just in the asylum states, stage the most outlandish schemes one can imagine. They do this because people have, in the most idiotic fashion possible, come to believe that “their government”
would never do the things that it has in fact done. Also, many people continue to live and function in this corrupt warfare welfare state system, and believe that any change to it would therefore take something away from them, which they obviously do not want, even though in the end, said system will collapse from the weight of its own corruption. And because logical, rational thought is not the centerpiece of people’s daily lives, this collapse can not be stopped. They willingly participate and vote for a corrupt system headed for collapse, because they have been taught nothing else during their lives. In the end, one cannot, and I do not, have sympathy for people under these circumstances, because their wounds are self inflicted.
————————————————-
You are 100% correct on those eight points. That’s why it is so many people are confused and steer away from religion all together.
Everything is corrupted, religion usually the most, but only because humans are naturally corrupt and selfish. Jesus/God/The One loves all equally, even murderers. It breaks my heart to see such hate brought out by “Christians” on other people. This is not what the light/Jesus/God is about. Religion has been used as a weapon to control fear, not for loving thy neighbor.
This is because darkness covers the world (the deceiver). The bible has been corrupted and misinterpreted over the years by many, only to use it at a controllable fear factor. This is the deceiver’s work, and that’s why some examples in the bible are hard to interpret or understand. The One knew us and how we would use it for our selfish endeavors, but if you look closely and think outside the box (which you can), you will see there is more to the picture. Don’t listen to other Christians and priests, think for yourself in these matters. I think that’s the problem most of the time (people are confused from the actions and beliefs of corrupt christians).
We are in a spiritual manifestation of the battle between good and evil. The elite are foreseen in the bible as the deceiver’s puppets. The entire world is the trickster’s paradise, and we are literally within hell on earth. The deceiver is the master of his skills and can even fool the most aware of the dire circumstances of the world (such as yourself). How many others, such as proclaimed christians, have the knowledge you possess on the dire world status? Not many. Most are still sheep. This blog is the minority.
Just as we get alternative forms of news from this blog, sometimes people need to get alternative forms of this as well.
Check out http://jahtruth.net/ and http://home.iae.nl/users/lightnet/creator/masterfile.htm – Take everything as a grain of salt, but think for yourself. Search the net and there are plenty of others.
I used to think just like you Reed. In fact, I still do, but as I looked further into this world scenario from a scientific and spiritual viewpoint, I eventually found that this evil scheme is masterminded and influenced by something more powerful than us. Decades of bible study and attending church did nothing for me to actually understand. I don’t think they really want you too sometimes (the churches).
You understand evil and corruption, and that is what sets you apart from everyone else. You are a few steps away.
Hi Reed: I understand sincerely your thoughts, and you are correct. Many people don’t understand the complexities involved in our gov’t and the self-infliction they propose upon themselves. They believe the vote actually matters in today’s world, where it essentially doesn’t.
I want to remind you that we have been corrupted since Pre-K, thinking that the R and D battle actually matters, it is one of the deceiver’s tricks. He makes sure we battle against each other.
You are aware of the this complex corruption. Please try to help others to see this. It is VERY DIFFICULT, but try your best. You are powerful, seeing the discrepancy.
That is what sets you apart from 99.9% of the population. You see there is more to life than that. And that is why you are attacked bythe darkness than most. You see the reality.
I know it it difficult to try and help others who don’t see this reality. You claim is it their fault and they should have seen.
You may be right, but please understand their complex world. They might not have the insight to foresee this corruption. You do. That is why you are attacked and sets you apart from most. The deceiver knows this and wants you to condemn those who don’t know (he wants to own them).
You are a major player in these times. You have something special which others (the darkness) don’t want found or portrayed. I hope you see otherwise.
Others will say you are psychotic and need to see false deviations. I say you are wise and need direction. You are wise, but are confused by the greatest power in the world (yes, the greatest deceiver IN THE UNIVERSE). That is not a bad sign. Keep on ROCKIN’, you have something special.
A good Christian will not say you are “bad” and a poor soul. You are a great person in this time, and I wish to you to see you potential against the darkness (and possibly the greatest darkness that ever rose). Rock on. YOU are a good man.
D,
Again, thank you for the kind words. But you and I are part of the roughly 1 percent of the population that gets it. The rest, not so much. I only silightly disagree with you on one point. There is nothing complex about corrupt government and corrupt “corporate fascism” that rules the asylum states. Wall Street’s and Washington’s crimes are out in open view for all to see, if people wish to see it. Illegal wars, targeted murders, outright theft of people’s private brokerage/banking accounts (MF Global), permanently low interest rates that hurt savers in favor of speculators, all of this is not complex, and it is hidden in plain sight for all to see. It is as I said, people do not wish to see it. The suckers who voted for Obama in 2008, and Professor Cornel West is the biggest sucker of them all, are getting exactly what they asked for. Cornel West campaigned his behind off for Obama and then when it came time to reward the brother for campaigning for him, Obama did his best uncle tom imitation and then not only stiffed West at the inauguration by not inviting him, but started yelling at him and berating him, knowing that if Professor West had gotten anywhere near confrontational in his response that Secret Service would have cracked his head open like an egg. But I knew that Obama was a fraud when he voted for the first TARP banker bailout, voted to give telecomm companies retroactive immunity from prosecution for spying on people, voted for the new Bankruptcy bill which makes student loan debt more murderous to a person’s finances than child support and alimony combined, and proclaimed that murdering children in Pakistan was somehow in amerika’s security interest. Add those things together and you get Bush on steriods.
Although I share your sentiments, I am afraid that the only way people’s eyes will be opened is when the financial collapse begins to hurt them where it counts most, in their wallets. Standby people, the criminal class in Washington D.C. and New York City are just getting started.