Why is Christianity declining?

[SecularMotion]

The number of Christians and cultural strength of Christianity are both declining in the United States. This decline is noticeable and is affecting church life, culture, and politics. It is also deeply disturbing to most Christians, including me.

These descriptive claims are found in my new book, A Letter to My Anxious Christian Friends, just out with Westminster John Knox Press. I will be reflecting on themes from that new book in my blog posts over the next few weeks. This is the first, exploring Christian decline in the United States.

I could now spend several paragraphs inviting a debate over whether and in what sense Christianity really can be said to be in decline in the U.S. But I won’t. Suffice it to say that when one percent fewer Americans each year claim a Christian affiliation, that marks decline. When most denominations and congregations report declining membership and attendance, that marks decline. When more and more congregations close their doors forever, that marks decline. And when the youngest generation shows the greatest disaffiliation trend, that marks a decline likely to have lasting impact.

No, the more interesting question at this point is why. Why this disaffiliation trend? What are its causes?

http://religionnews.com/2016/09/06/why-is-christianity-declining/

[Cartoonist]

1. Deeply disturbing

Yay!

Decline, decline, decline.

Yay!

Why this disaffiliation trend? What are its causes?

Knowledge. And there's nothing you can do about it.

[DetlefK]

2. Christianity has been declining world-wide for 500+ years now.

Christianity was really big during the Middle-Ages, but people felt it had gone wrong somewhere. In the 15th century, a desire arose for alternatives to Christianity and the result was an interest in ancient texts that run "parallel" to the Bible. (e.g. the Corpus Hermeticum)

With this interest into ancient culture, a new cultural era began: the Renaissance. Christianity split into Mainstream-Christianity and Occult Christianity (aka "magic&quot .
Mainstream-Christianity then furthermore split into Catholics and Evangelicals. And at the same time the Humanist Tradition arose: It postulated that a Golden Age can be achieved by focusing on arts and a pious lifestyle.
Occult Christianity evolved into Science in the 17th century, which in turn gradually moved away from religious explanations and towards materialistic explanations in the 18th century.



Christianity isn't "declining". There are just too many new alternatives: Alternatives that were chosen because they don't have Christianity's weaknesses.

[trotsky]

3. Christianity is declining, tolerance is increasing. Coincidence? n/t

[YoungDemCA]

9. Tolerance is increasing so much, that Donald Trump is the GOP nominee for President

And far-right parties are gaining in power and popularity in much of Europe (including Western Europe).

Good one!

[trotsky]

10. The basket of deplorables is still around, yes.

But they don't dictate the policy anymore.

Marriage equality is the law of the land. Women not only have reproductive freedom (yes, constantly under attack in some areas), contraceptive coverage is now mandated by law in insurance plans. Instead of facing arrest and outright discrimination, our LGBT allies now have legal protections against discrimination in many states.

Are things better, tolerance-wise, than when the conservative Christians called the shots? Absolutely! indeed!

[saltpoint]

4. I didn't know those statistics, but

they do draw a picture of declining influence.

Some surveys show younger U.S. Americans' affiliation with churches etc to be way down from previous generations.

It would be interesting to see an ascendance in what could be called the Christianity of the Left and a parallel collapse of the Christianity of the mega-church. I'm as non-Christian as they come, but the people who generally represent mega-church Christianity don't seem to have read one syllable of the New Testament. Their disconnect from their claimed text is, how do you say, deplorable.

[CanonRay]

5. Because "Christian"

has become synonymous with bigotry and stupidity, eg anti science, anti gay and just generally narrow minded. I know there are Christians out there who try to reflect the views of Christ, but there are far too many sticking out their chests when they say they are Christian as if you are then something less. American Christianity, or at least the perception of it, has gotten very ugly.

[CanonRay]

6. As recent (today) evidence, I give you this

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pastor-allen-joyner-national-anthem-shot_us_57d61590e4b03d2d459b0ec6?section=&

[Act_of_Reparation]

8. Here we go with the scare quotes again.

All those terrible Christians aren't really Christians. How fortunate.

[rug]

11. So, all atheists are alike, then.

Got it.

[stone space]

17. For a true believer, Christianity can be hard work. And their standards may be different than yours.

The late Fr. Phil Berrigan would describe himself as "a Catholic, trying to become a Christian".

Of course, different Christians can have different standards, and Phil's standards may be higher than some folks.

Phil worked pretty hard at it, as near as I could tell.

He didn't get his definition of Christianity from an internet meme, of course.

So those who do might use the term differently.

[Major Nikon]

12. there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross

-- Friedrich Nietzsche

[rug]

13. Glad you agree Pat Robertson is not a Christian.

[cleanhippie]

14. Pat Robertson isn't a Christian?

[rug]

15. According to Major Nikon.

Assuming he agrees with Nietzsche.

[cleanhippie]

16. Only you made that assertion.

Assuming you agree with facts.

[rug]

20. Only he made that quote.

Assuming you read the thread.

[stone space]

19. See post #18

Pat Robertson isn't a Christian?

[stone space]

18. This reminds me of what the late Fr Phil Berrigan had to say about the so-called Christian Right.

Last edited Mon Sep 19, 2016, 01:26 PM - Edit history (1)

Because "Christian" has become synonymous with bigotry and stupidity, eg anti science, anti gay and just generally narrow minded. I know there are Christians out there who try to reflect the views of Christ, but there are far too many sticking out their chests when they say they are Christian as if you are then something less. American Christianity, or at least the perception of it, has gotten very ugly.

Fighting the Lamb's War: Skirmishes with the American Empire.

The Autobiography of Phillip Berrigan, with Fred A. Wilcox

(from page 219 of the 1996 edition.)

My critics say that I must "Love or Leave" America. I have never considered becoming an expatriate. This is my country. I was born and raised here. The United States has fostered and nourished me. And even though the government does not represent the people, this country belongs to us.

People talk about taking the country back from the usurpers, but what does this mean? In the name of liberty and justice, Pat Buchanan and friends want to establish an Old Testament Theocracy. In their ideal world the state will not only be God’s representative on earth; the state will be God. Persecuting the poor, abolishing Affirmative Action, building more prisons, executing more prisoners, expanding police powers, burning books, denying gay men and women jobs, fanning the fires of bigotry and hate, nourishing the addiction to war; all this will be an expression of God’s will.

How anyone can claim to be a Christian and believe these things is beyond comprehension. The God of the so-called Christian Right is a God of hate, not love; revenge, not forgiveness; death, not life. Such a God is bigoted and spiteful, a misogynist who inflicts pain and misery on the human family. The Christian Right’s vision stems neither from the Bible nor the Constitution, but from the dark and frightened recesses of the human psyche.

As for myself, I continue to resist because there is no alternative. I will not join the establishment. That would be deeply repugnant to me. I intend to stay here, witnessing against violence and madness, obsession with property and glorification of privilege.

Plowshare activists go to jail in order to resist the empire. We are innocent, but there is no other way to make our statement. We make it publicly, in court, before the press and anyone who cares to listen. We do not choose to go to prison. That is the government’s decision. We violate unjust laws, and take the consequences, whatever they may be. But our submission doesn’t mean that we respect the corrupt judicial system. We go to prison for our nonviolent beliefs, not because we accept the empire’s rules.

I remember one quotation from the Book of John, where Jesus says something like, “If they hate me, they will hate you also.” The implication; if they do not hate you, you are not living the life you profess to live. That is, following me.”

Two thousand years have passed, and Caesar reigns. The military occupies our country, a hierarchy of the rich and powerful controls the people’s lives, taxing the poor, beating, jailing, killing, those who resist imperial policies.

For over a period of two thousand years, the Bible has been largely ignored or defiled. The life of Christ is not preached by the established church, and it is not lived by many Christians; not to be wondered that so many “Christians” despise the poor and support the military.

[struggle4progress]

7. "Go now: sell your property, give the money away to the poor, and you will have riches in Heaven;

then come follow me!"

This has never actually been an extraordinarily popular idea