With rare exceptions, Christianity is in decline (at least as a percentage of the population). This is true regardless of denominations (again, with RARE exceptions) and regardless of being conservative/traditional or liberal or just "lite."
Where I live, closed/boarded up churches are everywhere.... Catholic ones, Methodist ones, Baptist ones, Pentecostal ones, pretty much across the board. There ARE a few mega-nondenoms (usually with very, very "lite" to non-existent theology) that are thriving.... and a few Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian churches that also are doing well (or at least hanging in there), again, I see no trend: it seems to be a church - by - church, neighborhood - by - neighborhood thing. And with the denominational churches, there are few youth or younger people just a lot of gray hairs, not too optimistic for the future.
My brother goes to a HUGE non-denom that on the surface seems to be one of the few exceptions..... it's HUGE, there are a few thousand in church on Sunday, they have their own Starbucks, they have so many in attendance that there is NO WAY they can get them all into the worship center (as they call it) - so there are several venues on the campus where you can watch via video feed. And the average age is probably late 20's. BUT it's only seeming...... my brother reports that the turn over rate is HUGE - the average participant only lasts a couple of years and then drops out. IMO, MY opinion, the reason is there's no theology, there is no depth, there is no "meat" .... but the reason THEY give is that "connections" aren't always made (and I'm sure that's PART of it).
I get to Europe - partly to visit friends/family and partly because of my work. England, Germany, France, Spain..... It's one big Christian ghost town. Christian CULTURE often still lives (Easter and Christmas are big there as HOLIDAYS, for example) but few go to church, fewer still have any idea what Christianity is about or any understanding of Christian theology. The new Muslims stand out as people of faith, but not the Christians.
It SADDENS me when Christians gloat in this bleeding..... always suggesting it's someone else's fault, it's because of THAT denomination or THAT movement because if just everyone worshipped like MY church..... believed like MY church..... did like MY church.... why, we'd be gaining hundreds of millions of converts a year (even though MY church isn't growing at all!). Catholics blame the Protestants...... Protestants blame the RCC..... Non-Denoms blame the Denoms..... Liberals blame the conservatives..... Conservatives blame the liberals...... meanwhile, Christianity is rapidly loosing ground.... churches are closing...... Christians schools and colleges are closing...... pews are getting grayer and grayer. Maybe it's time to spot blaming others and start looking in the mirror. Maybe it's time to start LOVING and SERVING and EVANGELIZING friends and neighbors. Christianity went from a tiny, tiny, obscure thing to #1 because "all the world sees how they love each other." Not because of praise bands or youth groups or whatever folks today think works....
Here's what is behind the decline in Christianity, in MY humble, fallible, lay opinion......
1. Lack of love - unconditional, universal, real love of, for and by PEOPLE. (In reality, Christians and churches too often seem LESS loving)
2. Lack of care for the "lost" (and behind this, a belief that hell probably doesn't exist)
3. Relativism - Christianity is "nice" but who knows if it's really true? Hey, whatever works for you!
4. Lack of a clear, personally believed and understood message..... the dumbing down of Christianity, "Lite" Christianity, lack of Christian education..... Don't know the Gospel.
5. Institutionalism. Too many parishes and denominations of them are about self-preservation/self-promotion rather than lifting high the Cross. Church/denomination fights.
6. Entertainment mentality, desire to GET rather than GIVE in worship, "what's in it for me?" mentality (and not just about worship)
7. Church people too often feel unloved, uncared for, ignored.... even used.
8. Legalism - and the resulting Phariseeism and hypocritical put downs.
9. Copying the world - less well than the world. We can't out-entertain Hollywood, we can't out-youth secular youth stuff, churches trying to out-do the SECULAR world but failing miserably.... and forgetting their REAL purpose.
10. Culturalism (this especially in Europe).... the church is abandon in favor of keeping the culture, the traditions, the customs which make us feel nostalgic and good.
In short, forgetting to be the church.
IMO, the above runs across denominational lines...... across the "liberal/conservative" line..... Protestant/Catholic/Non-Denom
Where to begin? With the one you see in the mirror..... and with each congregation looking in the mirror.
Pax Soli Christi
- Josiah
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