Is American Christianity on Its Last Legs? The Data Say Otherwise

[Whispered]

Is American Christianity on Its Last Legs? The Data Say Otherwise.
Two new books push back on Chicken-Little narratives of evangelical decline.
Bradley Wright| September 12, 2019

I've browsed other Christian discussion sites and shockingly there are members at those sites that herald what they think is the demise of the faith.
I never thought it was true and it is heartening to read that there are others that know it is not.

God, save us from the wolves.

Prayer against those wolves in sheep’s clothing

• 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
  
  Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
  

 

[Magenta]

Society in general has become more accepting of secularism, which
gives those who are not true believers permission to leave the church.

 

[maxwel]

I don't think I would get too excited about the state of Christianity in America.

Perhaps not every single thing is as bad as it seems, and perhaps not every single thing is as bad as it could be... but it would be foolish to mistake these propositions for a ringing endorsement of American Christianity.

God can protect, and bless, faithful Christians...
whether or not we happen to be in the majority.

God calls us to be hopeful, and do the work of Christians...
Whether or not we happen to be in the majority.

God is still God.
Regardless of whether or not we find ourselves in the majority...
God is still God.

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[calibob]

Society in general has become more accepting of secularism, which
gives those who are not true believers permission to leave the church.

I was foretold that it would happen in the last days many however have left churches (there's a difference) due to crooked preachers, false teachings and some churches have an alternate agenda, like politics or pro homo or acceptance of alternate doctrines. The true church is us! Regardless of what building we go to true circumcision of the heart will never go away as well as the gifts of discernment wisdom and knowledge when we recognize a lie we either speak or walk out.

Phonies hate that! They want sheeple. Never give up. The Lord IS comming back, he WILL separate the sheep from the goats.

 

[Whispered]

We are indeed the church.

One of the biggest wolves recently repented of his decades long behavior after it garnered him the status of multi-millionaire.
The prosperity preachers are all phonies and yet they live luxurious lifestyles and sometimes have churches full to capacity.
Though I will say the wonderful thing is for those in the congregation paying attention and that are meant to realize they're following a false teacher, God does work the tongue of that wolf so that those meant to hear and flee that false church.

And sometimes God works their tongue so as to insure more than one wolf is revealed.

Video's "John Gray Adultery"

 

[Roughsoul1991]

Nope by statistics Christianity isn't on the decline but stable in America and growing greatly in other countries like China.

What we could debate is what Christianity are they speaking of. Because most polls say religion still largely outweighs atheism. But I always wonder how much of those stats are a traditional Biblical worldview.

 

[calibob]

Nope by statistics Christianity isn't on the decline but stable in America and growing greatly in other countries like China.

What we could debate is what Christianity are they speaking of. Because most polls say religion still largely outweighs atheism. But I always wonder how much of those stats are a traditional Biblical worldview.

Well JW, LDS, Unitarian, Bajai, Christian Science, Scientology and many others masquerading as Christian's are no doubt in the mix. Let's not forget nimrods that follow false preachers like Norman V. Peal, Jim & Tammy Bakker etc...
5 Ways to Detect a Modern False Prophet

1. False prophets preach the gospel of prosperity.
2. False prophets refuse to call out sin.
3. False prophets don’t believe in hell or the need for repentance.
4. False prophets don’t believe Jesus is the only way.
5. False prophets don’t believe in the inerrancy of Scripture.

 

[calibob]

We are not saved by tithes and/or donations. Worldly prosperity is not a sign of spirituality or holiness. Those who teach such dung are liars! People who believe them are gullible. Test the spirits and if they skip to and fro cherry picking through the bible to make it sound like it say sthe opposite of what the passages say, RUN!
Example; Judas went and hanged himself, go forth and do likewise.

 

[Kojikun]

Well JW, LDS, Unitarian, Bajai, Christian Science, Scientology and many others masquerading as Christian's are no doubt in the mix. Let's not forget nimrods that follow false preachers like Norman V. Peal, Jim & Tammy Bakker etc...
5 Ways to Detect a Modern False Prophet

1. False prophets preach the gospel of prosperity.
2. False prophets refuse to call out sin.
3. False prophets don’t believe in hell or the need for repentance.
4. False prophets don’t believe Jesus is the only way.
5. False prophets don’t believe in the inerrancy of Scripture.

Well a website/Christian group (not a church) im a part of checks off all but the final one they (or at least most) believe the Bible (at least our current ones) are Infallible

 

[Kojikun]

Well a website/Christian group (not a church) im a part of checks off all but the final one they (or at least most) believe the Bible (at least our current ones) are Infallible

Its actually a nerd group with a bunch of different denominations partaking (A bit like this place but for Christian Nerds) its honestly been helpful for me even if we are not always on the same page 😊

 

[calibob]

Well a website/Christian group (not a church) im a part of checks off all but the final one they (or at least most) believe the Bible (at least our current ones) are Infallible

#5 is the one I have issues with. @Magenta and I read on average 2 chapters a day together. She uses ESV usually and I use NIV and between us we read everything out loud twice. There are differences. So we compare them and discuss the differences. I believe the original scrolls and texts were perfect but the translations are about 95-97% correct. However a through study without dwelling upon the minor differences will unveil and seemed contradiction and those with comprehension + the gifts of discernment, knowledge and wisdom will carry us through better than the linguistic differences. It's not rocket science!

 

[Kojikun]

#5 is the one I have issues with. @Magenta and I read on average 2 chapters a day together. She uses ESV usually and I use NIV and between us we read everything out loud twice. There are differences. So we compare them and discuss the differences. I believe the original scrolls and texts were perfect but the translations are about 95-97% correct. However a through study without dwelling upon the minor differences will unveil and seemed contradiction and those with comprehension + the gifts of discernment, knowledge and wisdom will carry us through better than the linguistic differences. It's not rocket science!

Yes I agree I believe the og is 100% Im sure many on there do as well. But most if not all use scripture as authoritative. But still there is the difference of interpretation as well so its a pickle sometimes (as any online discourse)

 

[Kojikun]

#5 is the one I have issues with. @Magenta and I read on average 2 chapters a day together. She uses ESV usually and I use NIV and between us we read everything out loud twice. There are differences. So we compare them and discuss the differences. I believe the original scrolls and texts were perfect but the translations are about 95-97% correct. However a through study without dwelling upon the minor differences will unveil and seemed contradiction and those with comprehension + the gifts of discernment, knowledge and wisdom will carry us through better than the linguistic differences. It's not rocket science!

I also have multiple bibles and cross reference them some do better than others on certain verses

 

[Whispered]

My neighbor and I were talking about local churches in the area just this past spring. They informed me that they'd left a church they'd considered joining after having attended Sunday services for just over a month.
They had hoped to speak directly with the pastor but they were intercepted by a rather large person who acted more like a body guard than a deacon.
This person took them aside and they sat in the front pew after services to discuss the poster, woman's, desire to become a church congregant.
The deacon went through a number of rules, as she put it. Then he concluded with informing her that before anything could become concrete she'd have to submit three years worth of her tax returns so as to have the church document what was expected of her in her 10% tithe to the ministry.

She was shocked to her toes to say the least. Then she realized why , as she'd circled the parking lot hoping to actually catch the pastor himself on his way to his car, when she saw that the space reserved for his vehicle was in the back of the building. She waited to see if he'd exit the church so she could discuss what she'd been told by someone else, that person purporting to be his deacon, when it all came to her as if God himself whispered in her ear, she said. In that parking space? Was a temporary tagged 2019 Lincoln MKC luxury SUV.
In case someone doesn't know what that looks like, because I looked it up too, here you go.

She drove off without speaking to that pastor. She said that tax return request made sense then. It wasn't a church. It was a bank account.

 

[Whispered]

Now, this is a bit ironical.
Where is Christianity growing the fastest?
Christianity is reportedly the fastest growing religion in Iran with an average annual rate of 5.2%.
Christian population growth - Wikipedia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki › Christian_population_growth




What is the fastest growing religion in the United States?
Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States of America.
Growth of religion - Wikipedia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki › Growth_of_religion


I wonder why?
Maybe this?

Via Campus-WatchTaxpayer-Funded 'Islamic Propaganda,' Attacks on Christianity Forced on Michigan Teachers

by Tyler O'Neil
PJ Media
August 27, 2019

This is not the only state wherein this kind of indoctrination is happening in American public schools.

Via National Coalition Against Censorship
Islam: Indoctrination or Education? A Timeline

Google search criteria, american public schools teaching islam list

 

[Oncefallen]

Now, this is a bit ironical.
Where is Christianity growing the fastest?
Christianity is reportedly the fastest growing religion in Iran with an average annual rate of 5.2%

Christianity has always seen its best growth under persecution.

 

[kaylagrl]

We are not saved by tithes and/or donations. Worldly prosperity is not a sign of spirituality or holiness. Those who teach such dung are liars! People who believe them are gullible. Test the spirits and if they skip to and fro cherry picking through the bible to make it sound like it say sthe opposite of what the passages say, RUN!
Example; Judas went and hanged himself, go forth and do likewise.

Wow, that is a lot of caps!! No we're not saved by tithes, but we ought to give, and give generously, to the Lords work. Now I'm not talking prosperity junk. But we are to give freely.