http://thetruthwins.com/archives/19-numbers-which-prove-that-america-is-turning-away-from-christianity
The decline of the Christian faith in America is accelerating. The results of a new survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life were just released, and the numbers are staggering. The percentage of all U.S. adults with no religious affiliation at all is nearly up to 20 percent. Even more frightening, 32 percent of all U.S. adults under the age of 30 have no religious affiliation whatsoever.
Meanwhile, the percentage of the U.S. population that is Protestant has hit an all-time low. Sadly, this new survey just confirms what a whole bunch of other surveys have shown over the past few years. The truth is that America is very clearly turning away from Christianity. Right up front I will disclose that I am a Christian, so I consider this to be a very bad thing. Others that are reading this may consider the statistics below to be wonderful news. But what we should all be able to agree on is that the long-term trends clearly show that Americans are increasingly rejecting the Christian faith. So what does this mean for the future of our nation? Where does America go from here? Those are very interesting questions.
Once upon a time, the Christian faith had an overwhelming influence on every day life in America. Even as late as 1972, a whopping 62 percent of all Americans were Protestant and an astounding 93 percent of all Americans claimed to be affiliated with a religion of one sort or another.
But now things are dramatically changing.
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28 comments:
The Lord is with me through good and bad. If you look he is there for you also.
Americans need to take heed to the forewarnings of our nation's great leaders:
"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
(George Washington)
"Man will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants."
(Benjamin Franklin)
"If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under."
(Ronald Reagan)
Well, like Obama said in one of his interviews a few years ago, "America is a Muslim country", at the time he was hit with that so called "Mistake", and his spin doctors took care of it, now he is going to get his wish, he can make America the "58" state of Muslim faith, again as he said in 2008.
How do the people without God in their lives get along without HIM?
Churches cover up and proliferate sex crimes against children. Religion is the motivation and justification for countless wars. Churches in America enjoy tax exempt status while simultaneously campaigning from the podium. Spreading the marginalization of multiple groups of people based on sexual orientation or race. I could go on and on and on...
Fine if you are not an Atheist, but there is no reason to vilify us. We live in a world where you demand religious tolerance. Tolerance includes living with those who do not subscribe to any religion.
3:18 I don't know either. I couldn't even think how my families lives would be without him. Empty,lost,sad.
3:26, here is something for you to pionder...
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!
John Adams' words, not mine.
3:26...I believe in your right to believe in what you like or NOT BELIEVE as you like. More wars are fought over religion than any other thing. I'm just not sure how I would live without my faith b/c it has always been a big part of my life. I would NEVER try to shove religion on to anyone b/c it is not my place to do so. My place is to "be the change in the world that I wish to see"...Ghandi. Which also happens to be the same truth in the bible.
I'm with 5:28. I believe that many of the young people who lost interest or have no interest in Christianity have been turned off by so-called "Christian" groups (how about the Westboro Baptist crowd?)and politicians who promote intolerance and divisiveness.
@Queensgirl52. Westboro Baptist is the only true Christian church left in America.
I can speak for my age group that we do not believe in the lies portrayed by a book written by man. We cannot blindly follow religion when we realize it has been a tool to control our baby boomer parents. The scam is up!
If anyone is interested, google search for "1960s tv broadcast sign off subliminal" you will find one with subliminal messages slowed down. God is real, god is watching, believe in god, are a few of the messages they were flashing across our parents eyes. I wonder why?
@4:18 That would be terrifying! Have you read the bible? Use it as a law book? A book that never condemns slavery, in fact it prescribes methods of beatings for slaves that are *ok*. And rape is ok as long as the victim is a virgin and the rapist pays the father to marry his daughter?! A book that has God ordering Genocide & Infanticide?! No thank you!
A society where compulsory prostration was considered noble? At risk of eternal damnation! No thank you.
There is a reason that people are shedding their need for the myth of religion. Knowledge is spreading so rapidly because of the internet... we don't HAVE to just accept what we are told. The entirety of human knowledge can be referenced in the comfort of our own homes. The more we learn about other cultures, religions, philosophies, and the universe around us, the less the myths of yesterday are needed to explain what we didn't understand about the world around us.
People are confused over the definition of religion and a philosophy.
First of all the old testatment is violent, no one denies. New testatment when Jesus supposedly came puts all in a new perspective, that being morals and right and wrong and guiding principals are a life lived morally.
The Bible and the new testament can be called the oldest self help book known to man. Much to the chagrin of aethists and non believers every other self help book written to this day by so called secular phychologists is the exact same thing the Bible preaches cleverly disguised.
For instance a secular psychologist will say to not "engage" someone who has angry outbursts. Doesn't the biblical saying to "turn the other cheek" mean the exact same thing?
"Love thy neighbor" means tolerance.
It's common misconception that most wars have been started over religion and it's been perpetuated by those who don't believe in it. A propaganda tool. Almost every single war was started over power and money and the economy including land, resources and other forms of material weath.
"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!"
The Koran and Sharia law-what the muslim extremists are doing-laws based on the Koran.
It's horrifing that Obama created this horrible thing to be happening in both Libya and Egypt, previously secular countries. He's a putrid parasite, a hater of women. Any woman who supports him needs to bow their heads in shame after what he's allowed to happen to the woman and girls of those countries.
3:26, 8:38 & 11:41 I have a question for you.
I'm willing to bet one of you (if not all) celebrates Easter & Christmas.
My question to those of you that do is - Why?
@12:35 So Jesus came and wiped out the "old testament"... the one with the 10 commandments in it? That makes no sense! You are postulating that a "perfect" God made a mistake and then had to correct it. This makes no sense!
And the Bible being the first self help book? The most confusing contradictory text ever written? So much so that there of 30,000 plus denominations of Christianity all interpreting the text differently?
Misconception over wars? Explain the Crusades to me then... and our current "war on terror", a thinly veiled attack on "radical islam". People USE religion as a tool for power to get the masses to go to war. Think about it. Yes, it is about power and money and land, but the driving force to get people to die for a cause is religion, and religious perspectives. What better way to rally the populace than a one way ticket to heaven?
I am also having a hard time with your very first comment that has no follow up or substantiation about "confusion over the definition of religion and philosophy", I am not sure what you were asserting with this?
@1:26 I do celebrate both holidays, because it is part of our culture. However, you will not that most of the celebration has little to do with your Christian myths, do they? Easter bunny, egg hunts, Santa Clause, trees... etc.
Interestingly enough, the origins of these holidays lie with the Pagans... and the Christian church adapted the traditions and added their own mythology to it to help convert pagans to their Religion. A simple search in your public library or google search about the history of these holidays will back this up.
Weather you belive or not does not matter to me. It's the way people act and behave and weather or not their hart is in the right place that matters to most.
Well said 2:31!
In closing - the following is an excerpt from an article I wrote which is applicable to those who Believe that the origin of human life on earth was due to Creation as well as those who believe the theory of Evolution and that our species somehow gradually morphed from some sort of orangutan into our current state of being...
“Both and Heaven & Hell, and virtuous people & wicked people, have co-existed on earth for 1000’s of years and the primary purpose in our evanescent lives should be to determinedly strive to create a more heavenly, and less hellish, world for future generations to live within before taking the 1st step to the stairway of our ultimate and eternal destination.”
when I meet someone new I "look for the fruit." In other words...I look at their life and what they have given back and that tells me volumns. There are many wise principles in the bible. Do unto others comes to mind.
@ Andy Berges
" as well as those who believe the theory of Evolution and that our species somehow gradually morphed from some sort of orangutan"
This statement you made... makes it clear that you do not know what the theory of evolution is, nor do you understand how it works. Take some time to learn what it is, before you embarrass yourself again.
Also, to further the point, Evolution says NOTHING about the origins of life... AT ALL! It explains the diversity of life and how it changes.
Before condemning something you don't understand... at least have the decency to learn what it is. Honesty, that's a Christian principle.. at least it was last I checked.
Sorry for not being very knowledgeable about Darwin’s theory and upsetting you 6:03.
I was never was a big fan of his and never had, and never will have, any interest in investing any of my time educating myself about his theory of human beings evolving from monkeys.
1:49 PM
Jesus did not come to 'wipe out the old testament'.
He came to fulfill the law, not condemn it.
@ Andy Berges
You decry something you don't know about or understand. You willfully admit that you won't learn what it is, then speak against it. I don't even know what to say, or how to react to this, smug, willful ignorance.
I know that not all Christians are this way, Andy, and I will hope that people reading here will take note of this... and not use you as their example.
By the way, if you did understand evolution, you would know that humans did not evolve from monkeys. Rather we share a common ancestor.
I beg of you, before you condemn something, at least know what it is and why you are trying to condemn it.
Dear Anonymous 6:03, who is most likely is 6:08...no 2 people in the world will ALWAYS agree on EVERY subject and I always enjoy a productive & civil debate. What I DO NOT appreciate is when a person disagrees with another and they childishly act like a big bully and attempt to intimidate them by belittling them with insulting remarks, such as you “attempted” to do with me with your following statements:
“Take some time to learn what it is, before you embarrass yourself again.”
“I don't even know what to say, or how to react to this, smug, willful ignorance.”
It is obvious that you do not possess the courage to identify yourself and would rather cower & hide in front of your monitor tapping away at your keyboard with your bullying remarks in anonymity.
I am not embarrassed of identifying myself nor am I embarrassed of my beliefs or the statements I posted on here, even though you apparently assume I am since you rudely stated “before you embarrass yourself again.”
A bully lashes out at someone in anger by belittling someone in front of others to try to make themselves appear superior and the person they are bullying inferior, which is exactly how you are behaving in your attempts to “embarrass” me.
So if you strongly believe in yourself and if you are such a strong Believer in evolution, I feel that you should also possess the courage to identify yourself to everyone just as I have had no problem doing UNLESS…you are too “embarrassed” to do so and would rather bully people in anonymity.
@ Andy
Yes, both posts are the same person, and if pointing out the painfully obvious is your version of bullying, then you are entitled to feel as such. Personally, I think your feelings are just hurt because I pointed out the ludicrous nature of your position and argument, and you didn't like it.
While, it may be easy to not address any of what I said, and change the topic into something it is not to take the attention away from your mis-step, it still does not remove your error in logic. Were you to ACTUALLY learn what evolution is, THEN wanted to have a civil conversation about it's merits... you could have at least a shred of credibility.
Misdirecting the topic from your willful ignorance to one of false bullying and anonymity will not work to distract me from the facts or the focus of the conversation. You came here, said evolution was wrong, then admitted you have no interest in learning what it is. When I pointed that out... you then attacked me with distractions.
I again urge you to stop embarrassing yourself, take the time to educate yourself so you can knowledgeably have a civil conversation about the topic.
I stated before that I have no desire in any way whatsoever in investing my time to educate myself about the subject. I also stated that I am not embarrassing myself, but it obviously makes you feel good stating that I am doing so…all the while in anonymity, which I feel is cowardly.
There is obviously 1 thing we agree about, which is that we disagree. Rather than continuing to go back and forth to no avail, how about we move on to 1 of many other topics we disagree about to have a debate?
@ Andy
I think that if someone has no intention of learning about a subject, then it would be fair to conclude that that person cannot have an opinion about the subject, cannot speak knowledgeably about the subject thus inhibiting any sort of productive civil discourse, and should probably should not participate in a discussion about it with any sort of authority until they can knowledgeably, and credibly, do so
Can we at least agree that this is logical, or makes sense?
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