It is curious that Americans are becoming aware of something called “Christian nationalism” just as it is becoming apparent that Christianity as such is on the way out. Fewer than 50% of Americans go to church now – that number will not increase in your lifetime or mine. At least 25% of the Millennial generation identify as atheist or agnostic, and Generation Z appears to be the same only more so. America is well on its way to becoming as post-Christian as Europe is now. Historians speak of a “Christian consensus” in American culture – and they do not speak of it as existing at any time after 1950. The decline in traditional religious belief since then has been dramatic, epochal, and, most importantly, IRREVERSIBLE. There will never again be a widespread "Great Awakening" religious revival in America -- at least, not one that is Christian in content.
Christianity is on the way out
- Thread starter Politruk
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Philthy_Phil
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Shut the fuck up already.
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Jesus lied. He promised the Kingdom of God was coming.
And he was not talking about the afterlife -- he did not mean, "I am about to die in a way that will make it possible for you to get into Heaven."
Nor was he talking about any personal conversion experience -- he did not mean, "You can cultivate the Kingdom of God within your own soul."
No, what he meant was, "God is about to drive the Romans out of Judea. And, in the process, God will put down the aristocrats -- the priests and Sadducees, the Herodian royalty, the rich in general -- and create an egalitarian utopia." All this to happen within the lifetime of his hearers.
None of that happened. Jesus lied.
See Zealot, by Reza Aslan.
And he was not talking about the afterlife -- he did not mean, "I am about to die in a way that will make it possible for you to get into Heaven."
Nor was he talking about any personal conversion experience -- he did not mean, "You can cultivate the Kingdom of God within your own soul."
No, what he meant was, "God is about to drive the Romans out of Judea. And, in the process, God will put down the aristocrats -- the priests and Sadducees, the Herodian royalty, the rich in general -- and create an egalitarian utopia." All this to happen within the lifetime of his hearers.
None of that happened. Jesus lied.
See Zealot, by Reza Aslan.
JohnEngelman
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Christianity has had ups and downs before. In his sermon, "A Knock at Midnight," found in an anthology of his sermons, published in June 1963, and entitled Strength to Love, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr said:
"In this country the roll of church members is longer than ever before. More than one hundred and fifteen million people are at least paper members of some church or synagogue. That represents an increase of 100 percent since 1929, although the population has increased by only 31 percent.
"Visitors to Soviet Russia, whose official policy is atheistic, report that the churches in that nation are not only crowded, but that attendance continues to grow. Harrison Salisbury, in an article in The New York Times states that Communist officials are disturbed that so many young people express an interest in the church and religion. After forty years of the most vigorous efforts to suppress religion, the hierarchy of the Communist Party now faces the inescapable fact that millions of people are knocking at the door of the church."
"In this country the roll of church members is longer than ever before. More than one hundred and fifteen million people are at least paper members of some church or synagogue. That represents an increase of 100 percent since 1929, although the population has increased by only 31 percent.
"Visitors to Soviet Russia, whose official policy is atheistic, report that the churches in that nation are not only crowded, but that attendance continues to grow. Harrison Salisbury, in an article in The New York Times states that Communist officials are disturbed that so many young people express an interest in the church and religion. After forty years of the most vigorous efforts to suppress religion, the hierarchy of the Communist Party now faces the inescapable fact that millions of people are knocking at the door of the church."
But even so, post-Soviet Russia is only 42% Christian.
JohnEngelman
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Christianity in Russia
Christianity was the religious self-identification of 47.1% of the Russian population in 2012.[6] Other polls give different results: In the same year 2020 the Levada Center estimated that 63% of Russians were Christians;[7] in 2020 the Public Opinion Foundation[8] estimated that 63% of the population was Christian; in 2011 the Pew Research Center estimated that 71% of Russians were Christians;[9] in 2011 Ipsos MORI estimated that 69% of Russians were Christians;[10] and in 2021 the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) estimated that ~67% of Russians were Christians.[11]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Russia
D
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Most religions are just as fake as most news outlets. Just money and power grubbing leaders. So called "Christianity" at this time in history is mostly fake and very different than what is described in the Bible. So I think you are right. Jesus would not approve of most of it.
It's not even that, it is that Jesus would not approve of any religion that ranks him as God.
Jesus might have believed himself the Messiah. But he did not believe himself God. In Jewish eschatology, the Messiah is not God, and is not the son of God. He'll be called Son of God, but that's only a title the old kings used. The Messiah will be the son of a man. And he will not die for our sins -- that is not his job. His job is to rule the world.
You must understand that not all the red-letter verses are equally reliable quotations. Jesus certainly never said, "I and the Father are one," or, "No man cometh unto the Father but through me." Jesus was a good Jew. He would have been horrified by the words Paul and John put in his mouth -- words elevating him to the level of God.
When the rich man asked, "Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus' response was, "Wherefore callest thou me good?! One there is who is good, that is, God!"
And Jesus always prayed as if he were talking to somebody else.
And he was not preaching any universalist religion, either. Jesus' message was only for the Children of Israel -- not for the gentiles.
Jesus really would not approve of Christianity, in any form it took after Paul's conversion.
TastySuckToy
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I have to say I can't deny now, Saint_Ann has a really good point.
colddiesel
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Politruk. Try and hold yourself back a bit. Multiple new threads, often repeats, every day, rarely offering even a smidgeon of insight, humour or research.
Correct -- I was looking at the number of Russian Orthodox only.
Wat_Tyler
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Merry Dobbsmas to All but the Pink! 
Saint_Ann
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This fits here as well.
Islam is the fastest growing religion in America. By 2050, the Muslim American population is expected to more than double, from 3.5 million today to 8.1 million. This increase would make Muslims the second-largest religious group in the United States.Apr 18, 2022.
Islam is the fastest growing religion in America. By 2050, the Muslim American population is expected to more than double, from 3.5 million today to 8.1 million. This increase would make Muslims the second-largest religious group in the United States.Apr 18, 2022.
Rightguide
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It's still the majority religion in the World.
In a cultural sense -- the nations of Europe can still be described as Christian even though only a minority believe and practice -- being part of the civilization-complex we call Christendom has shaped their world-views indelibly.
In the same way, Saudi Arabia will still be an Islamic country, even if it someday becomes post-Islamic in terms of number of believers.
