Is Christianity Dying?

My belief is that the Catholic Church is not going to ever die off because it stands outside of time. The Catholic Church is not out of touch with the world, the world is out of touch with the Church.
You can obviously interpret from the first couple sentences that I myself am Catholic. In fact in the Middle East, there are former Muslims converting to Christianity and making our numbers greater. While Islam seems to getting a griphold on Europe and other parts of the world, they(the Msulims) seem to be forgetting about their homeland. Christianity is the fastest growing religion in the Middle East according to my understanding. There are also numerous underground converts to Christianity in China that are being suppressed by the Chinese government. Also Christianity is quickly growing in China.
Pretty sure that we aren't dead yet.
It'll take me a bit to find the sources if you want them.

Originally posted by luxor311
Why is the interest in Christianity dying? comments?

Christianity itself is not dying. Organized Christian churches may be, or attendance therein. There are many who increasingly shun organized Christian churches but believe in the fundamental principles of Christianity.

-------------
Norio Hayakawa
www.myspace.com...

Originally posted by luxor311
I know many that are saying that Christianity has been a perpetuated lie throughout the ages and the bible was and is just a means to control the masses, through fear.

Well, that's certainly part of it. Every year, more historical evidence comes to light to further that view too. Education probably plays a large part as well.

Jimbo

Originally posted by spec_ops_wannabe
My belief is that the Catholic Church is not going to ever die off because it stands outside of time. The Catholic Church is not out of touch with the world, the world is out of touch with the Church.

First your wrong, history show's that ALL religions die, second if the world is out of touch with the church thats WORSE then the church being out of touch with they world.

Pretty sure that we aren't dead yet.
It'll take me a bit to find the sources if you want them.

You realize that those polls don't take into consideration Atheism right, plus theres "closet Atheists" who are afraid to announce that they're Atheists. Christianity isn't dead yet, just give it time

I believe many of you may be referring to England when you say 'christianity' is dying.
I know some of the Anglican churches have gotten VERY 'dry'.

Even in the U.S., some churches have gotten anti-biblical, but, there is still a
huge, strong christian culture!

Many born-again christians don't go to church because someone hurt their feelings or they can't find a 100% perfect church,
but, just pray and go SOMEWHERE.

God can use YOU to help that church, more than likely!

reply to post by Clearskies


uhhh no people aren't going to church because they don't believe

Originally posted by luxor311

I see, but if you were Muslim would of seen Mohammed? or if you were a Jew, Moses? God can be a number of different things to many people, be glad your were brought back thats a blessing in itself.

I've been following NDEs for much of my life as a side thing. I've yet to hear of anybody who's seen Mohammed or Moses after they died. For instance atheists make up a large portion of NDEs, and after the event not only are they no longer atheists, but some of them see Jesus too pointing out that Jesus isn't there just for Christians. In one case where a Jewish woman had an NDE, she came back with a perfect description of Jesus but she kind of played dumb sayng he didn't give her his name so she didn't really know who it was. I'm still looking to see if anybody encounters Buddha or others, but still don't know of a single account. The closest is in India where a number of people found themselves at what they refer to as the Court of Yamaraja after they died, but they died prematurely and were sent back into their physical bodies, and none have gotten past that place.

It should also be pointed out that those who see God describe him as a being of very intense light, not in human form. I would expect God to look the same to all even if their link to him is through a being in human form like Jesus or other.

Ahem, first of all I think the individual is suppose to keep his own mind. That really means that if another human is telling you something that it is you who is the one who decides if that human can be in error at the time, or is spreading something that only that person wishes to spread. Next week or month the poll may change, as it seems, polls always do.

Perhaps the question should be "Why would anyone be Seeking Faith in a Poll in the first place?"

Perhaps, some people will question also why they think it is important to Kiss the Ground Five Times a Day after a short while looking at any religion in the first place. If one had to have a stubborn attitude about having Faith or religion in the first place, perhaps they should also question what it is that they are questioning in the first place concerning religion. Perhaps it is just Hate as well as some others who adhere to this type of stubborn attitude in my opinion in the first place, as well as going to any building called a Church to have someone else seemingly Attack the Psychic of People Attending a religious Service in the First Place.

You do realize that in California via other sources that more people were seeking Exorcists and Phychologists in that State for some reason. Perhaps having a stubborn attitude is not really having 'Faith' in the first place, and again 'polls' are only Set with vague questions usually in the first place.

If I may, it is like Political Parties - the concept of the Good Ol' Boys Network of one political party vs. the other political party of claiming to get along by claiming that they do not know what their Right Hand is signing something in Congress to fund anything because at the time their brain was Protesting and they were not for it, but did not know what their Right Hand was doing?

If any of that is Faith and people want to Kiss the Ground Five Times a Day, then have at it. Either way, going to a Church to be around that type of communications or kissing the ground, all of which may only lead to Fanactism is something I do not consider as having Faith in the first place.

Perhaps the question is "Why do not people know that there is Good and Bad in all people?" and that a person should keep their own Acts and Communications under control in the first place. No need to lose one's Mind over any 'poll'.

If anyone wants to state the population of the world and how it infers upon the poll then perhaps the polling question would be changed to reflect that as well as other questions some people have concerning what "Faith" these type of stubborn attitudes are talking about in the first place.

Nowhere in my dictionary of 'Christian' is the word God mentioned. It is mentioned however as part of Islam in its definition of which Moslem are calling their 'Faith'. I think the word 'Faith' needs to have the definition that it has in the dictionary though. Faith -- A confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. A system of Principles or Beliefs.

I guess I just am not here to judge anyone, that will be up to God.

The poll on the other hand, may just depend on where the poll was taken, and why anyone thinks that anything is dying in the first place. But then again, perhaps it is just another stubborn attitude -- seemingly bent on seeking control just as in my opinions some people running as political candidates seem to adhere to some form of political acts and communication that seems to adhere to some form of political platform developed over the years. Again the answers may be different if the questions were different in the first place - in any poll.

Originally posted by spec_ops_wannabe
My belief is that the Catholic Church is not going to ever die off because it stands outside of time. The Catholic Church is not out of touch with the world, the world is out of touch with the Church.
You can obviously interpret from the first couple sentences that I myself am Catholic. In fact in the Middle East, there are former Muslims converting to Christianity and making our numbers greater. While Islam seems to getting a griphold on Europe and other parts of the world, they(the Msulims) seem to be forgetting about their homeland. Christianity is the fastest growing religion in the Middle East according to my understanding. There are also numerous underground converts to Christianity in China that are being suppressed by the Chinese government. Also Christianity is quickly growing in China.
Pretty sure that we aren't dead yet.
It'll take me a bit to find the sources if you want them.

I disagree. I really think that the Catholic Church is crumbling from within and they have absolutly no one to blaim but themselves. For example, it has been in recent years that they have had to re evaluate there position on homosexuality and gay marriage once claiming that it was "immoral" and "evil "to behave in such a manor. Now thats has stance has changed.

The same approach was to female priests claiming it was not "gods will" to have female priests. Now thats being seriously looked at as an option.

Its a fact that sexually abusive priests were either left quietly in place or ‘recycled’ to unsuspecting new parishes—vastly expanding the number of children who were abused.

These are just some of many real issues that the Church as ignored or conveniently covered up through the ages. All that does is alienate catholics as well as others further and further away from the Church.

Its pretty well known throughout The Church that seminary enrollment is significantly down the last 15 years. I was born Catholic and visited Rome last year to find the Vatican in a bit of disarray. I dont believe that they are the powerful establishment that they once were. I could be wrong.

I sometimes think now the popes main objective is damage control not recruitment. That is a sure sign the empire may be on the decline.

This is why I think people today look for options maybe Islam becomes one for many.

Originally posted by Clearskies

Many born-again christians don't go to church because someone hurt their feelings or they can't find a 100% perfect church,
but, just pray and go SOMEWHERE.

True to a certain extent. There are many "born-again", "fundamentalist" Christians who don't go to church but may get together at homes with other like-minded people and have fellowship and prayer, etc.
Moreover, many of those believers seem to believe that the Church Age is coming to a close soon.

-----
Norio Hayakawa
www.myspace.com...

Originally posted by luxor311
While Christianity grows at a rate of only 1.38 %.

Why is the interest in Christianity dying? comments?

False logic proved by your own statement. It is not "dying". It is growing at a rate of 1.38% if your words are accurate.

Christianity is a broad subject and for some reason people pigeonhole all Christians into a single group. To understand properly you have to look at the various Denominations separately. Some are thriving and growing quickly while other are declining. Then you have to separate the actual Christians from those who simply use the name and don't actually participate or show a real belief. Saying you are Christian and being Christian are not the same thing. The same is true of Muslims. For instance I would guess most Muslims do not consider the Radical Extremists who are butchering their own people as true Muslims.

Originally posted by Norio Hayakawa

Originally posted by Clearskies

Many born-again christians don't go to church because someone hurt their feelings or they can't find a 100% perfect church,
but, just pray and go SOMEWHERE.

True to a certain extent. There are many "born-again", "fundamentalist" Christians who don't go to church but may get together at homes with other like-minded people and have fellowship and prayer, etc.
Moreover, many of those believers seem to believe that the Church Age is coming to a close soon.

-----
Norio Hayakawa
www.myspace.com...

Good post.

2nd Thessolonians 2:3 talks about the falling away >>

2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Another sign we are in the last days.

reply to post by luxor311


I would reccommend you read some of the Catholic Catechism, so that you may be more enlightened on what the Catholic Church stands for, rather than just listening to the continuous drizzle of the liberal media attacking what it has little understanding of itself. Also look into the recent history of the church, mostly the last 100 or so years, read into the fact that the Catholic Church has not always been so messed up like it has been these last 35 or so years. It was increasing rapidly in numbers when the mass being used was the Tridentine(Latin) Mass until the Vatican II council was held and the liberals within the church began the so-called "crumbling from within." It was after Vatican II that we began to have major problems, we pretty much tossed the Latin Mass out the door and attendance began to drop from what we had achieved, that also began to sprout the lack of knowledge about the Church. And don't forget, without the discipline that the Latin mass brought, we began to have the cases of sexual abuse by Priests.
But recently the Priests have been allowed to begin saying the Latin Mass again without the permission of the Bishops. We also haven't been seeing any of the abuse cases that are recent within the last 15 years or so, they all seemed to have been from 20 years or more ago. We are witnessing a comeback of the Church, more people are actually coming to the Church again. More of the Catholic youth overall are becoming more interested in the Latin Mass than the "modern" mass. We are actually growing more than decreasing. Keep in mind that those polls conducted by CNN and other major media outlets were biased because they didn't deal with any religion specifically, only general groups overall. The liberal media has something of an urge to try and kill off the Catholic Church if they could. But thankfully they cannot and will not.
Edit: Also new measures have been taken in the Church like not allowing a youth to be alone with a priest or anyone else with a significant position in the Church.

[edit on 2-12-2007 by spec_ops_wannabe]

Originally posted by BlackProjects
2nd Thessolonians 2:3 talks about the falling away >>

2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Another sign we are in the last days.

I have to agree with that, there is also something in Revelation about the final war before the end being a war of religions. So that's probably a sign of the end times.

reply to post by D4rk Kn1ght


D4rk Kn1ght?! What the heck are you doing here, I thought you were at Mars or something?

[edit on 2-12-2007 by luxor311]

Christianity has not died it evolves, if you go back as far a Sumeria you can see it is an ever evolving story

Originally posted by Blaine91555

Originally posted by luxor311
While Christianity grows at a rate of only 1.38 %.

Why is the interest in Christianity dying? comments?

False logic proved by your own statement. It is not "dying". It is growing at a rate of 1.38% if your words are accurate.

Christianity is a broad subject and for some reason people pigeonhole all Christians into a single group. To understand properly you have to look at the various Denominations separately. Some are thriving and growing quickly while other are declining. Then you have to separate the actual Christians from those who simply use the name and don't actually participate or show a real belief. Saying you are Christian and being Christian are not the same thing. The same is true of Muslims. For instance I would guess most Muslims do not consider the Radical Extremists who are butchering their own people as true Muslims.

What are you talking about?? Thats a CNN statement..and numbers. I am talking comparatively. Its is growing at a slower pace to Islam. Maybe "dying" was the wrong word. In any case your logic is pigeonholed. You cant look at separate denominations you have to look at the ideology as a whole, and the demographics that play into it.
Its growing faster the sheer numbers are very evident. Look at the increase in Mosques here in the US along as well as europe. They have significantly increased in the last 10 to 15 years.

[edit on 2-12-2007 by luxor311]

One of the reasons is that "Christian Majority leaders", Roman Catholic clergy, other religions have hijacked the truth, creating a negative point of view about christianity......where the facade of the other religions are more enticing......Also, among non-believers, God himself says that he will send strong delusion to create this....google this and see the Bibical reference to this........



reply to post by D4rk Kn1ght