The Slow Death Of Christianity In The United States

[Jose Fly]

FYI, even though this survey is from 8 years ago, I think it still provides insights into the reasons behind the decline shown in the OP.

https://www.barna.com/research/six-reasons-young-christians-leave-church/

Reason #1 – Churches seem overprotective.
Reason #2 – Teens’ and twentysomethings’ experience of Christianity is shallow.
Reason #3 – Churches come across as antagonistic to science.
Reason #4 – Young Christians’ church experiences related to sexuality are often simplistic, judgmental.
Reason #5 – They wrestle with the exclusive nature of Christianity.
Reason #6 – The church feels unfriendly to those who doubt.

 

[InChrist]

We've always been "in the last days." The predictions have been endless, and each and every one, no exceptions, a total failure. Maybe it's just that people are beginning to notice that.

After all, repeating the same mistake, time after time after time after endless time, and hoping that it won't be a mistake this time, seems pretty silly.

I didn't say anything about predictions or the false dating settings which some have done . Just saying the Bible addresses the apostasy and falling away from the faith as a major indication of the last days and end of the age before the return of Christ. According to the scriptures, the last days are from the time of Christ on the earth, yet at some point the last days come to an end.

 

[Skwim]

The shift has been toward the prosperity doctrine televangelist type of churches. They seem to be growing.

Perhaps, but whether people are going to the little church in the vale or watching Jesus Needs Your Money on TV, the numbers are dropping.

The charts document the decline of organized religion.

And you know this to be a fact because ______________________________________________________ .


.

 

[Jose Fly]

We've always been "in the last days." The predictions have been endless, and each and every one, no exceptions, a total failure. Maybe it's just that people are beginning to notice that.

After all, repeating the same mistake, time after time after time after endless time, and hoping that it won't be a mistake this time, seems pretty silly.

There are few jobs with more job security than end-times preacher. All you have to do is avoid date-setting and keep using strategically vague words and phrases like "imminent", "soon", and "just around the corner", and you'll always be employed.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

.

And why might it be happening ?
In all, a pretty dire picture of Christianity in the USA.

Not Just here in the USA, but religious ' waters ' (people) are drying up spiritually .
- Revelation 16:12; Revelation 17:1; Revelation 17:15; Isaiah 57:20
What is drying up is ' Christendom' ( many so-called Christian but mostly 'in name only' ) - Matthew 7:21-23.
So, what is holy in the eyes of nominal Christians is often what is Not found in Scripture - Matthew 15:9
What is happening is one day soon the political will surprisingly turn on the religious world.
Why it's happening is because Christendom today corresponds to un-faithful Jerusalem in the year 70.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

The shift has been toward the prosperity doctrine televangelist type of churches. They seem to be growing.

With a bad economy, the wealth the churches amass can look like easy taking to the political realm.
After all, Jesus instructed to teach for free, and they want $$$$$ - Matthew 10:8 B.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

There are few jobs with more job security than end-times preacher. All you have to do is avoid date-setting and keep using strategically vague words and phrases like "imminent", "soon", and "just around the corner", and you'll always be employed.

There was No job securing for the 1st-century Christians because there were No paid clergy - Matthew 10:8 B
The only time Jesus 'passed the plate', so to speak, was when He fed people with bread and fish.
ALL the spiritually older men supported themselves with secular jobs. Acts of the Apostles 18:3; 1 Thess. 2:9

Can't set a date as per Matthew 24:36, but we do know when the ' season ' is ripe - 2 Timothy 3:13; 1-5.
We are at the ' final stage ' globally of Matthew 24:14 about God's kingdom of Daniel 2:44 being at hand.
This means we are nearing the ' final signal ' of 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 when the powers that be will be saying," Peace and Security ..." as the precursor as to the coming great tribulation of Revelation 7:14,9.

 

[David1967]

With a bad economy, the wealth the churches amass can look like easy taking to the political realm.
After all, Jesus instructed to teach for free, and they want $$$$$ - Matthew 10:8 B.

Bringing big money into anything tends to bring corruption and attracts new con men with new and clever ways to get people to part with their income. The Bible calls it "dishonest gain" or "filthy lucre". Just turn on the religious programming on the television and count the seconds before the televangelist starts the begging.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

You would think maybe. But that's not what I have observed in my part of the country anyway. Those megachurch corporations are teeming with young folks. Can't speak for where you are from obviously.

From what I have seen in the modern-day monstrosity called " Christendom " teeming with young folks is they have a political agenda, whereas Jesus and his followers were only neutral in world affairs, Not even getting involved in the issues of the day between the Jews verses the Romans.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Bringing big money into anything tends to bring corruption and attracts new con men with new and clever ways to get people to part with their income. The Bible calls it "dishonest gain" or "filthy lucre". Just turn on the religious programming on the television and count the seconds before the televangelist starts the begging.

The ^ above ^ reminded me from where we get the ' Sin of Simony ' - see Acts of the Apostles 8:18-20
We are Not to make profit off of sacred things.

 

[Uncommon Sense]

I didn't say anything about predictions or the false dating settings which some have done . Just saying the Bible addresses the apostasy and falling away from the faith as a major indication of the last days and end of the age before the return of Christ. According to the scriptures, the last days are from the time of Christ on the earth, yet at some point the last days come to an end.

Funny stuff.

My experience was that sanity, wholeness, and tons of awareness returned after I became an apostate(renouncer of all beliefs) and fell away from a ton of religious lies and other lies. The end and death of my own world-view/age.

 

[David1967]

The ^ above ^ reminded me from where we get the ' Sin of Simony ' - see Acts of the Apostles 8:18-20
We are Not to make profit off of sacred things.

Not many prophets today, but lots of profits.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Poor, poor Christians. Meanwhile:
The US witch population has seen an astronomical rise
The pagan boom – why young people are turning to non-traditional religions
Number of witches rises dramatically across U.S. as millennials reject Christianity

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

The charts document the decline of organized religion. The era where masses of people were expected to believe in one particular set of theological ideas and practices is ending. The era where people are more individualistic about their beliefs is growing.

Everything in existence is born, grows and finally dies. Organized religion is not separate from that.

The era of organized religion as you refer to it was a tiny blip on the landscape of human history, anyway. It was an unnatural anomaly and bound to die sooner rather than later. Western culture tends to be ahead of the curb on these things, so no surprise it happens here first.

 

[Riders]

.

And why might it be happening ?



THE EVIDENCE.

So, what's going on here?

Why is the Christian religion, especially the Protestants, tanking so badly, and its members not fleeing to other religions, but to "nones" and "no religion," no less? And the Catholic religion really isn't doing much better; hanging on by its fingernails while its clergy takes a nose dive. .

In all, a pretty dire picture of Christianity in the USA.

I don't believe Christianity in itself is dying. Possibly church membership maybe slowing down. However Christians are staying Christian and many just deciding not to go to church.

My nephew was raised up very religious, Kathy my sister and her 4 kids, 3 of them go to church like her, but Jose dropped out. i asked why. He saus hes still Christian but tired of the big Baptist and other churches having a Pastor who makes 350 thousand dollars a year,and even the small churches he says makes too much money.He doesn't understand why Pastor need to make the money they do.

So hes Christian just not in church.

 

[InChrist]

Funny stuff.

My experience was that sanity, wholeness, and tons of awareness returned after I became an apostate(renouncer of all beliefs) and fell away from a ton of religious lies and other lies. The end and death of my own world-view/age.

I can understand rejecting religion and religious falsehoods, hypocrisy, even a false image of Jesus Christ. I don't think anyone who ever truly knew Jesus and His love would ever leave Him, though.

 

[PruePhillip]

.
And why might it be happening ?

It's complicated - but the number one cause of the decline is prosperity.
Been a rule for thousands of years - bad times are good for religion.
A bigger question is: what will replace it? Read my profile below.

 

[PruePhillip]

It's not exactly going out on a limb to predict "Someday, people will stop believing this stuff."

And the rule is "When people stop believing in something, they will believe in anything."
And that includes disregard for country, children, science, civilization etc.. Church people
tend to be more patriotic, have larger families, engage in more civic activities etc..
Read my profile.

 

[Skwim]

Not Just here in the USA, but religious ' waters ' (people) are drying up spiritually .
- Revelation 16:12; Revelation 17:1; Revelation 17:15; Isaiah 57:20

But not everywhere. In some places it's actually flourishing.

.​

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Who let John Travolta in? Shouldn't he be in a closet somewhere?