Steady if not significant trend in decline of American religion

[LittleNipper]

It doesn't matter what "religions" you say are declining.
Life on this Earth is a temporary gig.
That is an undisputed fact.
And until you except Jesus Christ as the Son of God, who died on the cross for our sinful behavior, your life on this Earth will end on this Earth, while the rest of us will live in eternity with our Lord in heaven.

.

And until you except Jesus Christ as the Son of God, who died on the cross for our sinful behavior,

- who died on the cross for our sinful behavior


that is a 4th century misrepresentation, Jesus in the 1st century said nothing about people being sinners or that they were born in sin, they died on the cross saying just the opposite.

I don't believe you ever read a Bible! Jesus told the prostitute, "Go and SIN no more!" It is true that Jesus came to save and not to judge.

 

[BreezeWood]

So, cnm, you are startled at the debased nature of man and woman.

In no way am I startled that you misrepresent and mischaracterise.

What have I mischaracterized and misrepresented?

Jones, give me an example of a moral and just society that does not worship a god or have religion, please.

.

Jones, give me an example of a moral and just society that does not worship a god or have religion, please.

a moral and just society ... that does not worship a god or have religion, please ....


the U S Constitution ....

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

I believe that Americans today are far more religious ---- they simply do not worship GOD. Evolutionists and atheists are extremely religious. They will fight tooth and nail for what the BELIEVE concerning NATURE. Homosexuals are engaged in ritual, they simply direct it towards each other. People hang out in gaming threads and get one tattoo after another... Religious is not of any value unless it brings one closer to GOD and results in eternal security. To simply BELIEVE anything is not of any real value. I feel that society is being organized to accept the rule of the Anti-Christ, exactly in the same way Germany became absorbed with Hitlerism --- the STATE RELIGION.

And this is an example of the ignorance, stupidity, bigotry, and hate the product of Christian hubris and arrogance – clearly Christians don’t have a monopoly on ignorance, stupidity, bigotry, and hate, but religion coming to an end in America would significantly decrease the amount of ignorance, stupidity, bigotry, and hate that pollutes American society.

 

[BreezeWood]

It doesn't matter what "religions" you say are declining.
Life on this Earth is a temporary gig.
That is an undisputed fact.
And until you except Jesus Christ as the Son of God, who died on the cross for our sinful behavior, your life on this Earth will end on this Earth, while the rest of us will live in eternity with our Lord in heaven.

.

And until you except Jesus Christ as the Son of God, who died on the cross for our sinful behavior,

- who died on the cross for our sinful behavior


that is a 4th century misrepresentation, Jesus in the 1st century said nothing about people being sinners or that they were born in sin, they died on the cross saying just the opposite.

I don't believe you ever read a Bible! Jesus told the prostitute, "Go and SIN no more!" It is true that Jesus came to save and not to judge.

.

I don't believe you ever read a Bible! Jesus told the prostitute, "Go and SIN no more!" It is true that Jesus came to save and not to judge.

Jesus told the prostitute, "Go and SIN no more!"

does that make sense to you, their relationship with Mary Magdalen never happened - she was there for both the crucifixion and afterwards - the only sinner is you, chritianity and the 4th century.

 

[WinterBorn]

I have to laugh at your comment "Homosexuals are engaged in ritual, they simply direct it towards each other.".
Are heterosexuals not engaging in the same rituals and also aiming them at each other?

Heterosexuals ideally want and are engaged in starting a family --- becoming one flesh, and Christian couples want to place GOD at the center of that relationship. None of this fits homosexuality.

What you think the heterosexuals should "ideally" do and what actually happens are two different things.

Hetero couples have sex, fall in love and often want to spend their lives together. Homosexual couples want the same thing.

And that is why we are all sinners. But just because we ALL sin doesn't make sin right! People want all sorts of things, but wanting something and or feeling a need to do something doesn't make it proper or correct. I might add that deep feelings of love and sexual contact are entirely different things...

I understand that love and sexual contact are different things. That is why I listed them separately. But my point was that both heterosexual and homosexual couples experience those things.

As someone who does not follow any religious belief (between agnostic & atheist), your accusations of sinning do not mean much.

Homosexuals cannot through their sexual appetite ever hope to beget children. Normal sexual activity is the only key to childbirth. Even women seemingly bent on homosexuality often elicit tools or toys that mimic male paraphernalia and dress masculinely. To suggest that an ahorence to male sexual contact is their lot is to ignore such ambiguities. No one needs sex to live and no one needs sexual activity to love. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being celibate.

No, homosexual couples cannot conceive without assistance. But natural conception is a very minor part of having children. And having children is only a part of a life long committed relationship. And many heterosexual couples choose not to have children, and for a variety of reasons.

Lesbians dress in a masculine style for a number of reasons. But they and their feminine counterparts are both attracted to women. And most lesbians are not so cliche in their fashions or their lives. As for their toys, those are shaped the way they are in order to provide pleasure.

Whether someone needs sex or not is debatable. We, as humans, need physical contact and intimacy. That has been proven. There may be nothing wrong with celibacy, but there is nothing wrong with sex either. Precautions should be taken, of course.

 

[Lysistrata]

Christianity ended up being a religion about sex, as demonstrated by the conversation above, when Jesus never said much about sex, and the teachings attributed to Jesus could provide a path to increased spiritual enlightenment and discussion of the difference between good and evil. It doesn't matter whether one has been celibate or has laid everyone from here to California. Sex is only a small part of one's interactions with other people, with the planet, and with whatever supernatural forces are out there. I think other religions have this same problem.

It's a big universe out there, and there are possibly others. It's of no use to spend hours and hours pondering someone else's sex life. It's a waste of precious time. There are bigger questions to deal with.

 

[LittleNipper]

I believe that Americans today are far more religious ---- they simply do not worship GOD. Evolutionists and atheists are extremely religious. They will fight tooth and nail for what the BELIEVE concerning NATURE. Homosexuals are engaged in ritual, they simply direct it towards each other. People hang out in gaming threads and get one tattoo after another... Religious is not of any value unless it brings one closer to GOD and results in eternal security. To simply BELIEVE anything is not of any real value. I feel that society is being organized to accept the rule of the Anti-Christ, exactly in the same way Germany became absorbed with Hitlerism --- the STATE RELIGION.

And this is an example of the ignorance, stupidity, bigotry, and hate the product of Christian hubris and arrogance – clearly Christians don’t have a monopoly on ignorance, stupidity, bigotry, and hate, but religion coming to an end in America would significantly decrease the amount of ignorance, stupidity, bigotry, and hate that pollutes American society.

I'm sorry. But you are the hateful person, as you know only that I'm a Christian and accept Christian values. And yet you choose to confuse me with someone who would seek to murder you. Nothing could be further from the truth. I seek only to enlighten you to the path you have selected and point out that just because you selected it doesn't make it right. Tomorrow will come sooner than you think and death's door will not be a "gay" event if one doesn't know the Savior but only indulges person enjoyment forsaking all else...

 

[WinterBorn]

I believe that Americans today are far more religious ---- they simply do not worship GOD. Evolutionists and atheists are extremely religious. They will fight tooth and nail for what the BELIEVE concerning NATURE. Homosexuals are engaged in ritual, they simply direct it towards each other. People hang out in gaming threads and get one tattoo after another... Religious is not of any value unless it brings one closer to GOD and results in eternal security. To simply BELIEVE anything is not of any real value. I feel that society is being organized to accept the rule of the Anti-Christ, exactly in the same way Germany became absorbed with Hitlerism --- the STATE RELIGION.

And this is an example of the ignorance, stupidity, bigotry, and hate the product of Christian hubris and arrogance – clearly Christians don’t have a monopoly on ignorance, stupidity, bigotry, and hate, but religion coming to an end in America would significantly decrease the amount of ignorance, stupidity, bigotry, and hate that pollutes American society.

I'm sorry. But you are the hateful person, as you know only that I'm a Christian and accept Christian values. And yet you choose to confuse me with someone who would seek to murder you. Nothing could be further from the truth. I seek only to enlighten you to the path you have selected and point out that just because you selected it doesn't make it right. Tomorrow will come sooner than you think and death's door will not be a "gay" event if one doesn't know the Savior but only indulges person enjoyment forsaking all else...

It is amusing that you have no problem condemning people. And then you proclaim your innocence because you are a Christian, and accept Christian values. But when someone is not a Christian and expresses other values, they are the haters.

 

[LittleNipper]

I believe that Americans today are far more religious ---- they simply do not worship GOD. Evolutionists and atheists are extremely religious. They will fight tooth and nail for what the BELIEVE concerning NATURE. Homosexuals are engaged in ritual, they simply direct it towards each other. People hang out in gaming threads and get one tattoo after another... Religious is not of any value unless it brings one closer to GOD and results in eternal security. To simply BELIEVE anything is not of any real value. I feel that society is being organized to accept the rule of the Anti-Christ, exactly in the same way Germany became absorbed with Hitlerism --- the STATE RELIGION.

And this is an example of the ignorance, stupidity, bigotry, and hate the product of Christian hubris and arrogance – clearly Christians don’t have a monopoly on ignorance, stupidity, bigotry, and hate, but religion coming to an end in America would significantly decrease the amount of ignorance, stupidity, bigotry, and hate that pollutes American society.

I'm sorry. But you are the hateful person, as you know only that I'm a Christian and accept Christian values. And yet you choose to confuse me with someone who would seek to murder you. Nothing could be further from the truth. I seek only to enlighten you to the path you have selected and point out that just because you selected it doesn't make it right. Tomorrow will come sooner than you think and death's door will not be a "gay" event if one doesn't know the Savior but only indulges person enjoyment forsaking all else...

It is amusing that you have no problem condemning people. And then you proclaim your innocence because you are a Christian, and accept Christian values. But when someone is not a Christian and expresses other values, they are the haters.

Sin brings everyone under condemnation. Christ /Messiah brings freedom with salvation. I did not write the Bible. I believe it is GOD 's Divine word and is factual in it's revelation.

The reality is that I was called the "HATER" and "HATEFUL", and the only reason seems to be that I do not condone fornication, adultery, and Sodomy as good. I see nothing coming from anyone engaging in such behavior patterns that proves that these actions are anything more than self servicing. There seems no concern for others, society at large, or who might be influenced.

The one who hates is not always the one in disagreement, very often the one who hates is indifferent.

 

[Unification]

But is this significant for America's future: good or bad? I personally think that not "believing in God" for many is replaced with a sense of personal spirituality, a connection with 'otherness' beyond our every day world. I do not think that it supports a special sense of "secularization" in America.



Sociologist Mark Chaves, on the basis of data derived from the General Social Survey and the National Congregational Study—both highly respected sources—looked at trends in American religion from 1972 to 2008. He finds remarkable stability and consistency with religion in the United States, but also important, even if gradual, signs of decline. For example, in the 1950s, almost everyone—99 percent of the population—reported believing in God, while by 2008 that number had declined steadily to 92 percent.1 He finds no support for any increase in traditional religious belief or practice, concluding that: “If there is a trend, it is toward less religion.”2 Such a trend is confirmed by more recent research and firmly reinforced by the finding that traditional religious belief in the United States has been declining with each generation since the early 20th century.3

Chaves, American Religion.

1 Chaves, American Religion: Contemporary Trends, 11. Also see Mark Chaves, “Secularization and Religious Revival: Evidence from U.S. Church Attendance Rates, 1972-1986,” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 28, 4 (1989): 464-477.

2 Chaves, American Religion: Contemporary Trends, 110.

3. Tobin Grant, “Measuring Aggregate Religiosity in the United States, 1952-2005,” Sociological Spectrum 28, 5 (2008): 460-476; Robert D. Putnam, and David E. Campbell, American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2010); Philip Schwadel, “Period and Cohort Effects on Religious Nonaffiliation and Disaffiliation: A Research Note,” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 49, 2 (2010): 311-319; Cary Funk and Greg Smith, “Nones” on the Rise: One-in-five Adults Have No Religious Affiliation (Washington: Pew Research, 2012); Philip Schwadel, “Changes in Americans’ Strength of Religious Affiliation, 1974-2010,” Sociology of Religion 74, 1 (2013): 107-128; David Voas and Mark Chaves, “Is the United States a Counterexample to the Secularization Thesis,” American Journal of Sociology 121, 5 (March 2016): 1517-1556; Jean M. Twenge, Ryne A. Sherman, Julie J. Exline, and Joshua B. Grubbs, “Declines in American Adults’ Religious Participation and Beliefs, 1972-2014,” Sage Open 6, 1 (2016) at SAGE Journals: Your gateway to world-class journal research; and Aaron Gullickson, “The Diverging Beliefs and Practices of the Religiously Affiliated and Unaffiliated in the United States,” Sociological Science 5, 16 (2018): 361-379. Within this literature there is disagreement about the significance of this decline and whether or not it supports a secularization thesis. See Michael Hout and Claude S. Fischer, “Why More Americans Have No Religious Preference: Politics and Generations,” American Sociological Review 67, 2 (2002): 165-190; Gerald Marwell and N.J. Demerath III, “’Secularization’ by Any other Name,” American Sociological Review 68, 2 (2003): 314-316; Michael Hout and Claude S. Fischer, “O Be Some Other Name: Reply to Marwell and Demerath,” American Sociological Review 68, 2 (2003): 316-318; Michael Hout and Claude S. Fischer, “Explaining Why More Americans Have No Religious Preference: Political Backlash and Generational Succession, 1987-2012,” Sociological Science 1, 24 (2014): 423-447; Landon Schnabel and Sean Bock, “The Persistence and Exceptional Intensity of American Religion: A Response to Recent Research,” Sociological Science 4, 28 (2017): 686-700.

This why I see future as national religion supported by taxpayer expense, since if many Americans choose to reject truth and reality of God in favor of bestial impulses and addictions such as porn, drunkness, fast food like illiterate beasts, they not able to govern themselves properly, and becon that the elite members of society do it for them.

Much like spoiled child who refuse to "grow up" and not stop pooping in his pants beacons that elder give him speaking, rule is self-govern and behave as enlightened human, rather than materialistic and savage, or be governed by others.

 

[JakeStarkey]

ooooweee! Ok, pastor. Preach!