Church Attendance Declining

[Meriweather]

Speaking as a Catholic, It’s no secret the sexual abuse scandals have hurt church attendance.

And by that reasoning Catholics (and people of all sects and denominations) should also be against any attendance at athletic events, public schools, scouting, family gatherings, etc. because there is a greater percentage of offending adults in these places as well. The solution is not using sex offenders as an excuse the abandon anything. It is the motivation to root it out wherever it is. (I was reporting when the news opted to talk about sex offenders in the Catholic Church while knowing full well there were more offenders in the public school system, not to mention other denominations and professions. We were only able to get a few stories out about this, and that percentage wise, the Catholic Church fell well below other professions and organizations. This is not to excuse the Catholic Church! In fact, if the news media had to pick just one organization (and they did not), I am glad they picked the Catholic Church. It gave many in the Church the motivation to become leaders in the housecleaning that needed to be done throughout all of society.

 

[badger2]

It’s ironic the dwindling just as the Chinese communist virus, itself evolved from culinary promiscuity, claims 500,000 Americans: xianity in the West is a mimicking of Asian star lore, transmitted along the Silk Road as early as 3,000 B.C. It was easy to fall back onto the default guess when trying to make sense of ambiguous phenomena: ‘....supernatural agents are watching our group. Or, a version of this guess complicated by the emergencies of the West axial age: an infinite supernatural Agent has revealed a Plan that affect all human groups, enjoyable participation in which requires ritual engagement with Christ. In any version, the doctrine of the Incarnation is anthropomorphically promiscuous. It identifies the “cause” of the ambiguous phenomena we call “the world” as an Entity that is (intentional [italics]) in some sense.’
(Shults, Iconoclastic Theology: Gilles Deleuze and the Secretion of Atheism, p. 112)

When the CIA goes to church, it’s certainly not to pray, but to learn technique. That is why China JoeXi is a catholic-CIA puppet. The Lincoln painting hanging in the White House dining room links, precisely via familial ties, to both the Pentecostal mafia and the CIA, with tentacles extending to the Clinton crime family and British MI6.

 

[XponentialChaos]

With declining church attendance, Christianity is ___________.

Evolving. Fine. Take your pick.

Doesn't quite fit the message I'm going for. But thanks anyway.

 

[XponentialChaos]

No, the decline of the country is measurable, it is also palpable.

How can a country continue with exponentially rising debt and division and a decline of morals?

How do you measure the decline of the country?

How do you measure the decline of morals?

 

[Meriweather]

How do you measure the decline of the country?

How do you measure the decline of morals?

Take a look at Genesis, particularly the last half or so. Even ancient man figured out that lack of discipline in a society (easily found when lack of sexual discipline begins) indicates that a country, tribe, or nation has started the downhill slide.

 

[XponentialChaos]

Look at how Christians have to thought of a few Christian topics in this country:

- Abortion
-Gay rights
- “God” on our currency
- Saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”
- I’m sure there are others but I thought of these first.

You bring up a good point. Perhaps the problem is not secular America embracing all of the above, people see their fellow Christians embracing the same. For Catholics, we can divorce to the list. The words "disciple" and "discipline" come from the same root. Disciples of Christ should be following the disciplines of Christ. Divorce, abortion, loose sexual mores, nodding at Christ being removed from a Christian holiday, etc. are not Christian disciplines. If we re not following these disciplines, gathering in fellowship to worship is meaningless. Those not following the disciplines will be uncomfortable around those who do; those following the disciplines are going to feel hypocritical for not standing up and promoting the disciplines of Christ, insisting true discipleship comes with responsibilities. As Jesus pointed out, one cannot serve two Masters without coming to hate one of them. We have got to choose--secular or faith.

I mentioned earlier that Church attendance falling to the 25% remnant may not be all bad. We would then be a core group who actually stands for the beliefs and disciplines of our faith. Those who have been trying to serve two masters, who have been trying to go along to get along no longer weaken the whole.

Good point. I forgot all about divorce and we can add pre-marital sex to the list as well.

I think a lot of these feel completely outdated and detached from reality. Catholics especially will sit there and listen to what essentially sounds like nagging and then will blatantly ignore many of these teachings.

Maybe that's part of the issue. Christianity teaches us not to divorce and a huge chunk of Christians roll their eyes. Christianity teaches us not to have pre-marital sex and Christians roll their eyes. You end up with a growing population of people who are finding Christian teachings less and less relevant.

Just a thought.

 

[XponentialChaos]

How do you measure the decline of the country?

How do you measure the decline of morals?

Take a look at Genesis, particularly the last half or so. Even ancient man figured out that lack of discipline in a society (easily found when lack of sexual discipline begins) indicates that a country, tribe, or nation has started the downhill slide.

Still don't see how you objectively quantify that. Seems subjective.

"This country is going to shit" is just an opinion.

 

[surada]

Much of the enthusiasm for mobilizing Fundamentalism came from Bible colleges, especially those modeled after the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

The Bible colleges prepared ministers who lacked college or seminary experience with intense study of the Bible, often using the Scofield Reference Bible of 1909, which had detailed notes explaining how to interpret Dispensationalist passages.

 

[Meriweather]

Maybe that's part of the issue. Christianity teaches us not to divorce and a huge chunk of Christians roll their eyes. Christianity teaches us not to have pre-marital sex and Christians roll their eyes. You end up with a growing population of people who are finding Christian teachings less and less relevant.

The issue to address is what causes the population to roll its eyes? My own thought on this is high population density versus low population . A small town is more likely to recognize the problems caused by divorce, premarital sex, extra-marital sex, etc. The effect on lives is both seen and felt. Not only that, people care. Shift to high density populated areas where it is common that people do not know many (if any) of their neighbors; those they worship with, etc. and no one is very dependent on anyone else or all that helpful toward anyone else for that matter. Everyone is busy looking after his/her own interests. To the eye rollers, no one cares if they have sex, divorce their spouse, or have an abortion. Would eyes be rolling if everyone did care?

 

[Meriweather]

Still don't see how you objectively quantify that. Seems subjective.

"This country is going to shit" is just an opinion.

In Genesis, it was objectively quantified after the fact. It will be the same with America or any other nation. They will note, this changed, followed by that change, next this happened, then that. What the writers/people of Genesis noted that is that first came a lack of sexual discipline. This certainly wasn't the only cause, just one of the first identifiable causes. Perhaps modern man should take note.

 

[XponentialChaos]

Maybe that's part of the issue. Christianity teaches us not to divorce and a huge chunk of Christians roll their eyes. Christianity teaches us not to have pre-marital sex and Christians roll their eyes. You end up with a growing population of people who are finding Christian teachings less and less relevant.

The issue to address is what causes the population to roll its eyes? My own thought on this is high population density versus low population . A small town is more likely to recognize the problems caused by divorce, premarital sex, extra-marital sex, etc. The effect on lives is both seen and felt. Not only that, people care. Shift to high density populated areas where it is common that people do not know many (if any) of their neighbors; those they worship with, etc. and no one is very dependent on anyone else or all that helpful toward anyone else for that matter. Everyone is busy looking after his/her own interests. To the eye rollers, no one cares if they have sex, divorce their spouse, or have an abortion. Would eyes be rolling if everyone did care?

I figured it was just antiquated advice.

If my neighbors are having pre-marital sex, how does that impact me? Why should I care?

 

[XponentialChaos]

In Genesis, it was objectively quantified after the fact.

Objectively quantified how?

Sorry, but I don’t think I’m getting an answer to this so I’m just going to move on from this point.

 

[LittleNipper]

How do you measure the decline of the country?

How do you measure the decline of morals?

Take a look at Genesis, particularly the last half or so. Even ancient man figured out that lack of discipline in a society (easily found when lack of sexual discipline begins) indicates that a country, tribe, or nation has started the downhill slide.

Still don't see how you objectively quantify that. Seems subjective.

"This country is going to shit" is just an opinion.

Anyone over that age of 60 or so, will tell you that about 1963 was a turning point in morality standards in the US. It isn't just that people stopped washing their stoops in Philadelphia and window washing became a thing of the pass. It was a whole attitude of values and opinions that just seemed to go every which way. Remember when scouts when door to door selling candy and caramel corn as fun-raisers? Remember the paperboy? Remember when kids disappeared in the summer all morning until lunch and then again until suppertime? Remember being left off at a school bus stop and walking a few blocks home? Remember when any show on TV as watchable by children of any age------ even the news? In fact most shows up until about 8 PM were geared to families. As an 7 year old, one of my favorite shows was Walter Cronkite's THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, and even THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW if I was off from school the next day. The shows today are all about sex, sex and innuendos. They would be juvenile except for the topics and language. I mean, why watch Leave It To Beaver, when one can watch the FAMILY GUY and learn how to be insulting.

 

[Meriweather]

I figured it was just antiquated advice.

If my neighbors are having pre-marital sex, how does that impact me? Why should I care?

How would you feel if it was a couple you knew well and their actions led to one partner divorcing his spouse, breaking up his family, which led to one of his children (accidentally mostly) killing someone? What if both spouses were left trying to live on reduced incomes and children not being able to pursue four-year college goals. Friends of the other partner judged that partner for making life so rough for other people, which made her unhappy and hostile.

This is very different if you know nothing about your neighbors other than they are having sex outside of marriage. No skin off your nose and you do not have to see or be aware of the skin off anyone else's nose, either. Ignorance is bliss.

 

[surada]

How do you measure the decline of the country?

How do you measure the decline of morals?

Take a look at Genesis, particularly the last half or so. Even ancient man figured out that lack of discipline in a society (easily found when lack of sexual discipline begins) indicates that a country, tribe, or nation has started the downhill slide.

Still don't see how you objectively quantify that. Seems subjective.

"This country is going to shit" is just an opinion.

Anyone over that age of 60 or so, will tell you that about 1963 was a turning point in morality standards in the US. It isn't just that people stopped washing their stoops in Philadelphia and window washing became a thing of the pass. It was a whole attitude of values and opinions that just seemed to go every which way. Remember when scouts when door to door selling candy and caramel corn as fun-raisers? Remember the paperboy? Remember when kids disappeared in the summer all morning until lunch and then again until suppertime? Remember being left off at a school bus stop and walking a few blocks home? Remember when any show on TV as watchable by children of any age------ even the news? In fact most shows up until about 8 PM were geared to families. As an 7 year old, one of my favorite shows was Walter Cronkite's THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, and even THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW if I was off from school the next day. The shows today are all about sex, sex and innuendos. They would be juvenile except for the topics and language. I mean, why watch Leave It To Beaver, when one can watch the FAMILY GUY and learn how to be insulting.

 

[surada]

How do you measure the decline of the country?

How do you measure the decline of morals?

Take a look at Genesis, particularly the last half or so. Even ancient man figured out that lack of discipline in a society (easily found when lack of sexual discipline begins) indicates that a country, tribe, or nation has started the downhill slide.

Still don't see how you objectively quantify that. Seems subjective.

"This country is going to shit" is just an opinion.

Anyone over that age of 60 or so, will tell you that about 1963 was a turning point in morality standards in the US. It isn't just that people stopped washing their stoops in Philadelphia and window washing became a thing of the pass. It was a whole attitude of values and opinions that just seemed to go every which way. Remember when scouts when door to door selling candy and caramel corn as fun-raisers? Remember the paperboy? Remember when kids disappeared in the summer all morning until lunch and then again until suppertime? Remember being left off at a school bus stop and walking a few blocks home? Remember when any show on TV as watchable by children of any age------ even the news? In fact most shows up until about 8 PM were geared to families. As an 7 year old, one of my favorite shows was Walter Cronkite's THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, and even THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW if I was off from school the next day. The shows today are all about sex, sex and innuendos. They would be juvenile except for the topics and language. I mean, why watch Leave It To Beaver, when one can watch the FAMILY GUY and learn how to be insulting.

The population of the US as just about doubled since 1963.

 

[toobfreak]

Really? You have not heard for the past year churches not allowed to hold sessions because of Covid restrictions?

I’ve specifically told you THREE TIMES now that this trend has been happening long before covid.

Progressives have been hassling church-goers for a long time. I don't blame them for not going out publicly anymore.

 

[XponentialChaos]

How would you feel if it was a couple you knew well and their actions led to one partner divorcing his spouse, breaking up his family, which led to one of his children (accidentally mostly) killing someone?

All because they had pre-marital sex? Seems like a really loose chain of reasoning there.

 

[XponentialChaos]

Progressives have been hassling church-goers for a long time. I don't blame them for not going out publicly anymore.

Yea, you have no argument.

 

[Meriweather]

All because they had pre-marital sex? Seems like a really loose chain of reasoning there.

I am relating an actual story. In fact many experiences may differ. No, it wasn't a loose chain of reasoning. Each chain snapped readily into the next. The fact today is that no one really wants to hear sad stories of sex outside of marriage and the issues that result. We don't care much about anyone's sad story no matter how or why it occurs. We are too focused on self. My opinion.