A no religion petition! Rebels only please.

[lionroar0]

Could you elaborate on that? Thanks

Sure. The very act of worshiping on Sunday is a ritual. Does this help?

 

[sunlover1]

And please don't think I have nothing to say about the Protestant church about their religious ways and attitudes because I do. Most of my criticisms are with the Protestant Church. People expect religion from the Catholics, but Protestants can be just as bad or worse.

 

[nephilimiyr]

A very dangerous movement if you ask me. I believe it helps to explain why, by and large, American evangelicals are practically indistinguishable from American non-believers.

And I believe one of the reasons why the Catholic Church, as well as other mainline christians churches and denominations, are now experienceing either decline in church membership or stagant growth is because people are tired of religion and the belief that religious ways are what will solve their problems. They are right, religious rites, rituals, or practices will never solve their problems, the love of Christ will however and that is what people are looking for.

And while a dieing world continues to die the Church, whether Catholic or Protestant, sleeps away in their religious attitudes and practices, offering no answer to the real problems that people in these trouble times face.

What's dangerous is sitting back and watching your church memberships fade and refuseing to repent for the reasons why!!

 

[nephilimiyr]

Church attendence is going down across the board in most every christian church or denomination.

An old Article from an old post I made.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=721882

America remains an overwhelmingly Christian country, but the nation's religious life shows great fluidity, with many adults switching religious affiliations or abandoning ties to organized denominations altogether, according to a survey released Monday.

The study also suggests that Protestants soon might no longer make up a majority of Americans.

Barely 51% of Americans are Protestants, and among people ages 18 to 29, 43% identify with this branch of Christianity, according to the study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Evangelicals, at 26.3%, make up the nation's largest religious tradition, followed by Catholics, who make up about 24% of Americans.

But Catholics also lost more adherents than any other religious group in the United States, with 1 in 3 adults who were raised as Catholics no longer in that church, the study says.

There's alot more to this article so please read the whole thing by clicking onto the link!

The majority of people in America who are leaving church altogether are not those who are in churches who preach a liberal view of the Bible. They are leaving traditional churches who hold to a firm belief.

The reasoning I believe this is so is because for the reason I have stated. People are tired of the law being beaten over their heads and taught how to be religious. People are made to feel constantly guilty for their sins. On the surface there's nothing wrong with teaching people that they need to repent of their sins, but when that isn't followed up with sound biblical principals of grace through faith, people are going to want to just give up, and this generation is. And the stubborness of the church to not give up their traditions and ways of the past are letting those people do that. The Church is practically pushing people out of the doors!

We need to remember Lot's wife and stop looking back and trying to do things the same way that we've done them in the past. Religion doesn't work and it never will, teaching relationship with Christ, and only relationship, is the only answer!
Smilies:o[More]

 

[dies-l]

And I believe one of the reasons why the Catholic Church, as well as other mainline christians churches and denominations, are now experienceing either decline in church membership or stagant growth is because people are tired of religion and the belief that religious ways are what will solve their problems. They are right, religious rites, rituals, or practices will never solve their problems, the love of Christ will however and that is what people are looking for.

I agree, but religious practices like Bible Study, church attendance, and baptism remain important in helping people to know and understand the love of Christ.

And while a dieing world continues to die the Church, whether Catholic or Protestant, sleeps away in their religious attitudes and practices, offering no answer to the real problems that people in these trouble times face.

What's dangerous is sitting back and watching your church memberships fade and refuseing to repent for the reasons why!!

This points to another problem in the Church today: excessive emphasis on numbers. When the Church focused on living like Christ, the nonbelievers were naturally attracted (See, e.g., Acts 2 and Acts 4). When the Church is focused on increasing its membership, it becomes hollow and superficial, and it is no wonder that the world is turned off by her.

I agree that the answer is not found in ritual, but I believe that ritual is an important aspect of one's relationship with Christ (e.g., Bible Study, baptism, church attendance). Nor is the answer found in increased church memberships, but I do believe that when the Church functions properly, it will naturally grow. And, the answer certainly is not found in the unbiblical and dangerous teaching that one becomes saved by saying a certain prayer and really really meaning it, which is a common teaching in many evangelical churches.

 

[sunlover1]

And while a dieing world continues to die the Church, whether Catholic or Protestant, sleeps away in their religious attitudes and practices, offering no answer to the real problems that people in these trouble times

I agree that much of Christiandom is sleepy, but I also believe that they
aren't aware of it. I recently visited a couple of different congregations.
Nice people, they sang hymns, mentioned all of the ppl in the hospital or
suffering in some way and prayed together, had a sermon and special
music and seemed to enjoy a lot of fellowship.
Why did I leave unchanged?
What was missing?

What's dangerous is sitting back and watching your church memberships fade and refuseing to repent for the reasons why!!

I think we're unaware of the reason why.

 

[Kristos]

Death to the World!

The last true rebellion!!!

 

[Sphinx777]

 

[tadoflamb]

Death to the World!

The last true rebellion!!!

From one of the last true rebels!

 

[tadoflamb]

And while a dieing world continues to die the Church, whether Catholic or Protestant, sleeps away in their religious attitudes and practices, offering no answer to the real problems that people in these trouble times face.

What's dangerous is sitting back and watching your church memberships fade and refuseing to repent for the reasons why!!

My parish continues to grow as does my diocese. This is consistent with this report on the US Catholic population. This in spite of what the Church has gone through in the last decade.

Catholic Data, Catholic Statistics, Catholic Research
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[squint]

My parish continues to grow as does my diocese. This is consistent with this report on the US Catholic population. This in spite of what the Church has gone through in the decade.

Let's not even go there in relation to the doctrines that the RCC employs in these matters, K?

 

[tadoflamb]

Let's not even go there in relation to the doctrines that the RCC employs in these matters, K?

Say what?

 

[squint]

Say what?

Doctrine of 'natural birth control only' + RCC correctness based membership numbers =

Argumentum ad populous ad infinitum

 

[tadoflamb]

Doctrine of 'natural birth control only' + RCC correctness based membership numbers =

Argumentum ad populous ad infinitum

Whatever, we're still building parishes and my parish is still growing.

The Church of Tucson is alive and well.

 

[Mick116]

If religion means denying myself, taking up my cross and following Jesus, then sign me up.

If religion means being a disciple of Christ, then sign me up.

If religion means partaking of the body and the blood of the Lord in eucharist (thanksgiving), then sign me up.

If religion means baptism into the life, death and resurrection of Christ, then sign me up.

If religion means worship, prayer, joyful singing, reading from scripture, standing for the gospel and kneeling in repentance, then sign me up.

If religion means helping the poor and the outcast, then sign me up.

If religion means being reassured of the forgiveness and mercy found in Christ through the prayer of absolution, then sign me up.

If religion means forgiving others as we have been forgiven, then sign me up.

If religion means glorifying the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the saints, then sign me up.


With religion so defined, we are at the heart of Christianity and a gospel faith.


If religion means working my way into heaven, then count me out.

If religion means hollow ritual without a conversion of heart, then count me out.

If religion means glorifying the works of man rather than the power of God, then count me out.

If religion means self-righteousness rather than the imputed righteousness of Christ, then count me out.

If religion is about power rather than servanthood, then count me out.

If religion expects grace as a wage rather than a gift, then count me out.


Religion defined in this way is antithetical to the gospel of Christ.

 

[Mick116]

It must be understood that Christian ritual (i.e. the sacraments) is not work, but rather conveys grace.

 

[nephilimiyr]

My parish continues to grow as does my diocese. This is consistent with this report on the US Catholic population. This in spite of what the Church has gone through in the last decade.

Catholic Data, Catholic Statistics, Catholic Research

The Pew survey I posted is accurate and reflects the same results as other non-biased polls and surveys that have been done recently.

Here's a Gallup poll that was recently done.
http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/articles/catholic-church-attendance-on-the-decline-041009001.html
http://www.gallup.com/poll/117382/Church-Going-Among-Catholics-Slides-Tie-Protestants.aspx

 

[tadoflamb]

I don't know, I've found if you want to know something about the Catholics it's best to ask the Catholics.

Like I said, my parish is growing and so is the Diocese of Tucson. I'm not sure what the problem is.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

I don't know, I've found if you want to know something about the Catholics it's best to ask the Catholics.

Like I said, my parish is growing and so is the Diocese of Tucson. I'm not sure what the problem is.

I myself see no problem wit dat

 

[nephilimiyr]

I don't know, I've found if you want to know something about the Catholics it's best to ask the Catholics.

Like I said, my parish is growing and so is the Diocese of Tucson. I'm not sure what the problem is.

Because I can't talk to every single Catholic in this country I will consider these polls. I know the data that shows that church attendance is either falling or is stagnant in both the Catholic and Protestant church may not sit with you very well, especially for those who want to promote their church or denomination as this wonderfully growing institution, but the numbers concerning the nation as a whole in all polls shows a very different story.

I didn't say there was a problem with a Catholic parish or diocese growing, did I? Not sure why you are accussing me of saying that there is a problem with that.