Will Christianity rise again or does it even need to?

Yuckstine

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Its no secret to many that Christianity is on the decline in the west. Surveys upon surveys have appeared showing that many are walking away from the cross. My church itself has felt this blow.


In the past, Christianity was the most dominant force on the Planet and has a strong foot in much of our culture. I have many theories why people are leaving but it all comes down to one thing. They don't believe.


Do you see this changing in years? Can our faith resonate with the next generation or will it fade away and be all but gone.


Or does it even need to rise again? Is it better this way? What do you think
 

faroukfarouk

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There will always be a faithful remnant in the world even though a lot will fall away as prophecied.
It we look at the true Christianity of the New Testament and as practised in the Acts of the Apostles, then we see that God's power remains the same; Acts 2.42-42 is still a great guide for local church activities.
 
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archer75

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Dunno. Seems possible that the apparently falling away is more just folks who wouldn't have been believers in the past just "not even nominally" being Christian now that it doesn't have the same cultural oomph it once did.
 
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Halbhh

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Church in the US was a tradition 30, even 20 years ago for a great many -- many who didn't come to Christ attended services because "that's what we've always done" or "that's what people do".

It was a social center for their community, regardless of any faith or absence of faith.

Many came who wanted to look good in the eyes of others.

This is a real barrier for them --

"How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" -- John 5:44

This is good to keep in mind though because some that departed will return, and they are trying or succeeding in finding Christ for the first time. They didn't leave Him, often, but never had been His fully yet.

Of course, also there will some that were Prodigal that return too, and as He told us Heaven is rejoicing to welcome them back --

"... because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
 
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Drick

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Even before I became a Christian, I realized that the loss of Christianity would probably result in the death of our society. You'll notice that most Atheists tend to fall into subjectivist, nihilist, post-modern thinking, a corrosive formula that removes any shred of personal responsibility, wisdom, personal long-term thinking, etc. from everything it touches.

Yes, we need a resurgence. Will we get one? Not as long as the church exists in its current, stagnate form. Catholicism probably has the most chance of bringing about the necessary moral rediscovery that we need in the West. Their sheer numbers and grandiosity, along with the fact that they're morally centralized, gives them an edge.
 
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JoeP222w

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Surveys upon surveys have appeared showing that many are walking away from the cross.

I would argue that many never even came to the cross in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Many have bought into the lie that believing in Jesus means you get to drive an expensive car, live in a 3600 sg ft house, make more than $150,000 a year, and have perfect health. They never wept over their sin before the holy God. The never turned from their sins. The never abandoned their works based righteousness. They were not regenerate.

In the past, Christianity was the most dominant force on the Planet and has a strong foot in much of our culture.

No, I don't think so.

Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. (14) For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Can our faith resonate with the next generation or will it fade away and be all but gone.

The believer in Jesus Christ does not proclaim the gospel in order to "resonate" but to be obedient to that which God has command, to proclaim the gospel to all nations and make disciples. Nowhere does God command us to go out and be "relevant" or "entertaining", or "trendy".

Or does it even need to rise again? Is it better this way? What do you think

I think and know that God is sovereign and He will build His church, not man.
 
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Root of Jesse

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Its no secret to many that Christianity is on the decline in the west. Surveys upon surveys have appeared showing that many are walking away from the cross. My church itself has felt this blow.


In the past, Christianity was the most dominant force on the Planet and has a strong foot in much of our culture. I have many theories why people are leaving but it all comes down to one thing. They don't believe.


Do you see this changing in years? Can our faith resonate with the next generation or will it fade away and be all but gone.


Or does it even need to rise again? Is it better this way? What do you think
This happened in Jesus' day as well. See John 6. The Church will prevail until Jesus returns.
 
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Armoured

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Its no secret to many that Christianity is on the decline in the west. Surveys upon surveys have appeared showing that many are walking away from the cross. My church itself has felt this blow.


In the past, Christianity was the most dominant force on the Planet and has a strong foot in much of our culture. I have many theories why people are leaving but it all comes down to one thing. They don't believe.


Do you see this changing in years? Can our faith resonate with the next generation or will it fade away and be all but gone.


Or does it even need to rise again? Is it better this way? What do you think
Maybe. If there's ever major global social and technological collapse.
 
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Tolworth John

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Its no secret to many that Christianity is on the decline in the west. Surveys upon surveys have appeared showing that many are walking away from the cross. My church itself has felt this blow.

In the past, Christianity was the most dominant force on the Planet and has a strong foot in much of our culture. I have many theories why people are leaving but it all comes down to one thing. They don't believe.

Do you see this changing in years? Can our faith resonate with the next generation or will it fade away and be all but gone.

Or does it even need to rise again? Is it better this way? What do you think

Yes many are walking away from their child like faith, often because all they have been taught is a child like faith.
See :- Pew Research: Why Young People Are Leaving Christianity
or ken hams book 'Alreadygone.'
They haven't been taught a mature faith or how to defend their faith. see coldcasechristianity articles on being a christiancasemaker.

The wests rjection of Christianity is already affecting us. The ready acceptance of dishonesty in public office, in scientific reports etc are evidence of this.

What will challenge the wests atheism is the groing influence of Christianity in China and in China will eventually shock the west.
 
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ViaCrucis

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Its no secret to many that Christianity is on the decline in the west. Surveys upon surveys have appeared showing that many are walking away from the cross. My church itself has felt this blow.


In the past, Christianity was the most dominant force on the Planet and has a strong foot in much of our culture. I have many theories why people are leaving but it all comes down to one thing. They don't believe.


Do you see this changing in years? Can our faith resonate with the next generation or will it fade away and be all but gone.


Or does it even need to rise again? Is it better this way? What do you think

I am confident in the Gospel as the power of God to save all who believe. Thus we shouldn't worry about what the numbers say, because Christianity has never been about numbers of adherents, but faith in Jesus.

Where I think there is something depressing is that many who leave do so because, perhaps, they have heard the faith wrongly in their churches--rather than hearing the beautiful word of the Gospel of God's loving grace toward sinners, they have perhaps heard any number of things which have turned them off. It is possible, perhaps, that they have not rejected the Gospel, but have rejected a false gospel--and that we should in fact stand in solidarity with them in their rejection of false gospel.

I think we should also remember that there was a time when the Church consisted of little more than a group of men and women seated around a table in an upper room in Jerusalem.

In part I think we are seeing the "post-Christian world", that is we are living in a time after what has been many centuries of cultural Christianity--by this I mean being a Christian in the west was largely equated with being a member of a western society and culture--to be French, or Spanish, or English, or Scottish, or--even--American often meant to be Christian with only few exceptions. But that isn't how things are. It is no longer considered part of decent society to identify as a Christian; and this isn't exactly a bad thing. One shouldn't be a Christian because of social pressure, or because it is culturally or politically convenient or expedient--one should be a Christian because of the truth of the Gospel.

I don't believe the Gospel has become defective because many are leaving the Church or have walked away--there can be any number of reasons for this, including the failure of churches to preach the Gospel or churches being toxic environments in which the love and grace of God is not encountered; or perhaps simply people no longer believing with no fault of the church. But it is never a problem with the Gospel itself.

What, perhaps, this can be of benefit for us is to evaluate ourselves as churches--and to make sure that we are, in fact, being faithful communities of Jesus preaching the Gospel and loving our neighbor; and if we are being this, then simply trust the Lord, and trust that as we faithfully be the Church toward our fellow man, loving them, preaching Christ's Word, serving others that the Holy Spirit indeed delivers faith and bring those outside of the Church into the Church. For it is always the Holy Spirit who does this, not we ourselves.

-CryptoLutheran
 
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lismore

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As the West is continually worshiping men like Bill Nye, Neil Tyson, and Richard Dawkins, the East is coming to Christ by the hundreds of millions.

Agreed. There will soon be more Christians in China than any other country in the world, with India close behind. And of all the Chinese Christians I have met I would say their faith is more profound than often seen among Western Christians. It's all or nothing for them, no 50/50. God Bless :amen:
 
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Drifter Kybe Scythe Kane

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Its no secret to many that Christianity is on the decline in the west. Surveys upon surveys have appeared showing that many are walking away from the cross. My church itself has felt this blow.


In the past, Christianity was the most dominant force on the Planet and has a strong foot in much of our culture. I have many theories why people are leaving but it all comes down to one thing. They don't believe.


Do you see this changing in years? Can our faith resonate with the next generation or will it fade away and be all but gone.


Or does it even need to rise again? Is it better this way? What do you think
it does not matter for god's judgement before, now, and into the future remains for us-is that he loves us. that begs the question to non believers-do they wish to feel god? let their wish come to god...them...who has seen it only through science and the such when there is room for both spiritual and physical facts. whether someone believes in god or not, we all walk his way which is to be blessed because of prayers or doing things in physics or something in which god is proud of non believers as well who take such professions.
 
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Lapinot

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Even though Christianity is slowly losing its influence in the west, it will not die, for as long as there will still be people remaining loyal to God, Christianity will still live, because the spirit of God cannot lose its power.
Christians and Christianity are not lost... Non-believers are... we could help them and we must, but most of them will refuse and then we all know the difference.

Mark 16:15-16
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
 
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iwbswiaihl2

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2 Tim 3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2Pet3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?

It appears as time moves on it will get progressively worst, possibly like it was the first time the world was judged because of wickedness, Gen 6:5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
 
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compassion 4 humanity

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Its no secret to many that Christianity is on the decline in the west. Surveys upon surveys have appeared showing that many are walking away from the cross. My church itself has felt this blow.


In the past, Christianity was the most dominant force on the Planet and has a strong foot in much of our culture. I have many theories why people are leaving but it all comes down to one thing. They don't believe.


Do you see this changing in years? Can our faith resonate with the next generation or will it fade away and be all but gone.


Or does it even need to rise again? Is it better this way? What do you think

Your question assumes that Christianity is declining. It isn’t. In fact, our faith is growing in many parts of the world.

Christianity is becoming so popular in Asia that China could become one of the most populous Christian nations in the world (as a number, not a percentage). Read about it here: China on course to become 'world's most Christian nation' within 15 years

Christianity has been growing heavily in South Korea for the past century. In the year 1900, only 1% of Koreans (they were one country back then) believed in Jesus, but 30% of South Koreans identified as Christians in the year 2010. Read about it here: 6 facts about South Korea’s growing Christian population

Read about Christianity rising in India here: Christians Packing Churches in India as Christianity Sees Surprising Growth Despite Rising Persecution Cases | Christian News on Christian Today

Muslim immigrants to Europe converting to Christianity: Muslim converts breathe new life into Europe’s struggling Christian churches

It may seem like Christianity is declining if you live in the United States, since only old people seem to attend church and the youth are secular, but our faith is rapidly growing in many other parts of the world.
 
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