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Sunday, June 28, 2009

Future of Christianity

Maybe you saw it too. The cover story in World magazine's June 20th issue asked, "Is Christianity in the U.S. doomed?"

There have been stories in the media recently about the decline of Christianity in America. Notable surveys asking people to identify their religious persuasion seemed to suggest that fewer Americans than ever identify themselves as Christians. So the obvious conclusion would be that Christianity in America is dying ... or at least on the decline.

Now World magazine (http://www.worldmag.com/index.cfm) has done a little studying of its own. It finds differing factors that don't allow such a clear conclusion. While the headlines trumpet a decline for Christianity, World's editors say that a closer look suggests something more like a continued roller coaster ride. They say Christianity is having its ups and downs, but the evidence in not conclusive one way or the other.

So what's going on? What's the truth here? As in most things, I suspect the truth is going to be viewed from yet another perspective that few of us will have. The issue is not whether more or less people are willing to publicly identify themselves as Christians. The issue is not whether more and more people are identifying themselves as Muslims, Hindu or some other religion that escapes the deity of Christ. The issue is how we live.

The Bible is replete with an exhausting litany of things God wants us to do or not do. His will for your life and mine (i.e., those of us who are willing to submit to, obey and follow Him) is made clear in infinite detail. I was reading 1 Peter 3 the other day, and noticed more than a dozen things God wants for me. So I think if one were to evaluate the strength of Christianity in America, one would really have to evaluate the strength of those who claim to be Christians.

I haven't done any scientific polls or studied any specific trends. But my own observation is that the strength of the Christians is not so good. We see many people claiming to be Christians. But when we examine their lives, there is little evidence to suggest that they are submitting to, obeying or following God. Oh - they are religious. They have the fish emblem on their car, the cross around their neck and a stack of contemporary Christian CD's that they love to listen to.

They go to church often (except when they're at the lake house, getting ready to go on vacation, just getting back from vacation, have a relative in from out of town, have a daughter getting married, need to attend their son's soccer game, are exhausted from the week, need to catch up on their sleep, don't like the guest preacher, want to visit other churches, want to spend "quality time" with their children, need to catch up on some work, can't get their spouse or children out of bed on time, etc.). They consider themselves regular church goers. But even if they were, I find no evidence in the Bible that this would be a true measure of one's strength as a Christian.

If there is any weakness in America's Christianity today, it is the Christians who are making it weak. There are reasons why Islam is growing. There are reasons why absolutely heretical religions like Unitarian Universalists or B'hai are growing so rapidly. The main reason is that Christianity is so filled with pharisees and hypocrites. It is filled with baby Christians --- who never grow up. They don't read their Bibles. They don't obey God --- mostly because they have no idea what He wants from them. (You usually have to spend time with someone, listening to them - in order to know their will.)

I don't know of Christianity is dying in America or not. I'm not sure what Christianity we're referring to when we debate its potential demise. But the Christians are in definite decline. We look less and less different than the world around us than ever before. And that trend has been well under way for some time now.

Instead of praying for the revival of Christianity in America, we should be praying for the rebirth of the Christians in America.

1 comment:

  1. There are reasons why absolutely heretical religions like Unitarian Universalists or B'hai are growing so rapidly. The main reason is that Christianity is so filled with pharisees and hypocrites. It is filled with baby Christians --- who never grow up. They don't read their Bibles. They don't obey God --- mostly because they have no idea what He wants from them.

    Well I'd say most Baha'is feel more in tune with Jesus since they became Baha'is - some of them surely for these reasons. Imagine then that Baha'is often increase their study, and certainly their admiration, for the Bible. And that includes Baha'is that were not former Christians!

    :-)

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