New Harvard Research Says US Christianity Not Shrinking but Growing Stronger

With the opinions you have put forth, you are no atheist.

Also, just to help you out, I never said that I had put forth opinions, only sited that you have not.

This is not an opinion, just a fact, something you seem to avoid at all costs.

 

FYI, nobody here can be completely proven correct, in this life anyway.

 

Then you admit that you only provide falsehoods and have nothing to look forward to.

Nice that you finally admit it.

 

Lying doesn't help you cause. IMHO the evidence for my position makes it more likely true than not. You can't prove your position either.

 

Wow, first you say I put forth opinions and next I have not put forth an opinion, but that is not your opinion?

I'm not sure what thread you have been reading or if it's a comprehension problem but I wrote that Christian participation is dwindling except for a certain segment that is becoming more ardent and dogmatic and it has remained stable (not growing) per the study, contrary to the OP's opinion.
You apparently think an atheist can not have that opinion?

 

I was curious toblearn more and so have attempted to track down this research

The article referenced in the posting was in the federalist
That article refernced an article published on line in “socialogical science”. That sounded pretty legitimate, but i wanted more info... because there is a new phenomenon of people starting journals that only masquerade as acedemic journals

Long story short, i could not find this journal
A looked several places
The last place was
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sociology_journals

Given that the originating journal is no listed among reputable sociological acedemic journals... i am suspicious

Then i went back to review the original article
I was looking to see what was their research
I had a hard time answering that question
Until i went back and looked at the title

“A review of recent research”
So basically these guys did not do any original research
But instead went through other peoples research
And cherry picked what ever would validate their preconceptions
And then got that published in a somewhat sketchy non acedemic journal

All that does not mean they are wrong
Just that they are selecting and summarizing other peoples research.

As I understand their point... they do no dispute that moderate religios adherents are leaving Christianity
The point that they apparently are making is that fundamentalist are increasingly committed... praying and going to church even more often

 

You seriously believe that if Stalin were a committed Christian -- a real one, I mean -- that he would not have murdered millions? Or starved tens of millions in the Ukraine?

 

Pew and Gallup report roughly the same stats, and church attendance (not the same thing as Christianity) is trending down, but it's not in free fall either:

Pew has found a decline in attendance at religious services from 2007 to 2014, with about a third of Americans now saying they worship weekly and about a third saying they go rarely or never. However, the self-reported weekly attendance at evangelical churches stayed flat at 58 percent.

It's difficult to calculate the extent to which christianity is shrinking or growing in the USA because, as the article notes, many Christians do not attend services, or they attend informal prayer groups as did the early Christians. So they aren't counted by statisticians and God alone knows what they believe.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/n...tendance-top-reasons-go-or-stay-home-pew.html

 

From my experience denominational membership is going down some but home churches and family level private worship for examples are getting more numerous since anyone following Sola Scriptura as a principle doesn't need any denomination or even church since the holy spirit is the teacher and anyone can read the Bible in a good translation in their own language. So why churches and denominations it just mimics the very structure protestants opposed in the Roman Catholic Church found offensive. So if you follow this to its natural conclusion Christians are free to study and honor God as they choose to and simply. These more private options have seen quite a bit of growth as people leave power seeking denominations and their elitism for the simple and sublime.

 

The study found the percentage of those holding strong beliefs and practices is growing among those who belong to a religion.

"This also means, of course, that those who take their faith seriously are becoming a markedly larger proportion of all religious people. In 1989, 39 percent of those who belonged to a religion held strong beliefs and practices. Today, these are 47 percent of all the religiously affiliated. This all has important implications for politics, indicating that the voting bloc of religious conservatives is not shrinking, but actually growing among the faithful. The declining influence of liberal believers at the polls has been demonstrated in many important elections recently."

 

Their percentage is growing because there are less religious people.

 

We only have to witness the seething mass of humanity in St Peter's Square when Popey is doing his thing on the balcony to know that atheists are well in the minority.

 

Why "popey"? He has done what to infantilize himself? Which worldwide organization do you run?

 

You use your own desires to prove what you believe? That explains an awful lot. When you choose to believe in fantasy as you do you are adm9tting that you no nothing and believe in any fantasy that comes along.

 

An atheist does have an opinion, however for the most part as pertaining to you it is a wrong opinion.

The opinions you have put forth are just silly. The opinions that I have put forth are on your opinions, but you know this and try your best to ignore this truth.

Very dishonest of you causing doubt on anything you put forth.

 

Try reading and comprehending what I actually wrote for once, not what you want me to say.

BTW, who are you to decide what a "true Christian" actually is? You seem to have an awfully inflated opinion of yourself. Wrong of course.

 

Folks are abandonning establishment religion for a more personal interpretation. They're rejecting 'religion' but not 'spiriruality.'

IMO 501c3 churches are finally being recognized as shill institutions for establishment propaganda, leading the faithful to seek and worship in small, personal, unauthoritative groups.

Ideas like 'God hates gays', 'government is divine', 'be passive' and 'we'll tell you what to believe' no longer pass intellectual muster.

Its just one more aspect of our society rejecting establishmentarianism and embracing individualism. And I say GOOD!

 

Go away. You are not a serious poster.

 

What religion says this? Certainly not Catholicism.

 

House churches consisting of very small groups of people who left the organized churches are common.

Any church that wants to survive as an actual church must abandon their 501c3 status back to the government. Those binders bring blinders.

 

What do you mean 'survive'? Millions still go to church. Even if support and attendance drop 50%, which is unlikely, they will still be giant institutions.

 

Not serious for questing you? Sounds like you.

Not able to argue it out, sound like you.

Perhaps you are the one who should go away until you figure out how to interact with those who oppose your strange ideals.

 

Perhaps you should remember that there are billions living on this planet and most doe not go to your idea of a church.

Pesky facts always seem to get in your way.

 

.....the broad road that leads to destruction, hence the Great Commission.

 

The article states lots of those leaving religion, were never remotely committed Christians, more like those who say they're Christian because their mom went to church. Americans are joining all organization less these days, if you're not committed, why bother?