@SirNickDon@xanga - I live in the deep-South, aka the Bible Belt, and I couldn't tell you how many "Christians" there are down here filling up church pews just to appear religious.

I understand a lot of people's disillusionment with "the church."  I don't really care about these findings because I don't care if people who aren't committed to God are now sleeping in on Sundays.

I am annoyed when people talk about being spiritual and having no connection to the body.  Christianity was never meant to be lived in isolation.

great point =)

well, your tone and perspective certainly does try to calm the nervousness that grew in me as i read the article. i suppose it's possible that the statistics are skewed. it's possible that there are many jesus-followers not reflected by the survey. and perhaps it's the case (and i think more probable) that the number of jesus-followers is much lower than what the stats say. i think the number of christians is inflated. the reason that wouldn't worry me is that it means that the number hasn't decreased per say. instead it has been clarified.

@deepestrecesses - i think it's the individualism of america that's mostly made us think of Christianity as a bad thing. that's actually the reason credited by someone in the article as explaining the move away from religion.

I think that a lot of people see only Christianity's most outspoken crazy minorities, which puts a lot of people off.  It's the straw man argument, but it works for a lot of people.  Then again, if a lot of people are Christian, there will be a lot of Christian crazies.

It's an inevitable polarization, I think, but it does come and go.  There have been periods of religious awakening and decline throughout history, and we're in a lull.  But as @too_pretty_to_die@xanga said, it is now more acceptable to not be Christian.  There was a time when this was not the case.

There's something to be said for the argument that only those with strong conviction will stay within a church, but the fact is that *THE CHURCH* isn't for everyone.  I can't go to church because my parents won't let me, but I manage, and I don't know if I will once I can because it isn't how I was raised or how I was converted.  (perhaps church could help my run-on sentences?)

I also think that there are people with strong convictions but poor reasons for believing, and they will eventually represent a larger portion of the community, because no way are they getting put off.  This portion is often very outspoken (and political), and, again, that puts a lot of people off.  Then again, a lot of outspoken atheists have similarly silly reasons for believing what they believe.  I can respect people who are secure in their beliefs and know why they hold them, even if they don't believe what I believe or express them as I express mine.

Is the decline in Christianity's numbers a bad thing?  I don't know.  I think it's great that people are free to express their minority beliefs; I think it's great that Christianity isn't being forced on people as much (because, as we know, that doesn't work too well); and I think it's great that people are finding ways to worship that are not necessarily traditional.  I'm not entirely convinced it means that there are fewer Christians.

Only the Spirit led and filled people will continue with their Christian principles and living by the Word of God. It is prophecy fulfilled as Paul stated in his writings in Timothy that in the last days man will not want to listen to sound doctrine but give heed to fables and worldly opinion as is the trend today amongst other things. Real born again Christians who live purely by the Word of God and understand Bible prophecy are not surprised that this is happening because it is prophecy being fulfilled and it will get worse before it gets better. The great and terrible day that Malachi 4:5 is soon appearing. Like in Noah's day, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man they were eating and feasting and doing all sorts of worldly things and before they knew what was happening, the door to the Ark was closed not by Noah but by God. Even if Noah had wanted to open it he would not have been able to because God had closed it.
In this world, there are 3 types of believers; the make believer, non-believer and the believer. It is the category of make believers that are projecting God in a negative way instead of real faith warriors like Polycarp, Martin, St Columba, St Paul and others.However, God has a plan and His Plan will be executed whether people believe it or not. That is the beauty of God...He gives us the free moral agency to choose but there is His standard whereby judgment will be based on.

I'm inclined to agree with SirNickDon and To_Pretty....
And I'm also not entirely sure it's a bad thing...I hesitate to like it, but I'm drawn to the author's reference to wheat and chaff.

@unshunnedchristian@xanga - True...but we need to find new and better ways to do it rather than soabbox preaching, peskily handing out tracts, and shoving it down people's throats....and we need to all agree on how not to do it. One soabbox preacher can undermine the effectiveness of a large quantity of otherwise good evangelism.
And, at the same time, Jesus said to "Make Disciples," not "Make conscripts." Evangelism isn't enough...as several of Pass_The_Aura's posts on here have made so painfully clear, the problem with Christianity is not decline in numbers, but a decline in per capita knowledge of what Christianity is.

@FOXHOUND_HQ@xanga - ahhh the bible belt...I know what you are saying...I lived in east Texas for a while.

That's kind of sad