A survey of top evangelical Christian leaders believe that although Christianity is on a rise worldwide, the number of Christians in the U.S. will decrease, according to
a recent article. The latest Evangelical Leaders Survey reports that 94 percent of respondents believe that the number of Christians worldwide will increase in ten years. Only four percent believed that the number of Christians will remain the same, and a mere two percent said they were unsure. None of the respondents believed that the number of Christians will decrease.
However, the results are not all positive. The region where the leaders expect Christianity to flourish is in the global south, where more and more people are beginning to identify themselves as Christians. As for the United States, many predicted that at best, the number of Christians will stay the same, but a decline is very likely. Despite this prediction, they express some hope that the current economic crisis will ignite a spiritual awakening, causing many to turn to Christianity.
According to the article, there is already evidence that Christianity is declining in the U.S. Many American Christians express confusion with their faith.
A 2008 study on religion in America reveals that a majority of Christians believe that there is more than one way to eternal life. Even 57 percent of evangelical Christians believe that people of other religions can achieve eternal life, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
American Christian leaders attribute these results to an eminent theological crisis and an increase of pluralism in the U.S.
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, expresses his grave concerns about these results.
"They (survey results) represent at best a misunderstanding of the Gospel and at worst a repudiation of the Gospel," Mohler said.
Do you think Christianity is on a decline in the U.S., or do you not see this as a major concern? If you believe it is declining, what factors do you think are prompting this to occur?
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Comments (34)
I don't see it as a problem. But I don't know if it's so much declining as changing...
I've been saying this for years.
Frankly, the better questions are "Why is it happening?" and "Do we care enough to take on personal accountability for it in our lives?"
Yeah it is. It's ok though. For those who want to be, they are, for those who don't want to be, they won't be.
People should be more concerned with living up to the true morals of a religion, instead of worrying about how many people are doing the same thing.
No, not at all!
sarcasm /\
Yes, I think that it really is declining. I have a hard time finding true Christian friends. I have about two that I can think of, and that makes me sad. Maybe I'm hanging around with the wrong people, but it seems like many people are not vocal about their faith and don't mention it enough. It makes me sad. But, as we know from the bible (not sure about the verse, I think it's Revelations), Christianity will decline and the sin of the world will be on upmost high and we will be persecuted and face death in the name of Jesus. This is what's coming, so it makes sense that we are seeing a lack of faith all around us.
Christianity in label is probably never going to go away. But as for Christianity as a lifestyle...it's possible.
We can only hope.
No, the closet door has just swung open, and what's been hidden is coming to light.....The number of Christians has long been over inflated in America. We just never knew how much, and we still haven't got to the real bottom line yet.
Hint: The truth is really gonna be ugly
I like to study the sociology of religion, and the topic of secularization was one of the big controversies until about 1990, when sociologists finally gave up (for the most part) on the secularization thesis. There have never been more Christians in America than there are today. Obviously the way Christianity is practiced is changing and many people call themselves Christian who aren't Christian, but at least nominally there are more Christian than ever before. Many are surprised to hear that in the first few decades of our country, only about 10% of Americans called themselves Christian (Stark and Finke: 1990). Nowadays the number is somewhere between 60-70% I think.
Maybe so, it wouldn't surprise me. That's my way of not answering the question. There is so much stuff out there to escape to that my guess is that most people don't even think about eternal life. The people who really want to be saved because they know in their heart they're no good will search and find Jesus. If they really want a deep personal relationship with Him they will be granted that. I think the problem is that the representation of Christianity as a life style is frequently a turn off to unbelievers so justify their unChristianity because they don't want to be like "them". The real Christians in the USA try to win other's to faith in Jesus but it's usually not very easy. They don't believe in the Bible or have problems with it. So if you are a Christian I highly recommend reading the Bible untill you understand it. Study the salvation verses. Don't try to make someone else believe like you do but help them believe what you do - The Truth. Don't try to make what's true more true, The Truth is sharp enough. Forget all the witnessing formulas and just be real, remember you are a sinner too. My guess is people think most Christians are wrong. For example why is there a homosexual bishop in the Episcopal church?, they ask. They know the Bible says homosexuality is a sin. You'd be surprised how much of the Bible unbelievers know, or maybe you know. And isn't a photograph a graven image? someone commented. Sometimes and I think most all the time to win a person to Jesus you will have to go head to head with them and though your motive is with love and concern it might seem like warfare. Remember Satan doesn't want anyone to be saved so don't be milk toast and luke warm and don't get desperate. When hardened sinners detect that you lose. You do well if you can find common ground with anyone. And there are Christians who want everybody to be like they are. So they are a turn off even to other believers. I know some are not happy it seems, untill they can find some fault in another believer's life. No one is perfect other than The Lord.
Religion as a whole is on the decline. People aren't scared by the same things, and with every younger generation things that weren't acceptable are becoming acceptable, and they're seeing religion more as a tool of hate and justification for discrimination.
1 Tim 4:1-3 "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth."
The Bible gives the answer there is probibly 10 percent of those who call themselfs "Christians" who have not fallen prey to doctrines of demons. "Straight is the gate, narrow is the path, oglios (a few or minute number) there be who find it" Yeshua.
Probably, much the same as one might say wheat is on the decline in
one's field if a blight hits the tares that have gotten mingled with
it. There may, in fact, be more wheat growing but because of the
accepted notion that both wheat and tares are the same it is observed
that "wheat" is on the decline.
I don't see how religion makes us a better society. It's caused enough wars that perhaps it should be forgotten.
i'm keeping my fingers crossed. Christians should be concerned with quality, not quantity.
"Despite this prediction, they express some hope that the current economic crisis will ignite a spiritual awakening, causing many to turn to Christianity."
That is why Christianity will continue to decline-- because people believe that economic factors will ignite a spiritual awakening. Only God through sending the Holy Spirit upon His Children will cause any awakening.
Though, for encouragements sake, I think this decline will be in numbers only-- Gods faithful Children will remain as strong and faithful as ever because they are faithfully embracing His Spirit, and God is over all.
@rabbi_cowboy@xanga - I agree, btw. Gods word speaks true to the end.
@deepestrecesses - Hallelu et Adonai his word is never changing nor will it return void.
Yeah.
@too_pretty_to_die@xanga - "Christians should be concerned with quality, not quantity."
I couldn't agree more.
Mm, not declining, but changing, I can only hope. Much more of the present is going to destroy all.
The new age movement is growing. They teach that there are many ways to get into heaven, just choose one. But they seem to be against Christianity because we believe Jesus is the only way. The one thing I'd like to share is the reality of a personal relationship with God. I know without a doubt I'm going to be saved so natually I believe in what brought me here and I know it will work for anyone. Can the new age movement claim to bring salvation without doubt?
I'd read several studies that indicate that religion is on a general decline in the world, though spirituality is going up, which I really like. I feel like the die-hard Christians are the ones propagating hatred, discrimination, and intolerance. Anyways, I think religion has been on the decline for hundreds of years since I think it was most popular when people were more fearful of the world and uncertain of the validity of science in explaining it.
Yes I believe that Christianity is in fact on the decline. That is not necessarily a bad thing though. It just means that people are more and more deciding to no longer believe in the believe that belief. They are just finding their own truth. I feel that we as people shouldn’t follow a belief if we don’t feel as though it is true or feel as though they are following it for the wrong reasons. We need to get to know ourselves better, and stop following what the generation before ours followed. So just because the belief of Christianity is lessoning in our society, doesn’t mean that it is wrong or bad. It simply means that people are no longer believing that Christ is the only way to get to heaven, and if you don’t believe in him, then your screwed.