Pew Religious Study

[Eleventh Doctor]

Except that atheist don't want to have that in common with you.

I thought you had said that, my bad. Anyway, how would you feel if someone said you were Catholic because you're a Christian? All religions want to be true.

I disagree with stating it that way because it serves no purpose. If the point of having conversations with people of others faiths or atheists is to convince them of the truth of Jesus, then saying "You're all alike because you're all of the Devil" is not conducive to that.

[Miss Friendship]

I suppose. There are some people I hate to have anything in common with, yet facts are facts. (if this is a fact)

I would not bring that up in a conversation with a person. It's more of a "the bigger picture" observation than a fact you go around handing to everyone that you believe is serving the Devil's Kingdom. So yes, I agree, I wouldn't say that to someone.

[aragtaghooligan]

I say this at risk of getting in trouble from y'all but I think a reason for the decline is churches focus too much on sin and what we shouldn't do leaving people feeling frustrate because they are still under the allusion that sin is beautiful, they don't want to give it up, and they see Christians as being judgmental meany pants. I also find church leaves me feeling like I suck. It makes me depressed and full of guilt, shame and self hatred because it constantly points out my sins telling me I will never be good enough. What we need is a shift in focus to remind people of the beauty of God and His love which will draw all men unto him and cause us to want to change.

[Miss Friendship]

That is true.

I am disappointed with churches who only preach about sin and never explain how to overcome sin and live a clean and holy life.

I am also disappointed with churches who do not speak out against sin and freely let divorce, riches, violence, abortion, homosexuality invade their church and say carelessly, "God loves us as we are."

So there is definetly a balance.

[TigerShadow]

Honestly, I'm not sure if there's been as much of a decline in Christianity so much as it is that lukewarm people who were raised in the church have become more open and honest about what they actually think.

[aragtaghooligan]

Well if that is true I think that is a good thing! It is good for us to be honest about where we are at. The question I guess remains why are there so many who are luke warm?

[Miss Friendship]

Its on account of a comfortable society. Countries that have the most blessings in wealth generally are harder to the gospel. Travel to the poorest of the poor and they are much more open.

[Eleventh Doctor]

Does God not love us as we are but want us to grow closer to him? Also how do those things invade churches? Do you mean they're accepted or that people who are or have done those things are allowed to come to church? And lastly, do you want churches to speak against these things in their congregation or against those things in society at large?

[Miss Friendship]

I was meaning its accepted in the churches in America today.

Does God love us how we are? To a point, but in Psalms it says "God hateth all workers of inquiry." So He wants us to move on from sin and not remain the same.

[aragtaghooligan]

Honestly, Miss Friendship, I don't think it has to do with our wealth. I know so many struggling to make ends meet or struggling with depression and addiction and so much else. I think it is because we Christians have ceased to display the beauty of God.

[Miss Friendship]

When I say wealth I'm talking about having the basics...like enough food to eat. And most of us have much much more than that. America is wealthy, I don't think that can be denied.

I really don't see any other differences between America and Europe compared to India and Africa. Do you?

[kait]

This is an interesting topic to me, especially as someone who is a part of that statistic having grown up in a very fundamentalist/conservative Christian home and is now an agnostic atheist (although I can tell you atheism is definitely not a religion. And I'm not entirely sure how it could be defined as such unless you just think that literally every world view/belief/non-belief is an inherently religious).

Of my friends who grew up in similar environments (note that is pretty much ALL of my friends from ages 0-17), I would say only about 20 percent of them are still practicing Christians. A vast majority have shifted to either agnostic, atheist, or some form of progressive/emergent Christianity and would probably put themselves in the "unaffiliated" or "none" category.

As to why people are leaving? I don't think there is any one thing — there are many, many reasons someone might leave religion. I think it's a combination of factors, a few that have been mentioned here.

But I think one of the major drawbacks to a lot of millennials is how, in the past 20-30 years, religion has increasingly become tied to political viewpoints. There is a false dichotomy that says if you are Christian than you must also hold XYZ political viewpoints otherwise you aren't REALLY Christian. And for a lot of young people who may hold more liberal political viewpoints, that just isn't tenable. They would rather find a religious belief or world view that leaves space for their political viewpoints as well.

Just my 2 cents up in here.

[Blitz]

Its on account of a comfortable society. Countries that have the most blessings in wealth generally are harder to the gospel. Travel to the poorest of the poor and they are much more open.

I discount this statement as I live in a poor country. It generally makes people more susceptible to false doctrines and shallow Christianity.

Depression often is tied and to hand with sin and various things. I believe why the church is failing is people are falling away from the Bible and praying. True, we could make some more emphasis on certain sins and back off sin in general a bit ,but salvation is repentance which is the main basis of it.

[Miss Friendship]

(although I can tell you atheism is definitely not a religion.

I'd be interested in hearing what it is defined as. No religion?

I discount this statement as I live in a poor country. It generally makes people more susceptible to false doctrines and shallow Christianity.

That may be true. But you just admitted they are more open... or susceptible.

Of my friends who grew up in similar environments (note that is pretty much ALL of my friends from ages 0-17), I would say only about 20 percent of them are still practicing Christians. A vast majority have shifted to either agnostic, atheist, or some form of progressive/emergent Christianity and would probably put themselves in the "unaffiliated" or "none" category.

So, would that be a result of growing up in a dead religion? Meaning there was no real passion for Jesus, and no real relationship and so they went looking elsewhere? I realize that if there is no passion, there is no attraction.

[Blitz]

Open in a bad way because they are horrible at commitment.

Let me give an example of why I think churches are failing. These are three church's all to a degree seeker friendly. The first lacks actually diving into the world. Great results at evangalism but of the hundreds that came to Christ through them, they only have a comgregation of 50. The next is nearly as seeker friendly but on the other hand they have plenty of courses and discipleship opportunities. They have two services with around 400 people at each. Lastly, a less seeker friendly church but with a strong outreach even in schools which is bizarre for America. They have a great deal of upcoming leaders because of the pastors one on one efforts.
This shows the importance of discipleship and the Bible in church.

[kait]

(although I can tell you atheism is definitely not a religion.

I'd be interested in hearing what it is defined as. No religion?

Atheism is just the lack of belief in any god or gods. Period. Point blank. That's all it means. There is no religious aspect associated to that lack of belief at all.

Of my friends who grew up in similar environments (note that is pretty much ALL of my friends from ages 0-17), I would say only about 20 percent of them are still practicing Christians. A vast majority have shifted to either agnostic, atheist, or some form of progressive/emergent Christianity and would probably put themselves in the "unaffiliated" or "none" category.

So, would that be a result of growing up in a dead religion? Meaning there was no real passion for Jesus, and no real relationship and so they went looking elsewhere? I realize that if there is no passion, there is no attraction.

No. I assure you the religion I grew up in, and the religion my friends grew up in, did by no means lack a passion for Jesus. I fully, 110 percent had a passion for Jesus myself. As did most of those I know. I believed I had a relationship with him and it definitely wasn't "lukewarm" (as was mentioned earlier in this thread by someone else I think). God was the primary focus of my entire life. The focus of the churches I attended and the people I grew up around. So no, it wasn't because there was no passion. In fact, I can almost promise you that a vast, vast majority of millennials who have left the church would by no means cite a LACK of passion for Jesus or religious fervor as the reason they left.

In my first post I mentioned one of the primary reasons I think this shift has happened in a big-picture sense. Obviously every individual has a different story and different reasons. I have my own reasons and story, but I think that is for another time. But I think (as I said above) the dichotomy our modern political and religious climate has created between political and religious beliefs is a big part of that shift.