Americans becoming less religious...

[Deicide]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29585222/?GT1=43001#storyContinued

[Eisenherz]

lies.

[big L dawg]

so there getting smarter.about time

[MCWAY]

lies.

There’s more to these numbers than meets the eye.

Notice that from 1990 to 2001, the number of “non-religious” folk jumped from just over 8.2 percent to 14.2%

Yet, from 2001 to 2008, the numbers go up marginally to 15%.

A 6% jump in 11 years, followed by a less than 1% crawl in the next 7 years…..as the late Paul Harvey used to say, “And now, here’s the rest of the story.”

But this doesn't mean more Americans are atheists or even agnostics--just nonreligious, and believing in something, even if they're not sure what. The number of true nonbelievers remains relatively small: About 1.6 percent of Americans call themselves atheist or agnostic. (On the other hand, the overall number of avowed atheists has grown sharply from 900,000 to 1.6 million since 2001.)…….
A look behind the numbers shows that most of the decline is due to the ongoing erosion in mainline Protestantism and that evangelical or nondenominational Protestantism is filling the vacuum.




http://blog.beliefnet.com/pontifications/2009/03/americans-are-faith-freelancer.html

In essence, it appears that the identification of “No religion” may have more to do with non-denominational church attendance (I’ve even heard of groups starting “home churches”), than it does people abandoning faith altogether and declaring that there is no God, much to the chagrin of certain atheists.

so there getting smarter.about time

Too easy!!!

[fitt@40]

I will confess that I did not read any of the links.  There really is no need to read them.  Scripture tells us that more people are going to turn away from the teachings of God.  We are becoming a society that is more concern about expressing ourselves.  It's becoming more and more about "me."  Chirst says that if you want to follow Him you must first deny who you are.  Even many Christians do not get this right.  It is actually getting harder and harder (as the Bible predicted) to be a Christian.   The Bible tells us that Christians are going to be hated and persecuted for believing in Christ.  I've seen that in my personal life.  Before I chose to live a life according to Christ's teachings, I was a very well-liked person.  In high school, I was voted the most popular male in my senior class (albeit, it was only a class of 112 people!)  As an adult, I have always managed to get along well with others.  That begin to change when I accept Christ into my life.  Many reading this will make the assumption that it was me who changed.  That somehow I became the difficult person to be around.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Despite my recent rash of postings here, I have always been rather low-key about my religious views.  I share them with any and everyone  who wants to hear it, but I have never been pushy or preachy.  Sometimes Christians forget that they are not "bringing" anyone to Christ.  It's true that we are to plant seeds, but Scripture tells us that it is the Spirit of God that draws them.   The thing that happened with me, and many other Christians, is when you choose to live a life according to God's word, you become a constant reminder to those living in sin.  It's kind of like that uncomfortable feeling a sinner has when they attend church.  I will acknowledge that there are MANY "Christians" out there who are doing a great deal of harm to God's cause.  LOL...someone is thinking, "How do you know you're not one of them fitt@40?"  I know because I have no agenda.  My only desire it that God's Will be done.

Bottom-line: Christians are to be in this world, but not of this world.  That is becoming more and more difficult for many people to do.

[Hedgehog]

I will confess that I did not read any of the links.  There really is no need to read them.  Scripture tells us that more people are going to turn away from the teachings of God.  We are becoming a society that is more concern about expressing ourselves.  It's becoming more and more about "me."  Chirst says that if you want to follow Him you must first deny who you are.  Even many Christians do not get this right.  It is actually getting harder and harder (as the Bible predicted) to be a Christian.   The Bible tells us that Christians are going to be hated and persecuted for believing in Christ.  I've seen that in my personal life.  Before I chose to live a life according to Christ's teachings, I was a very well-liked person.  In high school, I was voted the most popular male in my senior class (albeit, it was only a class of 112 people!)  As an adult, I have always managed to get along well with others.  That begin to change when I accept Christ into my life.  Many reading this will make the assumption that it was me who changed.  That somehow I became the difficult person to be around.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Despite my recent rash of postings here, I have always been rather low-key about my religious views.  I share them with any and everyone  who wants to hear it, but I have never been pushy or preachy.  Sometimes Christians forget that they are not "bringing" anyone to Christ.  It's true that we are to plant seeds, but Scripture tells us that it is the Spirit of God that draws them.   The thing that happened with me, and many other Christians, is when you choose to live a life according to God's word, you become a constant reminder to those living in sin.  It's kind of like that uncomfortable feeling a sinner has when they attend church.  I will acknowledge that there are MANY "Christians" out there who are doing a great deal of harm to God's cause.  LOL...someone is thinking, "How do you know you're not one of them fitt@40?"  I know because I have no agenda.  My only desire it that God's Will be done.

Bottom-line: Christians are to be in this world, but not of this world.  That is becoming more and more difficult for many people to do.

Are you saying you became more intolerant once you got actively Christian?

[Deicide]

Are you saying you became more intolerant once you got actively Christian?

Exactly what he is saying.

[MCWAY]

Are you saying you became more intolerant once you got actively Christian?

It sounds to me as if his buddies got less tolerant of him, than he of them (which is often the case, once someone gets saved).

I've been there. It’s not that he doesn’t want to maintain the friendship. But, he won't do it, at the cost of compromising his faith or his walk with the Lord.

[Deicide]

It sounds to me as if his buddies got less tolerant of him, than he of them (which is often the case, once someone gets saved).

I've been there. It’s not that he doesn’t want to maintain the friendship. But, he won't do it, at the cost of compromising his faith or his walk with the Lord.

I would love to know what would happen if your kids came to you one day and said, progenitor, all this faith shit is bullshit, I am out of here. What would you say?

[OzmO]

Isn't this kind of thing where you start isolating yourself away from your friends a cult like thing?

I know this young gal, who's parents have dis-owned her because she doesn't subscribe to their religion any longer.

Religion is so stupid sometimes.

[Deicide]

Isn't this kind of thing where you start isolating yourself away from your friends a cult like thing?

I know this young gal, who's parents have dis-owned her because she doesn't subscribe to their religion any longer.

Religion is so stupid sometimes.

Sounds like the sort of thing MCWAY would do to his children if they ever came home and gave up on the fundamentalism.

[OzmO]

Sounds like the sort of thing MCWAY would do to his children if they ever came home and gave up on the fundamentalism.

I don't think he'd do that.  He might saddle guilt on him every time he sees them though. 

These people are Johovah witnesses who disowned their daughter.  I got a huge JW temple about 2 miles from my house.  There's always these sharp dress people walking the nieborhood knocking on doors spreading the joy of watch tower.   

Can you imagine that?  You are so brainwashed you reject your own flesh and blood.  It's so sad.

[Deicide]

I don't think he'd do that.  He might saddle guilt on him every time he sees them though. 

These people are Johovah witnesses who disowned their daughter.  I got a huge JW temple about 2 miles from my house.  There's always these sharp dress people walking the nieborhood knocking on doors spreading the joy of watch tower.   

Can you imagine that?  You are so brainwashed you reject your own flesh and blood.  It's so sad.

Jebus is more important than everything else.

[fitt@40]

Are you saying you became more intolerant once you got actively Christian?

Yes, I am more intolerant, but only to sin.   The truth is I am far more loving and understanding as a Christian.  As MCWAY pointed out, my friends became less tolerant of me.  But isn't this just the natural course of things?  What if you decide one day that you're not going to weightlift any more.  You decide that weightlifting cause nothing but pain and suffering.  Do you really think your gym buddies are  going to hang out with you.  That's a very simplistic way of looking at Christianity.  I have never been intolerant of a person because of my beliefs.  I do find that Christian people tend to make non-believers uncomfortable or angry.  Many, not all, are angry because being around a Christian is a reminder of the sinful life they live.  Yes, some are angry because many professed Christians do not represent Christ well.    Let's forget about Christianity for a second.  Imagine if you had the cure for all of the sickness in the world.  All people had to do was just listen to what you have to say, and do what you advise.  You so desperately want to help them, but most choose not to listen.  That's how I feel about Christianity.  I will NEVER force it on anyone, but my goodness, why want they just listen?

[fitt@40]

It sounds to me as if his buddies got less tolerant of him, than he of them (which is often the case, once someone gets saved).

I've been there. It’s not that he doesn’t want to maintain the friendship. But, he won't do it, at the cost of compromising his faith or his walk with the Lord.

You, my friend, are correct!

[fitt@40]

I would love to know what would happen if your kids came to you one day and said, progenitor, all this faith shit is bullshit, I am out of here. What would you say?

If my children, whom I love dearly, said this, I would say what I would say to any stranger.  The truth does not change because someone happens to be our family member.  If it were my 25 year old daughter, I'd apologize to her for not teaching her the way of the Lord when she was young.  Scripture tells us that we are to raise our children in the Lord.  I would pray for them.  Do not interpet this to mean that I would dis-own (sp) them.  Do interpet it to mean that I would be just as intolerant of their sins as any stranger.

[fitt@40]

Isn't this kind of thing where you start isolating yourself away from your friends a cult like thing?

I know this young gal, who's parents have dis-owned her because she doesn't subscribe to their religion any longer.

Religion is so stupid sometimes.

Again, I have never isolated myself from friends.  I just choose not to be around sin.  I do agree that many foolish things have been done in the name of religion.  Choosing not to be around sin is not one of them.

[OzmO]

Again, I have never isolated myself from friends.  I just choose not to be around sin.  I do agree that many foolish things have been done in the name of religion.  Choosing not to be around sin is not one of them.

Most Christians are not cult like.  Most Christians do not isolate themselves completely from their family or friends if they are not similar their Christian faith.

But the idea of what you are doing, regardless of the reasons, is similar. 

[fitt@40]

Most Christians are not cult like.  Most Christians do not isolate themselves completely from their family or friends if they are not similar their Christian faith.

But the idea of what you are doing, regardless of the reasons, is similar. 

How so?

[MCWAY]

Sounds like the sort of thing MCWAY would do to his children if they ever came home and gave up on the fundamentalism.

DEAD WRONG.....as usual!!!

I would love to know what would happen if your kids came to you one day and said, progenitor, all this faith shit is bullshit, I am out of here. What would you say?

First of all, my kids don't refer to me a "progenitor". It's "Dad", "Daddy", or something along those lines.

Furthermore, my children DO NOT (and will not) speak to me or my wife in such a manner.

As for your eagerness to see my kids hurt my feelings, that's another bet you're likely to lose. In the event they were to chose a different course, that would sadden me but they would still be dear to my heart, all the same.

I don't think he'd do that.  He might saddle guilt on him every time he sees them though. 

These people are Johovah witnesses who disowned their daughter.  I got a huge JW temple about 2 miles from my house.  There's always these sharp dress people walking the nieborhood knocking on doors spreading the joy of watch tower.   

Can you imagine that?  You are so brainwashed you reject your own flesh and blood.  It's so sad.

It happens both ways, as is the well-documented case of William Murray, a Christian minister and son of (perhaps) the most notorious atheist in American history, Madalyn Murray O'Hair. O'Hair, upon learning of his son's religious faith, publicly disowned her son. She called it a "postnatal abortion".

Jebus is more important than everything else.

So, who/what was "more important than anyone else" to O'Hair?