Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What Does Declining Church Attendance Mean for Our Society?

Yep. It’s as simple as that. There are no tangible or intangible benefits of any organized religion. I wonder if the communities that are routinely served by many churches would agree?

Antlers.

It’s been fun but you’ve given me all that I need to understand. You obviously can’t or won’t explain your views other than vague generalities that are no different from that the claims that pagan religions make.

It’s worth considering that this type vague subjectivity is widespread within modern Christianity and a reality that fuels the unbelief of many. If subjective religion is all that we offer what benefit is that to anyone. Christianity above all other religions is objective.

That is a sick and sad entertainment and it is “organized religion”. It just ain’t Christianity.

At some level declining church attendance means the churches and church people have to figure out what they need to be doing to feed their flocks. The ELCA for example can't figure it out for the life of them.

Haven't read the whole thread, didn't want to go down that rabbit hole again. But to opine on the original question, the decline in church attendance can mean nothing good for our society. When I was growing up, it seemed just about everyone attended church and society was on the whole much more well-behaved and civil. Being in church made you part of a community, and there were behavioral expectations that one felt compelled to meet; a sort of peer pressure, if you will. I am sure there were some, perhaps many, who simply warmed the pews and whose behavior outside of church was, shall we say, less than exemplary. But the church served to keep a lid on the sinful impulses that we all have. That lid, to the extent that it is still in place, is not as tight as it used to be and we see the result everywhere around us. And I do believe that regular church attendance might eventually have brought some into a real belief in Christ. It did for me.

I am not saying that just because someone doesn't attend church they are a bad person; I am saying that in my opinion the more people that a society has attending church, the fewer bad people it will have.

not sick and sad...just now and then gives one great insight......so who is right and has the true way.....Mormons...Catholics ....etc.....everybody thinks their way is the right way..

bob

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Then it should be no problem for you to provide examples of these pagan religions that you’ve mentioned above that have a one on one relationship with the Creator of the universe, that have a one on one relationship with a resurrected Savior, who takes an active (and interactive) role in their lives, who has extended grace to them and all that is required of them is to accept that grace so they can spend eternity with their Creator and Savior, that makes their lives better (and makes them better at life), who promises to walk through this life with them, who is the very definition of love itself, who promises to ease their burdens, and who actually gave His life because of the love that He has for His followers.No offense, but you do come across as being in an emotional desert and of being spiritually dry. You clearly struggle with things that people who are confident of their Savior and confident of their relationship with Him do not struggle with. Anybody who reads these threads knows that I’m pretty open and willing to share my views. I’ve been far more open sharing my views than you have. By far. Your evasiveness and redirecting is obvious, not only on this thread, but on others of this nature as well. And it’s been pointed out by others. It’s OK with me for you to continue to believe whatever you choose to believe. You clearly don’t like my specific views because they don’t fit within the confines of your chosen framework of legalism.

There is no Christ outside scripture ..... "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us".

Anyone who would say otherwise worships themselves instead, which is of course, idolatry.

God speaks to us through his Word, plain and simple.

Many folks think they can do better on their own, which is the crux of this whole thread. It's the same rebellion that was the original sin. Man's rejection of God's word, thinking they know better.

I disagree wholeheartedly. Jesus does not exist ‘because of’ scripture. It’s the other way around. Scripture exists ‘because of’ Jesus. “Word" in this instance is a translation of the Greek λόγος (logos), and is widely interpreted as referring to Jesus, as indicated in other verses later in the same chapter. “And Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Wrong. Some people clearly worship a book...which ‘is’ idolatry. And some people worship Jesus. And those who worship a book castigate those who worship Jesus because they worship Jesus instead of worshipping a book.

But that is certainly not the only way. He can reveal Himself to us by any means He chooses. The Creator and Savior of the world is not bound by the covers of a book.

Good post in my opinion. I agree.

Lots of good points in that post.

I’ve not met many people who are honest enough to be self critical to the point of questioning the foundation of their belief. That’s unfortunate because to do so with honesty should leave a person with the comfort of knowing that they will come back to what they presently believe if it is indeed true. They may come back in part or whole or may be taken in a different direction.

Organizations do the same thing and die on hills not worth fighting for. When a person starts to get over their unwillingness or fear of the unknown concerning beliefs they can become objective rather than dogmatic. That can lead to a discovery of what is really true. I personally don’t believe in multiple truths and multiple paths.

Another obstacle that I see in professed Christians is a self imposed stupidity about what they believe. It seems that there is a tendency for people to spew cliches and holy talk. That doesn’t really help anyone and makes the babbler look like a dunce.

I think that there is objectivity to the Christian religion. Much more so than will be heard from the average Christian who has distilled the faith down to a subjective personal experience.

He could have angels piss messages in the snow but there is little evidence of that.

I’m not sure how you reached any of these conclusions but none of them are accurate.


What is the last thing that God Told you and how did that knowledge come to you. If that’s real and what God does I’d like to participate.

The Word is the benchmark. He is bound by His Word to us and is a lamp onto our feet. Without that, we have no constant.

If God "says" anything to you that does not line up with the Word, it is false. To believe otherwise is where false doctrines come from for proud men with ticklish ears.

Jesus is the benchmark.

I agree with that, but I didn't say "Jesus does not exist ‘because of’ scripture.". In the beginning was the Word .... And the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us.