Author Topic: Christianity Isn’t dying, Cultural Christianity Is.  (Read 4934 times)

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macuser

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Christianity Isn’t dying, Cultural Christianity Is.
« on: October 25, 2012, 10:20:48 am »

You’ve heard it suggested that the United States is simply Europe on a 50-year delay. Most churches will be museums before your grandchildren reach adulthood.

Though new numbers from Pew Research released this month point to a decline in American Protestants, no serious scholar believes that Christianity in America is on a trajectory of extinction. And, as a Ph.D. researcher and practicing evangelical Christian, I say to those who’ve read recent reports and come to that conclusion, “Not so fast.”

You see, many in the USA who identify as Christian do so only superficially. These “cultural Christians” use the term “Christian” but do not practice the faith.

Please read the story here:
http://theaquilareport.com/christianity-isnt-dying-cultural-christianity-is/

Fat

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Re: Christianity Isn’t dying, Cultural Christianity Is.
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2012, 12:26:44 pm »
I think this is not news to most of us. All that is being done here is a more accurate deffinition of the term Chriatian by making a new class the, “Cultural Christians”. Look in America 80% people claim to be Christian, all you have to do is look at the people being elected into office to know that this cannot be true.

macuser

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Re: Christianity Isn’t dying, Cultural Christianity Is.
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2012, 11:59:54 pm »
I think this is not news to most of us. All that is being done here is a more accurate deffinition of the term Chriatian by making a new class the, “Cultural Christians”. Look in America 80% people claim to be Christian, all you have to do is look at the people being elected into office to know that this cannot be true.

We know that the Church will be persecuted but it will come through the persecution. The cultural Cristian's will fall away and the real Church will become stronger. I have heard pastors that have estimated that only 10% of their congregation were saved. THAT'S SAD.

Do you think that the churches will become museums?

Fat

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Re: Christianity Isn’t dying, Cultural Christianity Is.
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2012, 01:16:09 pm »
We know that the Church will be persecuted but it will come through the persecution. The cultural Cristian's will fall away and the real Church will become stronger. I have heard pastors that have estimated that only 10% of their congregation were saved. THAT'S SAD.

Do you think that the churches will become museums?

No not at all I think they will always have congregations and there'll always be people there worshiping someone or something. You have many churches at the present that call himself Christian but it is very unlikely that you will find any Christian membership.

philer

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Re: Christianity Isn’t dying, Cultural Christianity Is.
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2012, 08:50:07 am »
It is interesting how GOD has chosen to deal with man throughout the ages showing man the way to life or death, after the fall ,GOD tried being patient with us by telling us what we should and should not do ,and the option to offer a sacrifice in case we did sin,but simply asked us to obey.

after this christ was the ultimate sacrifice making a way to redeem us ,much simpler than the sacrfice of an animal , simply by believing and confessing and repenting. Later it will be an extreme measure, if you disbelieve you will live and recieve the mark,and if you believe you will die. The church of course is hidden during that time and they must be dragged out or exposed and the devil will persecute them . I take christ at his word there are not many ,and they are hard to find and may be in the midst of the so called christians or cultural christians but i do not think the church is a very large body in this time , although some may believe otherwise. when men believe they determine what the church is or is not then is it the church or what men made to be the church?
read the word of GOD believe what it says and worship GOD and keep the commandments , if GOD has chosen you so be it,if not so be it, do your best and hope for the best , in the end the lord will reveal all things.

macuser

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Re: Christianity Isn’t dying, Cultural Christianity Is.
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2012, 12:59:50 pm »
It looks like everybody agrees that the number of Christians in the church (buildings or congregations) is small. So what do you think draws the unsaved (non-elect) into these church congregations?

philer

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Re: Christianity Isn’t dying, Cultural Christianity Is.
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2012, 02:11:04 pm »
It looks like everybody agrees that the number of Christians in the church (buildings or congregations) is small. So what do you think draws the unsaved (non-elect) into these church congregations?

Desire, and GOD .

Fat

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Re: Christianity Isn’t dying, Cultural Christianity Is.
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2012, 02:52:36 pm »
It looks like everybody agrees that the number of Christians in the church (buildings or congregations) is small. So what do you think draws the unsaved (non-elect) into these church congregations?

Is a way for Satan to corrupt the church, political correctness is a cancer and it has been used to infiltrate the church. The leadership of the church can no longer speak out against abortion, homosexuality or other immoral practices. Just take a look what happening to a pastor in Canada,
Quote
The commission ruled against Boissoin in May 2008, ordering him to cease any further public expression of his views on homosexual behavior. The commission also ordered Boissoin to pay Lund $5,000 and provide him with a written apology even though he was not the subject of any of Boissoin’s writings and Boissoin didn’t even know who he was prior to the complaint Lund filed with the commission. In December 2009, a Canadian court reversed the commission’s order in Boissoin v. Lund.
http://www.alliancedefendingfreedom.org/News/PRDetail/7705

Some people in the Cultural Christianity come to the church because it makes them feel that they're doing something good. It's like giving to charities or helping some old lady across the street, it does not make you a Christian but it makes you feel like you are a good person. Of course we all know that good persons don't necessarily make it to heaven.

Your question is kind of like the question why do homosexuals want thier civil unions to be called marriage? I think it's because they can claim they are right in Gods eyes.

IMHO

macuser

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Re: Christianity Isn’t dying, Cultural Christianity Is.
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2012, 02:07:25 pm »
Is a way for Satan to corrupt the church, political correctness is a cancer and it has been used to infiltrate the church. The leadership of the church can no longer speak out against abortion, homosexuality or other immoral practices. Just take a look what happening to a pastor in Canada,
Some people in the Cultural Christianity come to the church because it makes them feel that they're doing something good. It's like giving to charities or helping some old lady across the street, it does not make you a Christian but it makes you feel like you are a good person. Of course we all know that good persons don't necessarily make it to heaven.

Your question is kind of like the question why do homosexuals want their civil unions to be called marriage? I think it's because they can claim they are right in Gods eyes.

IMHO

The ungodly will always have a vacancy that they try to fill because their souls are dead. They have turned from God and now they turn to religion replace Him. It's an old story told many times throughout the Bible.


JB Horn

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Re: Christianity Isn’t dying, Cultural Christianity Is.
« Reply #9 on: October 28, 2012, 06:06:34 pm »
The ungodly will always have a vacancy that they try to fill because their souls are dead. They have turned from God and now they turn to religion replace Him. It's an old story told many times throughout the Bible.

Quote from: Christ
Luke 21:20 "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that its desolation has come near. 21 Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! Those inside the city must leave it, and those who are in the country must not enter it, 22 because these are days of vengeance to fulfill all the things that are written. 23 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Tell me Mac , the church being in decline, do you believe this is a sign that the times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled?

JB

macuser

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Re: Christianity Isn’t dying, Cultural Christianity Is.
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2012, 12:57:43 pm »
Tell me Mac , the church being in decline, do you believe this is a sign that the times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled?

JB

What I understand what we are talking about here is a time when all Gentiles had the opportunity to hear the gospel. If we are talking that all Gentiles must have heard the gospel, then I think that is an impossibility and it will never occur, there always be somebody somewhere that had not heard of the cross.

To answer your question instead of concentrating on the American church I would look at countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia and asked myself have the Gentiles in those countries had a chance to hear about Christ. And I don't think that they have as of yet so the answer I would give your question is NO.