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People are leaving church because
- Thread starter Riders
- Start date
None of the above, they are church shopping or hopping around for the shoes that fit,
Heyo
Veteran Member
While I never was a believer, I still was a church member and I was active in the youth program. We had an arrangement that was cancelled by the church, so I left. That was 40 years ago.
None of the above.
People are leaving chuch,
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Secret Chief
Vetted Member
Predictive text?
Of course, dyslexia is a real pain sometimes. It makes a change and I don't see it's a completely different word. Anyway, fixed, i hope
exchemist
Veteran Member
The first thing is to establish whether there is actually a trend or not and what it is. I found this in the Wiki article on church attendance:
Church attendance in advanced industrial societies is in gradual general decline with people shifting from weekly to monthly or holiday attendance. Sociologists have attributed this trend to a number of reasons, starting from a simple boredom during services and lack of motivation, to generational incompatibility of belief systems and social changes attributed to modernity.[78] Research across 65 different nations showed that out of 20 advanced industrial countries, 16 demonstrated a declining rate of monthly church attendance.[79]
An article published in the Christianity Today Magazine in 2007 suggested that in America, church attendance since the 1990s had remained stable.[80]
The percent of Americans who regularly attend religious services has fluctuated over time, but presently is at a low point.[81] In Gallup Poll surveys, the yearly aggregate of those who answer "yes" to the question "Did you, yourself, happen to attend church or synagogue in the last seven days, or not?" was 36% in 2014, 2015, and 2016.[82] This is a very long-running Gallup question: "In 1939, when Gallup first asked this question, 41% said 'yes.' That percentage dropped to 37% in 1940 and rose to 39% in 1950. It continued to climb, reaching as high as 49% at multiple points in the 1950s. Attendance then settled down to figures around 40% for decades, before dropping to 36%" beginning in 2014.[81]
The decline in church attendance is more pronounced in developed European countries, where it is suggested that the secular culture overrides interest in religion. In Poland Church attendance has declined from more than 50% in 1979 to 40% in 2012.[83]
In fact the trend in the US seems very unclear, having gone from 41% attending at least once a week in 1939 to 37% only a year later and then fluctuating, being at 36% today. There seems to be more evidence of a decline in Europe.
From this article it does not look as if any of the options in your poll on their own is responsible.
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I think biggest reason why people reject Church is that the leaders are hypocrites and not loyal to God and Jesus.
paradox
(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
People leave the church simply because it's incapable to withstand modern challenges.
Major factor is change in culture.
I don't agree with that. I think there is too much reliance upon the leaders, and that automatically corrupts them no matter how loyal they are. It becomes the leader's responsibility to ignore anything they hear that doesn't solidify their position. Nothing can change. On the other hand the leader can drag everyone about into different worship styles, different projects, different attitudes. They can do things like sell multi level marketing phone cards, but they cannot allow different opinions about Revelation. And churches often put young parents or single men into leadership positions. How can that end well? Its become a job. You train for it, and then you fill a position and suddenly everyone is calling you revered. Not good.
I once was briefly in charge of a tiny church for a few months. I was quite sincere, but that made my sermons boring. In fact nobody needed my sermons, and that was the real problem. It was strange to know that I was actually irrelevant but was treated as a necessary item, someone whose opinions were sought and who was needed for comments on decisions. I was even asked for wisdom about marriage, as if I suppose that my position would ordain me to special dispensation of wisdom.
What people often want from a church leader is single minded absolute assurance. They want a rock solid assurance of whatever the creeds are. They want that person to speak with no reservations about whatever is to be corporately assured, and they want them to speak cleverly and lively. That is the #1 requirement: not experience, not humility, not good children and a good marriage, not a successful person, not any kind of good fruit. No, what people want is the right words; and when they get corrupt leadership they are surprised.
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Secret Chief
Vetted Member
Because it's too hot inside.
Time for worship has taken a back seat to a busy lifestyle and worldly desires.
exchemist
Veteran Member
Do you have any evidence for this?
There are a fair number of church leaders who don't believe in god.
church leaders who don't believe in god - Google Search
PureX
Veteran Member
There are probably a lot of reasons that people are leaving religious organization, but I think in many cases it's because religion wants to promote 'belief' and 'adherence' for the sake of it's institutions rather than offering real spiritual and physical support to people. And when you aren't providing what people need, they'll look for it somewhere else.
Guitar's Cry
Disciple of Pan
I never went back (willingly) to my family church after I heard one of the deacons (Presbyterian) say "I would never watch 'Hancock' because I don't believe black people should be superheroes."
VoidCat
Use any and all pronouns including neo and it/it's
Reminds me of the time I was in church and the pastor knowing full well I was the only openly transgender person in the audience went on a rant at the pulpit about all transgender folk being pedophiles. She of course did this while staring directly at me. She also said she'd never allow a transgender person in her church...And many of the congregants were like Amen.
I would've walked out but I was a young teen and it was my foster mother's sister who was the pastor and I didn't want to get in trouble when I got home.
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Secret Chief
Vetted Member
She deserves an empty church. What a disgrace.
RestlessSoul
Well-Known Member
Nice and cool in the draughty old ones now I should imagine. Worth going in just for that.