Why the west leaving the Christainity ?

[Godobeyer]

is this a consequnce of modernity (technologie )
it's consequnce of secularism ( religion get away from the politics )
or it's the consequence that the Bible contian errors (edited by human )

as i see here in this forum most of the western people are atheists !!!

and some western reports said :
many of the christain convert to Islam or to other religions .

 

[Reverend Rick]

When you have freedom, people make different choices. There are way more Atheists in Europiean countries than in the United States, but we are headed that way as well.

Here at RF, the people here are not representative of our nation as a whole. About 20% of America is represented by 80% of our membership here IMHO.

 

[Madhuri]

I would say the greatest threats to religion are:

1) materialism
2) education
3) freedom from religion

Places with high rates of atheism tend to be highly materialistic, have greater access to education and have secular governments that allow individuals to choose what religion to believe or not believe.

 

[Sunstone]

Eighty to eighty-five percent of Americans are Christian. So far as I know, over the past decade or so, there has been a slight decrease in that ratio so that slightly fewer people are Christian today than were Christian a decade or so ago.

In my opinion -- and according to a very few studies I've seen -- the decrease is to some extent a reaction against the rise of Fundamentalist Christianity in America. That is, some people in this country have gotten fed up with the Fundamentalists and, in reaction against them, dropped Christianity altogether. But I suspect there are other reasons besides that one.

EDIT: The actual percentage of Christians in the US is about 76%. I stand corrected.

 

[swamplizard]

Greetings,

Freedom to explore along with a willingness to open the thought path leads to individual as opposed to group consciousness concerning spiritual matters. IMHO

best,
swampy

 

[swamplizard]

Hi Madhuri,

I would say that "freedom from religion" is more likely to lead the individual toward the beliefs he or she truly holds as opposed to being a hinderance to religion. JMO

best,
swampy

 

[Man of Faith]

When the rapture happens, the whole world will leave Christianity at the same time.

 

[swamplizard]

I agree with Sunstone, the aversion to fundamentalists has grown since we have witnessed what religious fanaticism can commit under its doctrinal guise.

best,
swampy

 

[Valjean]

Religiosity in inversely proportional to security. A secure, prosperous, well-governed people doesn't feel the need for magical or supernatural succor.

 

[sojourner]

You've got some speculation arising from misperception. First of all, technology really doesn't have anything to do with religion. Our expansion of scientific knowledge does challenge they mythic beliefs, but it also enlarges our biblical exegesis tool box.

Second, it is precisely because we have societal choices that Xy has been allowed to become so diverse. Here in the US, religion has room to "spread out."

Third, the bible does contain errors -- but it has always contained errors, and has never claimed not to contain them.

Jerry C. Dogherty, an Episcopal priest, posits that Xy suffers from three basic crises: A crisis of individualism, a crisis of faith, and a crisis of lifestyle. I tend to agree with him.

[edit] Also, if we look at the history of Xy, we will note that it really has no locus. It has changed geography over time. Right now, it's burgeoning in South America, and especially in Africa, just as it had in Asia Minor, Greece, Europe, and the US previously.

 

[Godwilling]

is this a consequnce of modernity (technologie )
it's consequnce of secularism ( religion get away from the politics )
or it's the consequence that the Bible contian errors (edited by human )

as i see here in this forum most of the western people are atheists !!!

and some western reports said :
many of the christain convert to Islam or to other religions .

About 87% of Canadians are Christian of which about 75% are Catholic. That means that roughly 50% of Canadians are Catholic, and about 37% are protestants. About 75% of Americans are Christian. About 50% of Americans are Protestants of various denominations and about 25% are Catholic. The figures are similar in Europe.

The large influx of Muslims to democratic countries, most to leave repressive regimes in Libya, Egypt, Afghanistan, Syria, and other Muslim countries, creates an increase of Muslims in democratic countries. It is not that there is a large number of Christians and Atheists in democratic countries converting to Islam. It is that there is a large number of Muslims leaving Islamic countries to move to democratic countries where they can participate in a forum such as this without fear of the authorities. This is the major reason for the increase in believers of Islam in democratic countries, and not mass conversion.

In the "west", as you say, we have the freedom of religion that does not exist in many other countries around the world. The Taliban, for example, would kill you if you converted to Christianity, let alone leaving religion all together. That is the reason some people exercise their right to change religion or leave religion all together. That includes Muslims. Many Muslims born in democratic countries leave Islam when they do not feel marginalized within their society and when they feel well integrated. That is true in all democratic countries including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, and not just in the west.

I hope this answers your query.

 

[D-MITCH777]

I think it is because of all those things. I also feel that in Britain there is a Negative view on our past, which Christianity is linked with.

 

[Muffled]

is this a consequnce of modernity (technologie )
it's consequnce of secularism ( religion get away from the politics )
or it's the consequence that the Bible contian errors (edited by human )

as i see here in this forum most of the western people are atheists !!!

and some western reports said :
many of the christain convert to Islam or to other religions .

There is often an outlook of competition instead of seeking that which is best for a person. This attitutude of competition isn't good for anyone let alone those who are the target of competition.

It is difficult to tell what the problem is. Perhaps people haven't learned their lessons from previous lives and a shallow belief system is going to be challenged more in western contemporary culture.

When you read the story of the masses following Jesus, there is a parellell. As long as there are lots of miracles happening people follow but when the going gets rough, the masses fell away. As Jesus said sometimes the seed falls on good ground and sometimes it doesn't and a weed (tare) can choke out a weak plant.

 

[Muffled]

When the rapture happens, the whole world will leave Christianity at the same time.

This is a rather shallow statement. Could people in the Kingdom of God be considered as anything but Christian? I can buy that Christians will leave the world behind for a while.

When you come down to it entrance into the Kingdom of God requires a conversion to Christianity. People refusing to accept Jesus are either burnt up on earth, left behind on earth or cast out into outer space.

 

[ForeverFaithful]

People don't preach with Authority, they dilute the Gospel and try and make everyone happy, which shuns anyone with a real personal faith

 

[tumbleweed41]

When the rapture happens, the whole world will leave Christianity at the same time.

In case of rapture, can I have your car?

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Hypocritical and downright annoying followers, illogical dogma, reliance on faith, and the growing fact that it no longer fulfills the needs of people adequately enough.

 

[sojourner]

People don't preach with Authority, they dilute the Gospel and try and make everyone happy, which shuns anyone with a real personal faith

Yeah, but the other side of that coin is, when we preach with authority, it ****** people off -- they don't want to hear it!

 

[tumbleweed41]

Big factor.

Apostasy is not a crime in western societies.

But it is in Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Qatar, Yemen and Mauritania. Among other theocratic countries.

 

[Godwilling]

Big factor.

Apostasy is not a crime in western societies.

But it is in Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Qatar, Yemen and Mauritania. Among other theocratic countries.

Exactly!