Will Christianity Die?

[Kenny]

I say yes.

The state of the earth during the millennium will not allow it.

All of the tribes of the earth would NOT MOURN, if they thought that they would have a second chance during the millennium.

I don't quite understand. At all times, even during the millennium, people have the opportunity to follow God.

But not for everyone.

Peaceful Sabbath.

Yes. Correct. As free-will spirit being, we all have the capacity not to receive.

Matt 13: 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

God wanted to do miracles, had the power to do miracles but people chose not to receive.

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

Culture influences religion. I have read a little on African Christianity. Good and bad.

Before industry came to the west there was the Protestant Reformation. Africa is going through the same process the west went through hundreds of years ago. When, and if, Africa fully modernizes, it may also form the famous 'Protestant work ethic' phase to irreligion, just like Europe and America are undergoing now. And by the time that happens, Europe and America will probably go through an "auto-religious" revolution, cultivating people who are spiritual but don't affiliate with any particular religion. Or some variation of Omnism. Just like you, Sand Dancer.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Before industry came to the west there was the Protestant Reformation. Africa is going through the same process the west went through hundreds of years ago. When, and if, Africa fully modernizes, it may also form the famous 'Protestant work ethic' phase to irreligion, just like Europe and America are undergoing now. And by the time that happens, Europe and America will probably go through an "auto-religious" revolution, cultivating people who are spiritual but don't affiliate with any particular religion. Or some variation of Omnism. Just like you, Sand Dancer.

Interesting. I will look into that. And I just changed my religious "label." I do that. I still am interested in all religions though.

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

Interesting. I will look into that. And I just changed my religious "label." I do that. I still am interested in all religions though.

Yeah. You're probably an Omnist. Just like @sun rise

I am getting off topic. If you still want to talk about this with me you should DM me and we'll chat.

 

[Trailblazer]

Hopefully Christianity can then focus on his teachings.

That would sure be a good thing, since the teachings seem to be all but lost amongst the church doctrines.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

No... this sounds more like a personal issue than the norm.

I advise you to look around. You may be focused on the individual or the small group; whom you would identify as "true Christians". No True Scotsman helps no one and nothing, and cherry-picking who you consider to be "true christians" does not excuse what is Christianity today.

Christianity remains one of the most helpful faiths in the US... maybe even in the world. As the post suggested and, likewise, my life impacted, Christianity will live.

No, it does not. It may have helped you (and others), yet Christianity remains one of the most damaging religions the world has ever seen. Individual faith may survive, small churches may remain, but Christianity is dying.

We believe Jesus is coming back too.

How very optimistic, but that's neither here nor there. If we're measuring success and longevity on hopes and myths, this does not help you. In fact, that this has been repeated for centuries with no savior in sight is likely lending to Christianity withering. A religion cannot sustain itself on outright lies.

 

[InChrist]

No.

I was ready to kill myself after getting PTSD fighting in Afghanistan. Here’s what turned everything around

The impact of faith in Jesus will always keep it alive.

I agree.
I don’t consider true Christianity to be a religion, per se. Christianity is Jesus Christ and Jesus is eternal, so the reality is there will be no end. Nor will will the faith of those who belong to Christ ever die.


Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it..
Matthew 16:17-18

 

[metis]

Absolutely. My point was simply that no matter who sponsors the bill, it opposes somebody and everyone wants "their issue" the main issue. Not addressing whether one is right or wrong.

I feel "to each his own" as long as they don't try and subvert others in their quest for Truth.

The unfortunate reality is that it is seemingly far more theists who try and dominate and often demonize agnostics/atheists than the other way around. We often see this in terms of theists trying to mandate laws that their religion/denomination preach, or the if they believe that others are going to hell in a handbasket if they don't believe as they do, so they try and force their beliefs on them. In the west, Christians are generally the worst with this, but in the Middle East it's more Muslims that all too often do this.

So, as the cliché correctly goes, imo, it's "Peace on Earth or the Earth in pieces".

 

[Sand Dancer]

Yeah. You're probably an Omnist. Just like @sun rise

I am getting off topic. If you still want to talk about this with me you should DM me and we'll chat.

I think you're right. I just like to attach my beliefs to a closely related religion/denomination.

 

[Sand Dancer]

I agree.
I don’t consider true Christianity to be a religion, per se. Christianity is Jesus Christ and Jesus is eternal, so the reality is there will be no end. Nor will will the faith of those who belong to Christ ever die.


Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it..
Matthew 16:17-18

Jesus' teachings are eternal. That is what counts and changes the world, IMO.

 

[Trailblazer]

Something better hopefully.

I'm not sure about 'better' but certainly 'different.'
Baha'is don't believe that any religion is 'better' than any other religion. However, we believe that the religion that was revealed for the 'current' age is the religion that is suited to the needs of humanity in that age.

“The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 213

 

[Kenny]

I agree.
I don’t consider true Christianity to be a religion, per se. Christianity is Jesus Christ and Jesus is eternal, so the reality is there will be no end. Nor will will the faith of those who belong to Christ ever die.


Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it..
Matthew 16:17-18

Well said!!

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

I'm not sure about 'better' but certainly 'different.'
Baha'is don't believe that any religion is 'better' than any other religion. However, we believe that the religion that was revealed for the 'current' age is the religion that is suited to the needs of humanity in that age.

Things change. Information changes. If Baha'is believe their inspired word of God is the most up-to-date version of it, and there are conflicts between what Baha'is believe over what other religions teach, is it not the Baha'i principle to take what it says before anyone applies outdated information that the Baha'is don't teach? By implying that the Baha'i Faith is the most updated version of divinity, you are saying that it is better than other religions.

Think of it like this. The Baha'i Faith is Windows 10. Islam is Windows 7. Christianity is Windows XP. And Judaism is Windows 98. Which version of Windows would you prefer to use?

 

[Wildswanderer]

Let's be realistic. Christianity is still the biggest religion in the world. It's not going anywhere.

 

[metis]

I don’t consider true Christianity to be a religion, per se.

It is a religion per the definition:

re·li·gion
[rəˈlijən]
NOUN

1. the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods:
   

 

[InChrist]

It is a religion per the definition:

re·li·gion
[rəˈlijən]
NOUN

1. the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods:

Thanks for the definition of the word religion. I do understand that. Yet, I think that is more of the human definition or concept, whereas God has more of a relational idea in mind between Himself and us, His created beings.

God is love…

 

[metis]

Thanks for the definition of the word religion. I do understand that. Yet, I think that is more of the human definition or concept, whereas God has more of a relational idea in mind between Himself and us, His created beings.

God is love…

But those in probably most religions feel the same way about theirs, and the simple fact is that none can objectively prove they're the one & only.

BTW, "God is Love" is a line that Gandhi often used as well as "God is Truth", and you'll see me using them both periodically.

 

[Viker]

Will Christianity die?

Not any time soon.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

I think maybe it is possible, that the fate of all religion is to eventually be consumed and digested by philosophy. But this doesn't mean that it will go away, it means that it will have an afterlife in the collective consciousness and unconsciousness of the new life. Religion is subject to analysis. Analysis is what we use to digest, and gather the nutrients of these old ideas. The life cycle of our myths will eventually subject them to analysis. The Greeks and Romans did it with their myths, and now we can do it with ours, and theirs. Post-modernism builds new conceptions from the old

 

[Trailblazer]

Things change. Information changes. If Baha'is believe their inspired word of God is the most up-to-date version of it, and there are conflicts between what Baha'is believe over what other religions teach, is it not the Baha'i principle to take what it says before anyone applies outdated information that the Baha'is don't teach? By implying that the Baha'i Faith is the most updated version of divinity, you are saying that it is better than other religions.

Updated does not imply better, only newer. I am not going to say it is 'better' since Baha'u'llah warned us not to consider any revelation from God better than any other, since they were all ordained by God and are a reflection of God's Will and Purpose.

"Beware, O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation. This indeed is the true meaning of Divine Unity, if ye be of them that apprehend and believe this truth. Be ye assured, moreover, that the works and acts of each and every one of these Manifestations of God, nay whatever pertaineth unto them, and whatsoever they may manifest in the future, are all ordained by God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Whoso maketh the slightest possible difference between their persons, their words, their messages, their acts and manners, hath indeed disbelieved in God, hath repudiated His signs, and betrayed the Cause of His Messengers.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 59-60

However, it makes sense to me that religion needs to be renewed after it has fulfilled its purpose. Someday in the future the Baha'i Faith will be renewed, after it has fulfilled its purpose, and God will send another Messenger to establish another religion.

“And now concerning thy question regarding the nature of religion. Know thou that they who are truly wise have likened the world unto the human temple. As the body of man needeth a garment to clothe it, so the body of mankind must needs be adorned with the mantle of justice and wisdom. Its robe is the Revelation vouchsafed unto it by God. Whenever this robe hath fulfilled its purpose, the Almighty will assuredly renew it. For every age requireth a fresh measure of the light of God. Every Divine Revelation hath been sent down in a manner that befitted the circumstances of the age in which it hath appeared.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 81

Think of it like this. The Baha'i Faith is Windows 10. Islam is Windows 7. Christianity is Windows XP. And Judaism is Windows 98. Which version of Windows would you prefer to use?

I use Windows 10, but I hung onto Windows 7 as long as I could. However, once I started using Windows 10, I learned to like it and I now like it better than Windows 7. The same thing happened when I had to go from Windows XP to Windows 7.

Most people like the updates to computer operating systems but they do not like the updates to religions.
Why do you think that is?