Losing their religion: why US churches are on the decline

[Still Benefited]

This can be demonstrated objectively.

The problem today is the education system hasn’t caught up with technology.

People have ready access to too much information and not enough skills in learning how to source and evaluate that information. Logic, critical thinking and sources evaluation should be taught as early as middle school.

The most valuable classes that I took in college were the philosophy classes I look in on logic and critical thinking.

So in other words,what you actually mean to say is people are more easily brainwashed and indoctrinated. Or they have access to so much information,its hard for them to stay grounded in anything. And actually marinate in their beliefs for more than 6 months


This does not make them intelligent.

 

[IsThatBrothaMouzone?]

People believe in a Higher Power, God etc.

The problem is that people don't wanna follow a preacher that encourages humility while driving a Lambo and living in a $10 million mansion.

On top of that, I've been in far too many sermons where there's negative talk about gay people but NOTHING spoken about out of wedlock babies, men/women smashing whatever etc. Some random (open not DL) ghey breh is not gonna have much impact compared to some breh with 6 baby mommas or some broad with 5 baby daddies.

 

[CreepyMcCreeperson]

I use to think that there was space to be pro-black and Christian. As I get older, I'm starting to realize that the ideas that came forth from Christ are so revolutionary, that there really isn't any space for "blackness" or "whiteness". And yes, it's puts black people who consider themselves Christian between a rock and a hard place because white people have so weaponized Christianity with whiteness, black people have no recourse but to fight back with blackness. But it's incongruent with the Sermon on the Mount. I think MLK realized this which is why at the tail end of his life, he was trying to unite and galvanize all people who were victims of capitalism, hence the Poor People's Campaign. The Black Panthers, who, I don't think were religiously affiliated, appeared to be moving in this direction as well.

I view it this way:

The people who gave us Christianity enslaved us, beat us, raped us, and have conquered lands. This isn’t to say they are just Christians who did bad things, but we should have taken the example, and stepped on who we needed to step on to get ahead. They encourage us to be the bigger person, when they know had those things happened to them, they wouldn’t have put up with it.

Preachers became the leaders of the community, despite a lot of those preachers being corrupt, taking the church’s money. We can organize church events to socialize, and learn the Bible, but can’t have networking events, and job fairs. Giving us hope isn’t getting results. And I’ll also say the church drills that victim mentality into us, by constantly talking about suffering, and acting like money is all about greed, and materialism. Money allows you to hire a decent attorney to keep you out of prison. Money gives you options where to live. Money gives your children security, and is there incase of emergency. Too many of us are sitting around, waiting to be rescued, or accepting poverty as a normal way of life for being black.

 

[Robbie3000]

So in other words,what you actually mean to say is people are more easily brainwashed and indoctrinated. Or they have access to so much information,its hard for them to stay grounded in anything. And actually marinate in their beliefs for more than 6 months


This does not make them intelligent.

The poster above posted statistics demonstrating people are better educated today.

No one is saying education system is perfect or idiot proof.

 

[Still Benefited]

Yes. And its not a belief , its statistical facts. We are doing better in almost all metrics than we were in previous decades

And more.....

Yes,its much easier to cheat and make people,as well as the school system believe you are smart.


Did you know your senses collect data,much like algorithms? They really dont get enough credit. My senses tell me people are dumber than they have ever been#TrustTheAnalytics

 

[Cereal_Bowl_Assassin]

Problem is that people are overworked mentally by getting higher degrees and mentally demanding professions that stresses longer than 40 hour workweeks. Add the increasing cost of living, no one wants to listen to organized religion when Monday to Friday is once massive clusterfukk of structured BS

I didn't even think about this but you're spot on...money is the new religion

 

[Will Ross]

People believe in a Higher Power, God etc.

The problem is that people don't wanna follow a preacher that encourages humility while driving a Lambo and living in a $10 million mansion.

On top of that, I've been in far too many sermons where there's negative talk about gay people but NOTHING spoken about out of wedlock babies, men/women smashing whatever etc. Some random (open not DL) ghey breh is not gonna have much impact compared to some breh with 6 baby mommas or some broad with 5 baby daddies.

The flashy preacher exist for a reason.

 

[FluffyEyes]

90s we here

Love this song

 

[CEO of Morgan Industries]

It would seem to me, understanding Judeo Christians ideas, that the evolution of making African/Indigenous minorities an underclass was brought about by Europeans elevating whiteness to deity, thus, in effect, become idolators. If Africans and indigenous populations became subhuman, it meant that they were not made in the image of God who purportedly made man in his image. Europeans diverged from Christianity and became idolators when they placed themselves and whiteness in the place of God and made divisions based off who were not white like them. It's the same for American protestantism and white nationalism. It's idolatry, not Christianity.



I use to think that there was space to be pro-black and Christian. As I get older, I'm starting to realize that the ideas that came forth from Christ are so revolutionary, that there really isn't any space for "blackness" or "whiteness". And yes, it's puts black people who consider themselves Christian between a rock and a hard place because white people have so weaponized Christianity with whiteness, black people have no recourse but to fight back with blackness. But it's incongruent with the Sermon on the Mount. I think MLK realized this which is why at the tail end of his life, he was trying to unite and galvanize all people who were victims of capitalism, hence the poor people's campaign. The Black Panthers appeared to be moving in this direction as well.

This is a thoughtful post.

I think yes, this is why Christianity is becoming less popular in the United States. Evangelicals in particular have made it entirely too obvious that Christianity is little more than a vehicle for white supremacy (among other bad beliefs).

I always say, though, that saying that what white Christians (with some exceptions - looking at you Episcopaleans and Unitarians) do isn't really Christianity is too much of a No True Scotsman. This is what Christianity is, like it or not, at least in this place and time. It's not a Christianity that Jesus would recognize, but then again, you and I both know that if Jesus came to the United States and started preaching in 2023, the Southern Baptists would have him locked up in a government facility and tortured so fast the Hebrew Church of Roman Empire times would be impressed.

I do agree with you that if you look at the crux of Jesus's teachings as reported in the Gospels, they are well before their time. The story of the loaves and fishes always stuck with me - as a kid, I thought (and it was presented to me) as basically Jesus magicking up some extra bread and fish somehow. It wasn't until years later that I realized the message - "We can each have a little less ourselves to help feed one another, and we will feel full spiritually if not physically" - is wild and radical, and it's no wonder a bunch of church officials skimming off the top and living the high life wanted Jesus gone.

You are also right, I think, about MLK's move toward capitalist critique; I think a sort of proto-version of this capitalist critique is a core facet of Jesus's sermons in the Gospels. I mean, he goes out and legit fights bankers whose interest rates on loans are bullshyt. If he were around today, he might be burning down payday loan shops.

 

[Still Benefited]

The poster above posted statistics demonstrating people are better educated today.

No one is saying education system is perfect or idiot proof.

I reject those statistics.

Speak honestly here,do you believe you had to be smarter to get to college pre internet,or post internet era?


I dont deny people are able to get the information they need faster. I reject the idea that they have the intelligence to do anything substantive with it overall. Oooh oooh you can code a website. Oooh oooh you can make an app where we can slice up fruit as if we were ninjas?


And the average person cant even do those things. The average person cant even hold an intelligent convo. Being able to repeat the info theyve been indoctrinated with is a struggle. Letalong being forced to think outside the margins on a whim

 

[Dave24]

It would seem to me, understanding Judeo Christians ideas, that the evolution of making African/Indigenous minorities an underclass was brought about by Europeans elevating whiteness to deity, thus, in effect, become idolators. If Africans and indigenous populations became subhuman, it meant that they were not made in the image of God who purportedly made man in his image. Europeans diverged from Christianity and became idolators when they placed themselves and whiteness in the place of God and made divisions based off who were not white like them. It's the same for American protestantism and white nationalism. It's idolatry, not Christianity.



I use to think that there was space to be pro-black and Christian. As I get older, I'm starting to realize that the ideas that came forth from Christ are so revolutionary, that there really isn't any space for "blackness" or "whiteness". And yes, it's puts black people who consider themselves Christian between a rock and a hard place because white people have so weaponized Christianity with whiteness, black people have no recourse but to fight back with blackness. But it's incongruent with the Sermon on the Mount. I think MLK realized this which is why at the tail end of his life, he was trying to unite and galvanize all people who were victims of capitalism, hence the Poor People's Campaign, which I think embodied Christian ideas the most, and why he really became a threat. True Christians ideas are a threat to mainstream societies which is why Christ proclaimed that his kingdom isn't of this world. The Black Panthers, who, I don't think were religiously affiliated, appeared to be moving in this direction as well.

Dope post @ab.aspectus

Overall what bible translation do you recommend the most? King James Version?

 

[RareHunter]

2Thessalonians 2:3-4
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

 

[Robbie3000]

I reject those statistics.

Speak honestly here,do you believe you had to be smarter to get to college pre internet,or post internet era?


I dont deny people are able to get the information they need faster. I reject the idea that they have the intelligence to do anything substantive with it overall. Oooh oooh you can code a website. Oooh oooh you can make an app where we can slice up fruit as if we were ninjas?


And the average person cant even do those things. The average person cant even hold an intelligent convo. Being able to repeat the info theyve been indoctrinated with is a struggle. Letalong being forced to think outside the margins on a whim

I don’t know about any of the B.S you are talking about, but I do know that there is a very strong correlation between educational attainment and belief in God.

The lower the educational level, the higher the belief in God. The higher the education level, the lower the belief in God.

 

[Still Benefited]

I don’t know about any of the B.S you are talking about, but I do know that there is a very strong correlation between educational attainment and belief in God.

The lower the educational level, the higher the belief in God. The higher the education level, the lower the belief in God.

And who gave you that statistic,the same white man who gave the bible? The bible pretty much told you that. But that correlation doesnt neccesserily mean what they think it does#RenderUntoCeasar

 

[RareHunter]

Something had to give when you see people from Gen Y and Gen Z getting degrees and engaging in numerous topics that require critical thinking, at record numbers. A major setback to organized religion is an educated populace. Look at Western Europe and how churches are being converted to night clubs and bars.

What is the your point? All of this is to bring in the final government and the final ruler of that government who people will worship since, they no longer believe. The Bible already says this would happen. People will worship this man because they love living in sin passporting. They will even kill believers and they themselves will go to The Lake of Fire.

2Thessalonians 2:3-4
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.