Really, we’re not there yet
A Catholic priest turned history teacher at Columbia University thinks America is losing its Christianity and turning pagan (https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/dec/30/faith-in-us-withers-as-apathy-trumps-religion/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=TWTnews2332861&fbclid=IwAR36EINYc021DJnxjnx8jTqg3bvfSjB2pkg8MRtk2YCGgulX_D4HQYMc5GQ).
He bases this on several factors: a) his students’ ignorance of the Bible, b) church attendance dropping, nationwide, in various denominations, and c) what appears to him to be total apathy towards religion among his students and most other people at Columbia.
“But what went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?”
Has this man forgotten where he is? Columbia University. The heart of darkness. The belly of the beast. Dude, Republicans exist in the tens of millions–but good luck finding any at Columbia. Ditto Biblically-literate Christians. Heck, you’re lucky if you find those in a seminary!
Besides which–and I speak from personal experience–how many twentysomethings are all that interested in “religion”? They’re mostly interested in themselves. It can take a long time to grow out of that.
He also seems to be conflating “no church membership” with “no belief in Christianity.” They are two very different things. This guy needs to get out more.
People are leaving liberal denominations in droves–the Presbyterian Church USA, for example. They leave those liberal churches not because they’ve lost their Christian faith, but because they want to keep it.
If you must go to a place like Columbia, go to reclaim ground for Christ. Too much has been ceded to the enemy.
Christianity has certainly lost a lot of its sway over the culture in the West. That to me is very apparent. Americans have adopted a lot of pagan ways rather they realize it or not, and along with it a lot of pagan vices. The silver lining is Christianity is growing in other parts of the world.
You are both correct. These reports always remind me of the parable of the 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins waiting for the Bridegroom, and of the disciples falling asleep in the Garden while the Lord agonized in prayer
alone with the Father.
The United Methodist Church is on the brink of spitting in two for this very reason. Didn’t Wm F. Buckley write a book back in the 1950’s called “God and Man at Yale?” Today it would be more like, “Satan and Man at Yale,’ or Harvard, or Georgetown, etc, etc. etc.
Christianity is not defined by denominations, but by hearing,SFP acting upon, the word. I’ve watched with interest as various denominations have faced shrinking membership and stagnate to negative growth. It’s an interesting time, but church business is not all there is to Christianity. Stay tuned and keep some popcorn nearby. This could become a very interesting show.
Yep: “They leave those liberal churches not because they’ve lost their Christian faith, but because they want to keep it.”