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Who Says Christianity's Dying?

Thread ID: 18225 | Posts: 5 | Started: 2005-05-13

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Stigmata [OP]

2005-05-13 12:18 | User Profile

[size=4][color=#0000ff]2.6. The Growth of Christianity in Africa[/color][/size]

[size=2]The growth of Christianity in Africa deserves special note: Christianity's growth there has been explosive over past half century, (since the end of the colonial period), and it will continue to be explosive into the new century:[/size]

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[font=Arial][size=2]Some notes on the growth of Christianity in Africa:[/size][/font]

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[/font][url="http://www.stjohnadulted.org/worldchrist1.htm#The%20Growth%20of%20Christianity%20in%20Africa"]http://www.stjohnadulted.org/worldchrist1.htm#The%20Growth%20of%20Christianity%20in%20Africa[/url]

Stigmata

2005-05-13 12:19 | User Profile

[size=4][color=#0000ff]2.4. Decline of Christianity in Europe[/color][/size]

[size=2]This shift of Christianity to the South may be even more dramatic if we consider the rapid secularization of Europe over the past several decades. Many European "Christians" in the statistics are only nominally Christian:[/size][font=Times New Roman] [/font]

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[center][font=Arial][size=2]“About the decline, the statistics are unequivocal. But beneath and beyond that has been a strategic retreat into isolation where the spirit seems to be wilting. It has taken the form of a mood swing in which people have been preoccupied with taking stock, with the setting sun and lengthening shadows, with memorial armbands, with shades of gray, with requiem. As Sir Edward Grey declared, brooding over the dark clouds of his time, the lamps have gone out all over Europe. The religious imagination seems to have been hit with a bout of melancholy as it labors with strains of “Abide with me, fast falls the eventide” and “The Day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended, / The darkness falls at Thy behest.” It’s the solemn vespers without the Gloria, and is a far cry from the confident, robust tones of “Onward, Christian Soldiers,” The Son of God goes forth to war,” or “Stand up, stand up for Jesus!”. . . Maybe too much history is a bad thing”[/size][/font] [/center] [center][font=Arial][size=2] - [/size][/font][size=2][url="http://www.stjohnadulted.org/worldchrist1.htm#Primary References"][color=#000000]Lamin Sanneh[/color][/url][/size][font=Arial][size=2], p. 30[/size][/font] [/center] [/font][url="http://www.stjohnadulted.org/worldchrist1.htm#The%20Growth%20of%20Christianity%20in%20Africa"]http://www.stjohnadulted.org/worldchrist1.htm#The%20Growth%20of%20Christianity%20in%20Africa[/url]

friedrich braun

2005-05-13 12:56 | User Profile

Of course Christianity is not in decline in America, but to the contrary, Christianity continues on thriving there.

I'd be interested to hear theories as to the "why?" of this anomaly in the western world.

Hilaire Belloc

2005-05-16 16:55 | User Profile

[QUOTE=friedrich braun]Of course Christianity is not in decline in America, but to the contrary, Christianity continues on thriving there.

I'd be interested to hear theories as to the "why?" of this anomaly in the western world.[/QUOTE]

You might find this study interesting. Church attendence is down in Europe largely because of the incompetence of Church leaders, and since many of these churches enjoy either monopoly and/or state support; they have no reason to seek out new converts to stay afloat. On the other hand, in Africa and America, churches have to face stiff competition from other religious groups and thus actively seek new converts.

Yet in cases of non-mainstream Christian groups(especially more traditionalist based ones), their numbers and activities have actually risen in Europe. So it's not that Europeans are less religious, it's just the churches dont fufill their spiritual drives.

[url]http://www.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=ijrr[/url]

T.R. Reid also questions how far Europe has become secularist in his book The United States Of Europe: The New Superpower and the End of American Supremacy. Reid notes that large numbers of Europeans still travel to Vatican City and Lourdes for religious reasons and recordings of Gregorian chants are among the best sellers in parts of Europe. It's just that religion has become more an individual matter and now lacks its institutional vigour.

xmetalhead

2005-05-16 17:13 | User Profile

[QUOTE=friedrich braun]Of course Christianity is not in decline in America, but to the contrary, Christianity continues on thriving there.

I'd be interested to hear theories as to the "why?" of this anomaly in the western world.[/QUOTE]

Depends on what brand of Christianity. Sure, "Christian churches" are popping up in blighted downtown areas as well as the 3,000 seat mega-churches in the Red States, however, their gospel is pure self-aggrandizing "christianity" and unlikely to change anyone's heart. It does satisfy the self-righteous nature of humans while being an easy gospel and that's why these "churches" continue to grow.

Meanwhile, the true Holy Spirit of God is, in fact, no longer prevalent in most churches as God is loosening further the reins of Satan to occupy these now apostate churches. This is prophesied in the Gospels and unlike the cult of Christian Zionists, the Last Day comes as a "thief in the night"...which means the end is sudden and final and no mythical "battle of Armegeddon" will ever take place.

As for African "Christianity"; in those God forsaken lands, anyone showing up offering bread and water will certainly draw crowds. Heck, they'll even hang out and listen for awhile in order to get the bread, since not much else is happening. It's not like the typical African village has malls and movie theaters and cable TV, ya know.