Why is Church attendance in America on the decline
This is the question I posed to vastly different panel. I wanted a cross section or microcosm of thoughts on why Church in America is on the decline. I knew if I simply went around asking friends I would get the standard answers. My quest took me deeper into the thoughts and why of what is happening. This is not intended to point fingers or cast judgement is merely a group of people sharing thoughts. All names have been deleted for the sake of open honest conversation.
We believe what we believe because of the sum total of all our experiences, education and influence. I don't disagree with what anyone believes; while I have different beliefs. By sharing, we open our minds to the possibility that God is bigger than our religion or beliefs.
Church attendance in America has been on the decline for years, what are your thoughts as to why?
Attendance has declined in churches because of people like me.
I haven’t been inviting and bringing people with me.
I have been busy being human and dwelling on the pleasures of the flesh, like sporting events, parties, travel and whatever else that can keep me away from the church building.
Somewhere along my Christian walk I forgot that MUCH is required of me, this includes the Church.
The Lord says the church is HIS bride. Think about that and all that a bride must do to prepare for and get ready for her wedding. (as we should be doing to get ready for his return to take us with him, we have a guest list for sure plus many other things)
I haven’t been inviting and bringing people with me.
I have been busy being human and dwelling on the pleasures of the flesh, like sporting events, parties, travel and whatever else that can keep me away from the church building.
Somewhere along my Christian walk I forgot that MUCH is required of me, this includes the Church.
The Lord says the church is HIS bride. Think about that and all that a bride must do to prepare for and get ready for her wedding. (as we should be doing to get ready for his return to take us with him, we have a guest list for sure plus many other things)
Our society no longer uses the term Sabbath, I mean heck, We don’t even post the 10 commandments in public anymore.
We’ve become so accepting of other “faiths” EVEN Wiccan that it causes GREAT confusion as to how to fit church into our lives.
We’ve forgotten that EVEN the DEVIL believes in Jesus, and that the DEVIL inhibits the earth. He wants us too.
We’ve read so many publications on being a self-made and self-minded person that we don’t feel the need for asking help from a higher authority. So why would we need to go to church. AND GOD longs to have us need him in everything we do.
We’ve become so accepting of other “faiths” EVEN Wiccan that it causes GREAT confusion as to how to fit church into our lives.
We’ve forgotten that EVEN the DEVIL believes in Jesus, and that the DEVIL inhibits the earth. He wants us too.
We’ve read so many publications on being a self-made and self-minded person that we don’t feel the need for asking help from a higher authority. So why would we need to go to church. AND GOD longs to have us need him in everything we do.
I truly don’t believe that our choice not to attend church has affected our faith walk other than to make it stronger. We have been strengthened by the Christian fellowship we find wherever we are and have grown richer for it. I can’t say that I would never go back – if I learned of a church who truly followed Jesus and welcomed everyone with open arms, I would certainly be interested and hopeful enough to try again, but I don’t feel that I am less of a Christian because I don't attend.
There are so very many of us out there – staunch Christians who are walking daily hand-in-hand with Jesus, but with damage received in church that keeps us away. We are fairly "normal" people - I can't imagine how the ones Jesus would have searched out to come to him are treated. Although surely there are churches still out there who are as they were meant to be, by and large to me the church seems like its own worst enemy.
Those who reject other faiths without understanding them are not opening their minds. It's ok to not accept their beliefs after understanding them. We cannot condemn them for believe what they do.
So this leads to my answer to the question: Why church attendance has declined?
1. Condemnation of non believers.
2. Churches divide faster than cells in the human body. The divisions and the splits that occur usually leave a wake of hurt people. Many leave the church.
3. Publicly humiliated church leaders caught with their pants down and/or while bilking followers.
4. Cult like churches who try to control the lives (and finances) of their flock. Wise people leave, foolish people continue to be fooled. that's what fools do.
5. The information age, the internet. People are being culturally educated as well.
6. Scientific proof. Since we know more about the origin of the earth, theories that were previously claimed by the church hurts their creditably. Rather than try to understand how scientific proof actually reveals intelligent design, many will hold on to ancient explanations.
7. Is a person (identified as a 'sinner') attracted to join a place that throws stones at others? They are attracted if they want to throw stones to avoid their own guilt.
8. The church is nothing like Jesus intended.
9. Pastors who possess the fruits of the Spirit are few.
10. Church leaders don't project the Beatitudes that Jesus taught.
I was brought up to think that churches were so called safe zones to where you could get refreshed and forgiven when life was heading the wrong way. If life was good it was a place to expand your faith and help others.
As an adult my experiences were considerably different than that. I, like you three, love people, all people. I do not understand how or why people can hate groups that think, act, or look different than they do. In church I found just that type of bigotry and division.
Nothing I witnessed came close to the model Christ laid out in the Gospels. Granted I have had some wonderful messages delivered at church and met some of the finest people ever. But it doesn't always take church to met great people or hear great messages. Once I learned that we all have some level of spirituality and faith I began to listen to the wise people that came into my life. The people that GOT IT if you know what I mean.
Church should be synonymous with love but it isn't the case for everyone. I have seen first hand people get left behind and become cast out Christians. Maybe it wasn't intentional that they were excluded but beings they had no money, little influence it was intentional that they were not included.
Whether we like it or not most churches are money driven instead of Christ driven. Which means the contributors make the decisions for the ones that can't contribute.
I think Church in America has lost it's moral compass. The base of which Christ gave us doesn't exist any more. My goal is to love people and spread a message of hope. I want people to know that they were created for a purpose by a loving creator. Sad to say many of our crimes are committed by people that feel worthless, unloved, or simply have been told they do not fit in.
Hate is a learned behavior while love exist in is us all.
I think Church can rebound, maybe not in the brick and mortar sense, but in the sense of a movement that truly places love above everything else. Hey that is what Jesus said anyway.
As an adult my experiences were considerably different than that. I, like you three, love people, all people. I do not understand how or why people can hate groups that think, act, or look different than they do. In church I found just that type of bigotry and division.
Nothing I witnessed came close to the model Christ laid out in the Gospels. Granted I have had some wonderful messages delivered at church and met some of the finest people ever. But it doesn't always take church to met great people or hear great messages. Once I learned that we all have some level of spirituality and faith I began to listen to the wise people that came into my life. The people that GOT IT if you know what I mean.
Church should be synonymous with love but it isn't the case for everyone. I have seen first hand people get left behind and become cast out Christians. Maybe it wasn't intentional that they were excluded but beings they had no money, little influence it was intentional that they were not included.
Whether we like it or not most churches are money driven instead of Christ driven. Which means the contributors make the decisions for the ones that can't contribute.
I think Church in America has lost it's moral compass. The base of which Christ gave us doesn't exist any more. My goal is to love people and spread a message of hope. I want people to know that they were created for a purpose by a loving creator. Sad to say many of our crimes are committed by people that feel worthless, unloved, or simply have been told they do not fit in.
Hate is a learned behavior while love exist in is us all.
I think Church can rebound, maybe not in the brick and mortar sense, but in the sense of a movement that truly places love above everything else. Hey that is what Jesus said anyway.
Thought provoking?
peace to you
peace to you
Dale
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