What do you think about the decrease in Christianity and increase in atheism in the US?

[David1701]

38 minutes ago, Saved.One.by.Grace said:

Matt Slick wrote this back in 2006!

Why is atheism and non-belief on the rise?

by Matt Slick
5/23/2006

Those who identify with no religious affiliation as well as strong atheism (open denial of God), have increased in number in America over the past few years. Also, it appears that more people are also leaving the Christian faith than ever before. Why is this? I have not taken a survey to find out why, so all I can do is offer some observations based on my dealings with atheists, and those who love Christianity, that I have had over the past few years. Following is what I've gleaned as reasons for the increase of "no religious affiliation" and people leaving the Christian faith.

1. Lack of proper action/teaching by Christians
2. Christianity as an institution has failed in our culture
3. Rise of secularism
   1. Hostility to Christianity in higher education
   2. Decrease in critical thinking
   3. The rise of science
4. Increase in spiritual oppression

Full article from CARM: Atheism and Non-Belief on the Rise

The MAIN reason given, when youth are asked why they no longer attend church, or believe in God, is evolution.  It is rammed down our throats at every opportunity, on television, films, books, newspapers and in schools and universities; so much so, that many people now just assume that it is fact, instead of supposition upon assumption upon supposition, and all with the aim of excluding God from the picture.  Christians who try to unequally yoke evolution with Christianity make this a thousand times worse, since any honest person can see that they are completely incompatible.

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, David1701 said:

The MAIN reason given, when youth are asked why they no longer attend church, or believe in God, is evolution.  It is rammed down our throats at every opportunity, on television, films, books, newspapers and in schools and universities; so much so, that many people now just assume that it is fact, instead of supposition upon assumption upon supposition, and all with the aim of excluding God from the picture.  Christians who try to unequally yoke evolution with Christianity make this a thousand times worse, since any honest person can see that they are completely incompatible.

They may say it is evolution, but it is really Young Earth Creationism which is anti-science and cannot be supported by science.  If they were aware of the Gap Theory or the Day-Age Theory of Creation this study might have a different result.  Ken Ham has done more against Christianity than he has ever done for it.

[Starise]

Any person who sincerely wants to find God will find Him.

Any person who wants to reject God has plenty of help and 1000 excuses to do so. Atheism is one of those.

[Don19]

The kingdom of God is not of this world (John 18:36). This is not, and never was, a "Christian country." There's no such thing in this corrupt world. Jesus said you are either for Him or against Him, and the number of people who are for Him is tiny compared to the number who are against Him, and so it's always been. The way is narrow that leads to life, and few find it. And those who profess to be Christian, but are not, which are many, are no less against Him than the atheist or pagan or Buddhist or Muslim. For they believe in "another Jesus" and are thieves and robbers, liars and imposters, clouds without water, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. Jesus doesn't say you can be for Him, against Him, or somewhere in-between. There's no in-between. If you do not have the Spirit of Christ, then you are none of His. Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. But if you are His, then an incorruptible inheritance is yours, and we ought not mind earthly things so much, as God is in control. Our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased. And He will surely save all His elect in due time.

[David1701]

20 hours ago, Saved.One.by.Grace said:

They may say it is evolution...

Because it is.  They are the ones who made the decision to walk away from Christianity and become atheists or agnostics, so they are the ones who know their reasons.   You cannot arrogantly assume to know their reasons better than they do!

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...but it is really Young Earth Creationism which is anti-science and cannot be supported by science.

YEC is the only view supported by the Bible.  If you want to reject the Bible, or "reinterpret" it, to fit in with atheistic evolution, then anything goes.

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If they were aware of the Gap Theory or the Day-Age Theory of Creation this study might have a different result.

It is partly because of such compromising, anti-biblical suppositions that many walk away.  They undermine Genesis, which means that they undermine everything else as well, including the gospel.

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Ken Ham has done more against Christianity than he has ever done for it.

Such insults against a godly Christian, coupled with opposition to the Genesis account, come from only one source - the Accuser of the Brethren.

Edited October 29, 2020 by David1701

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, David1701 said:

Because it is.  They are the ones who made the decision to walk away from Christianity and become atheists or agnostics, so they are the ones who know their reasons.   You cannot arrogantly assume to know their reasons better than they do!

Are you calling me arrogant?  It sure reads like you are.  Can you make your point without personal attacks?

19 minutes ago, David1701 said:

YEC is the only view supported by the Bible.  If you want to reject the Bible, or "reinterpret" it, to fit in with atheistic evolution, then anything goes.

False.  I haven't rejected the Bible or reinterpreted it in any way, shape or form.  I don't support evolution, never have not even when I was an atheist/agnostic.  YEC, however, is a relatively new phenomenon that took root in the 18th and 19th centuries.

19 minutes ago, David1701 said:

It is partly because of such compromising, anti-biblical suppositions that many walk away. 

That's your opinion.

19 minutes ago, David1701 said:

They undermine Genesis, which means that they undermine everything else as well, including the gospel.

That's your opinion.

19 minutes ago, David1701 said:

Such insults against a godly Christian, coupled with opposition to the Genesis account, come from only one source - the Accuser of the Brethren.

I see Ken Ham as a wolf among sheep.  This verbiage sounds like another personal attack against me.

[Starise]

I guess I don't really buy into the idea that things have always been the same with respect to prevalence of evil or the intensity thereof. We have references that indicate to me there will be a time when things are worse or getting worse. Evil men and seducers, false teachers will get worse and worse. " As in the days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of man be."

Before the flood and Sodom And Gomorra. The People of Israel who rebelled during various times and were judged by Yahweh. All of these examples show that there is a predictability to this. God tells us what to do. People refuse to do it and are judged. While the examples are detached in some respects they also hold lots of similarities. Sin is a reproach to any people. The denial that there's a God  is not only foolhardy but it's the ultimate slap in the face. The Almighty who deserves all of our worship is denied that He even exists by fools wearing blinders. The atheist herd is getting larger IMO. I can't say by how much.

This means that when their time comes the target won't be hard to see.

[David1701]

1 hour ago, Saved.One.by.Grace said:

Are you calling me arrogant?  It sure reads like you are.  Can you make your point without personal attacks?

I did not call you arrogant.  I said that what you posted was arrogant, which it clearly was.  To assume to know the motives of people who make choices, better than the people themselves, is the height of arrogance.

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False.  I haven't rejected the Bible or reinterpreted it in any way, shape or form.  I don't support evolution, never have not even when I was an atheist/agnostic.  YEC, however, is a relatively new phenomenon that took root in the 18th and 19th centuries.

YEC is what the Bible teaches.  You have to twist it to teach anything else.

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I see Ken Ham as a wolf among sheep.

  

So that's a personal attack against him, of the worst kind.

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This verbiage sounds like another personal attack against me.

From where do slanders against God's people come?  From the Slanderer, of course.  You are doing his work and you should be ashamed of yourself.

Edited October 29, 2020 by David1701

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, David1701 said:

I did not call you arrogant.  I said that what you posted was arrogant, which it clearly was.  To assume to know the motives of people who make choices, better than the people themselves, is the height of arrogance.

So you continue justifying name-calling a member of Worthy Christian Forums calling me once again arrogant.

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YEC is what the Bible teaches.  You have to twist it to teach anything else.

This is false teaching and accusatory to all of bible believing teachers who have been teaching OEC and DAY-AGE Creation. 

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So that's a personal attack against him, of the worst kind.

Many people call Ken Ham a false teacher.  If you watch him as I have, you can tell the Spirit of the Living God is not within him.

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From where do slanders against God's people come?  From the Slanderer, of course.  You are doing his work and you shouldn't be.

You are now calling me a slanderer and all of us who do not see Ken Ham as a man of God, but a false teacher leading sheep astray.

[teddyv]

2 hours ago, David1701 said:

Because it is.  They are the ones who made the decision to walk away from Christianity and become atheists or agnostics, so they are the ones who know their reasons.   You cannot arrogantly assume to know their reasons better than they do!

YEC is the only view supported by the Bible.  If you want to reject the Bible, or "reinterpret" it, to fit in with atheistic evolution, then anything goes.

It is partly because of such compromising, anti-biblical suppositions that many walk away.  They undermine Genesis, which means that they undermine everything else as well, including the gospel.

Such insults against a godly Christian, coupled with opposition to the Genesis account, come from only one source - the Accuser of the Brethren.

The only reason you might make the case that evolution drives people from faith is they come to the conclusion that YEC dogma is complete bunk. Coupled with the ridiculous demand that YEC is the absolute truth and that any deviation throws one's salvation into question, then you have a recipe for disaster.

I am grateful my parents, schooling, and churches never made this a test of salvation.