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

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, David1701 said:

Dake's Annotated Reference Bible has more errors than any other study Bible I have ever seen.  I used to work in a Christian book shop that sold it and I used to own one.  Once I found out about it, by reading it, I refused to sell it (and I discovered that previous members of staff had also refused to sell it).

It was your unbelief that was an impediment to you coming to Christ, not the clear teaching of Genesis (literal days of creation).

You seem to be treating God's word in Genesis very disrespectfully, as well as slandering genuine Christians like Ken Ham.  You need to pray about it.

David, the best thing I can do is put you on Ignore because I've been a Christian too long to put up with your nonsense.  Bye.

[Don19]

It's almost astonishing that anyone could believe in evolution. In the words of Kent Hovind, it is the dumbest religion in the world. God had truly made the wisdom of the world foolishness, not only in terms of religion but "science." I look back at being an atheist, myself, and believing evolution, and I think I believed it because I wanted to. I became an atheist because I didn't want God to exist. But every now and then I'd get this nagging feeling. Like, just consider the process of childbirth. And you think that originated by slime plus time? Consciousness alone is proof that atheistic materialism is false, since molecules cannot have self-awareness. And then consider just the complexity of DNA and information in cell, and its self-replication, etc. And you think all that came from goo? LOL.

Moreover, it's easy to see that the earth is young, and an old age of the universe is impossible. Go on Youtube and search for "What You Aren't Being Told About Astronomy - Vol. I (Our Created Solar System)" - the presenter lays out so many reasons why the solar system itself and the various planets and moons cannot be billions of years old. The solar nebula model is complete nonsense because the sun, having >99% of the mass of the system has only 2% of its angular momentum.

And what else is there? Dinosaurs? They've found T-Rex collagen and red blood cells. These things cannot last 65 billion years. They lived with man and are called "dragons," which are know to diverse cultures (e.g., Europe, China).

But, most people don't know these things. They think billions of year and evolution are facts. Yet even a child can see how stupid evolution is. And I do believe God has allowed that in part to make foolish the wisdom of the world. But it's a good example of how listening to men and not God will lead to blindness. Spiritually, that's certainly true. And as it concerns science, listening to men over the word of God will have you foolishly believing you evolved from a rock instead of God when He had told you how He created everything.

[leah777]

I think that the people seeing the hypocrisy and distortions of the Church of England and similar institutions during the two world wars didnt help with the demise of christianity in the UK and Europe. It ushered in the sexual revolution and the lack of respect for organised christian religions, where the Bible got thrown out with the institutions, unfortunately.

[Guest]

40 minutes ago, Josheb said:

I think you and I may have discussed this before (although I may be thinking of another David). I blame dispensationalism. Marx, followed by Darwin (as far as their writings go, not their births), followed by Freud certainly proved to be an unholy triumvirate but had the Church been engaged in the culture and the market place of ideas we could have easily addressed every single one of those philosophies. The apocalyptic restoration movements proved to be exactly the opposite of what they claimed to be, further dividing the body of Christ, separating themselves from the society in which they were supposed to be light and salt. Once their end-of-the world prognostications proved incorrect they lost the whole Church credibility so by the time Russell looked to Christianity for answers the idea that Jesus and Paul were sorely mistaken was easy to accept by both intellectuals and commoner. 

What problem do you have with Dispensationalism?

40 minutes ago, Josheb said:

In Britain the fatal blow was the war to end all wars that didn't do any such thing. It saw horrendous depravity in Europe, though and the nobility of man in the eyes of British/European identity couldn't withstand the evidence. Follow that up with fascism/Naziism, the holocaust, and Existentialism's angst and the nails are in the coffin for Britain. 

The punishment the British and French applied to Germany, created an atmosphere where socialism and Nazism were a way out for the runaway inflation strangling their economies.

40 minutes ago, Josheb said:

American identity (a hybrid mix of rebellion, individuality, and communal welfare), and an ocean insulated the US from that but our ego suffered in Viet Nam.

This is not true.

40 minutes ago, Josheb said:

We came face to face with our own depravity and undeniable ability to fail, culminating in the decision it is okay to kill unborn babies.

This is a ridiculous assessment.

40 minutes ago, Josheb said:

Blessedly we still had a vital Church but it was too busy being divided between the competing theologies of dispensationalism and the rest of Protestantism. This was when Schaeffer arose with a call to re-engage the marketplace and for a time the Church responded. America has always resisted socialism, existentialism, and open godlessness. I don't think we're done resisting. Taking a nap perhaps. 

More nonsense.

40 minutes ago, Josheb said:

The problem is internal, not external, imo. There's simply no way the Church can continue to get away with decade after decade after decade of false prognosticators and have anyone believe we have a brain, much less a rational one and a cogent worldview to accompany it. 

Finally, you're labeling your post as an opinion piece.  Piece of what, I leave that up to the reader. 

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, Don19 said:

It's almost astonishing that anyone could believe in evolution. In the words of Kent Hovind, it is the dumbest religion in the world. God had truly made the wisdom of the world foolishness, not only in terms of religion but "science." I look back at being an atheist, myself, and believing evolution, and I think I believed it because I wanted to. I became an atheist because I didn't want God to exist. But every now and then I'd get this nagging feeling. Like, just consider the process of childbirth. And you think that originated by slime plus time? Consciousness alone is proof that atheistic materialism is false, since molecules cannot have self-awareness. And then consider just the complexity of DNA and information in cell, and its self-replication, etc. And you think all that came from goo? LOL.

Moreover, it's easy to see that the earth is young, and an old age of the universe is impossible. Go on Youtube and search for "What You Aren't Being Told About Astronomy - Vol. I (Our Created Solar System)" - the presenter lays out so many reasons why the solar system itself and the various planets and moons cannot be billions of years old. The solar nebula model is complete nonsense because the sun, having >99% of the mass of the system has only 2% of its angular momentum.

And what else is there? Dinosaurs? They've found T-Rex collagen and red blood cells. These things cannot last 65 billion years. They lived with man and are called "dragons," which are know to diverse cultures (e.g., Europe, China).

But, most people don't know these things. They think billions of year and evolution are facts. Yet even a child can see how stupid evolution is. And I do believe God has allowed that in part to make foolish the wisdom of the world. But it's a good example of how listening to men and not God will lead to blindness. Spiritually, that's certainly true. And as it concerns science, listening to men over the word of God will have you foolishly believing you evolved from a rock instead of God when He had told you how He created everything.

You really need to check Kent Hovind's shady background and look at the lawsuits against him and also his known associates.

[teddyv]

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

You really need to check Kent Hovind's shady background and look at the lawsuits against him and also his known associates.

That would not necessarily be a useful point regarding his YEC stance. Yes, he was jailed for some time but not for anything really related to his YEC beliefs. It certainly does throw his character into question. But his YEC arguments stand or fail like those of Ken Ham et al at AiG.

[Guest]

34 minutes ago, teddyv said:

That would not necessarily be a useful point regarding his YEC stance. Yes, he was jailed for some time but not for anything really related to his YEC beliefs. It certainly does throw his character into question. But his YEC arguments stand or fail like those of Ken Ham et al at AiG.

I don't like or trust known liars.  Check out God's position on liars.

[Guest]

38 minutes ago, teddyv said:

That would not necessarily be a useful point regarding his YEC stance. Yes, he was jailed for some time but not for anything really related to his YEC beliefs. It certainly does throw his character into question. But his YEC arguments stand or fail like those of Ken Ham et al at AiG.

Source: The Lies of Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis

There's a lot on this website if you're not afraid of the truth.

 

[teddyv]

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

Source: The Lies of Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis

There's a lot on this website if you're not afraid of the truth.

 

I skimmed through some of that. The author does make a valid point in that YEC seems to have almost zero interest in finding positive claims for their hypotheses. I agree with the comment of unnecessary hostility that is often displayed for those not subscribing to YEC. 

I'm not too thrilled with his 19 proofs, not without reading them a bit more. Is the author a Gapper? I may have missed it.

[Don19]

8 hours ago, Josheb said:

Microevolution or intra-phylum evolution is quite rational and scientifically verifiable.

 

Natural selection can only select from that which is already present. Mutations are overwhelmingly deleterious.

I can't post videos. I recommend, if you're interested, going on Youtube and searching for, "Jan 2016: Dr. Charles Jackson - “Bacteria are not Evolving Resistance to Antibiotics”" - as this is an apt rebuttal of one of the "best" evidences for evolution, the supposed "evolution" of superbugs.
 

Quote

 

Faith is the tool used to view God. This is why the scientific method and tools like microscopes and telescopes will never prove the existence of God. At best they can measure only the effects of His having created, and even then the concepts of how and purpose escape such devices. If you want to look at small objects use a microscope. If you want to look at distant objects then use a telescope. If you want to know God then ask Him because faith is a gift that comes only from God by grace. 

Hebrews 11:6
"...without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."

Microscopes and telescopes cannot and will never find God and this is all the more so for faithless use of those tools. That is the real problem with the theory of evolution and evolution biology and cosmology. 

 

 

When the Bible talks about faith, it's really talking about assurance or confidence. Heb 11:1. It should actually be very evident from creation that there's a Creator. The problem is men don't want there to be a Creator, because then they're answerable to Him.

Our faith is not blind at all. Jesus even said, in John 4:48: Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

It's evolutionists that have blind faith. The Gentiles, who were once carried away unto dumb idols, even as they were led (1 Cor 12:2), had blind faith. But if we're in Christ we have the testimony of the living God.