Study links decline of Christianity to collapse of marriage and fatherhood

[WorthyNewsBot]

(Worthy News) – Churches must work to restore healthy marriages and fatherhood to combat a growing decline in Christianity, according to a survey released by a faith-based group.

Overall, the survey found that 80% of church attendees grew up in a home where their mother and father stayed married, a trend that remained true regardless of age. In addition, 87% of all 25- to 29-year-old never-married men in church had parents who remained married.

One of the study’s most notable findings, according to De Gance, is that adults who reported a close relationship with their fathers were more likely to report having the same faith as their parents by 25 percentage points.

On the other hand, the study found that a closer relationship with their mother did not appear to have a statistical effect on whether an adult had the same faith as their parents. [ Source: Christianity Today (Read More…) ]

View the full article

[FJK]

Everything you see happening, especially the collapse of Christian marriage and family, is being done on purpose.

[just_abc]

umm....

I am a bit surprised /puzzled with this article.  I am wondering whether or not I might have misunderstood what the author is meaning?   

For starters.... to become a Christian an individual needs to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.  That is what makes a person a Christian....

Simply being born in a Christian family.... or attending church regularly.... or having parents who are married (or divorced).... does not automatically mean one is a Christian......

It is a decision the individual needs to make i.e to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour... that makes a person a Christian....  not the marital status of their parents? 

 

(so I don't fully understand the emphasis in this article?  )

 

Secondly.... with regards to people having the same faith / religion as their parents.....  I think that there are many many Christians around the world (including in my own country).. who would likely be extremely glad that they currently do NOT have the same religion as their parent/s had or used to have....   

There are many Christians in the world  who are born and raised in non-Christian religions families.... and later on.. often in their teens or early adulthood.. (or sometimes even at older ages etc).. they hear the gospel message etc.. and make a decision for Christ.. (and become born again Christians)....

 

Having parents who are Christians...  or even having parents who are married.... is not a mandatory pre-requisite to become a Christian....

 

So I possibly don't fully understand this article....?  Or the emphasis of this article..?

Thanks.

 

 

Edited October 5, 2023 by just_abc

[FJK]

4 hours ago, just_abc said:

Simply being born in a Christian family.... or attending church regularly.... or having parents who are married (or divorced).... does not automatically mean one is a Christian......

Look at it this way, are you more likely to be a Christian if raised in a Christian family that has Christian values or are you just as likely to be Christian if raised in a Muslim family that practices Muslim values and morals?

Your answer should tell you why it is important, if one generation fails to teach Christianity to its children there will be no Christianity, it is passed from generation to generation.

[just_abc]

1 hour ago, FJK said:

Your answer should tell you why it is important, if one generation fails to teach Christianity to its children there will be no Christianity, it is passed from generation to generation.

hi FJK

I am very sorry.. but I disagree..

To become a Christian one needs to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour....  That is how a person becomes a Christian....  And that is the case regardless if one is born in a Christian family.. or if one is born in a non-Christian family.

If people needed to be born in a Christian family in order to become a Christian.. then a large number of Christians in my country (especially those of my generation and older) simply would not exist (as Christians).... 

And a large number of  pastors etc. in my country also simply would not exist (as Christians) either....

Because there are many many Christians over here who were born in non-Christian families.. and only became Christians later on such as in their teens or twenties or older etc.

This is a very normal situation over here.

Thanks.

Edited October 5, 2023 by just_abc

[teddyv]

2 hours ago, just_abc said:

hi FJK

I am very sorry.. but I disagree..

To become a Christian one needs to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour....  That is how a person becomes a Christian....  And that is the case regardless if one is born in a Christian family.. or if one is born in a non-Christian family.

If people needed to be born in a Christian family in order to become a Christian.. then a large number of Christians in my country (especially those of my generation and older) simply would not exist (as Christians).... 

And a large number of  pastors etc. in my country also simply would not exist (as Christians) either....

Because there are many many Christians over here who were born in non-Christian families.. and only became Christians later on such as in their teens or twenties or older etc.

This is a very normal situation over here.

Thanks.

I think you have to take into account that the survey is examining US trends, not worldwide. It is framed within the context of decreasing Christian influence in culture and society within the US.

I don't think you can discount familial influence on religious adherence. While not a guarantee of one's salvation, the Bible does implicitly, if not explicitly, command Christian parents to raise their children in the knowledge of Christ.

[just_abc]

18 hours ago, teddyv said:

I think you have to take into account that the survey is examining US trends, not worldwide. It is framed within the context of decreasing Christian influence in culture and society within the US.

 

Thank you very much for explaining.  

 

18 hours ago, teddyv said:

I don't think you can discount familial influence on religious adherence. While not a guarantee of one's salvation, the Bible does implicitly, if not explicitly, command Christian parents to raise their children in the knowledge of Christ.

Agreed.

 

For me what I find a bit confusing in the article is the possible emphasis on marriage to increase the number of Christians in a country (or rather combat a decline in the numbers) ?

To me if the number of Christians in a country is declining....  And the decline is not being caused by something such as say a mass exodus of Christians from that country due to genocide or something....   i.e. If it is simply a decline in the number of Christians in the country... then I might expect churches to perhaps try to find even more ways to reach out to people with the gospel message ....   i.e. to try to reach out to both those born and raised in Christian families and those who were not.... with the gospel.  

Or in other words to increase the number of Christians in a country..   I would expect the emphasis to be on reaching out / sharing gospel message/ evangelism etc..  rather than on marriage.. ?

 

I dunno.  Maybe I am just misunderstanding?  

  

 

Anyways.. thank you very much for explaining to me.

Appreciated.

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by just_abc

[other one]

Personally it seems to me that the drop in Christianity might be the cause of the destruction of the home here in the USA.

[FJK]

25 minutes ago, other one said:

Personally it seems to me that the drop in Christianity might be the cause of the destruction of the home here in the USA.

Back in the days when "no fault" divorce was being instituted I remember various Church people (and preachers) predicting that what we are seeing now would be what would result from it.

Something about God creating the institution of marriage from the beginning and expecting people to live that way to obey his rules for life.

But that's just narrow minded old fashioned thinking and not relevant to modern times ad the modern Church, or so I'm told.

Different strokes for different folks, that sort of thing.

[other one]

4 hours ago, FJK said:

Back in the days when "no fault" divorce was being instituted I remember various Church people (and preachers) predicting that what we are seeing now would be what would result from it.

Something about God creating the institution of marriage from the beginning and expecting people to live that way to obey his rules for life.

But that's just narrow minded old fashioned thinking and not relevant to modern times ad the modern Church, or so I'm told.

Different strokes for different folks, that sort of thing.

No fault divorce should never be possible in a country where Christians are in control.   Lose Jesus in your laws and the devil takes over.