The Nutters Are Declining Rapidly

[Minimalist]

Re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Their ship is sinking.

[Mister Agenda]

I love the idea of the church just slowly dying out due to the natural deaths of the participants. But, my experience is that it's a particular kind of church that's dying in that way. It's the old mainstream moderate churches. There are many churches full of young people. They are the bat-shit crazy millennialists. So while we are seeing a decline in church goes, we are seeing a rise in the number of crazy church goers.

A good book on the subject is Shopping For God which tells the story of how, while old mainstream denominations are waning, the mega-church phenomenon is booming.

Here's the thing though: mega-churches are a symptom of the decline. What would have been a dozen little churches is now one big church that tries to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Mega-churches aren't a growth of Evangelicism, they're a consolidation of it.

[Crossless2.0]

Here's the thing though: mega-churches are a symptom of the decline. What would have been a dozen little churches is now one big church that tries to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Mega-churches aren't a growth of Evangelicism, they're a consolidation of it.

Evangelical consolidation may be a symptom of decline but it also results in a consolidation of resources, which will increase Evangelicals' marketing reach and likely result in more converts, at least in the short term. I don't welcome the relative decline of the moderate congregations if it means more evolution-denying, I'm-in-a-personal-relationship-with-Jesus knuckle draggers who can't or won't be reasoned with -- especially to the extent that they try to have their way with public policy.

[AFTT47]

I don't welcome the relative decline of the moderate congregations if it means more evolution-denying, I'm-in-a-personal-relationship-with-Jesus knuckle draggers who can't or won't be reasoned with -- especially to the extent that they try to have their way with public policy.

I don't think we'll be getting that. It's the old guard that can't handle science or what people are doing in the privacy of their own bedrooms. Thankfully, they're departing this world.

[abaris]

Mega-churches aren't a growth of Evangelicism, they're a consolidation of it.

Mostly they're a money printing machine for those running them. Collect the idiots and collect from them and make sure to run a tv channel too.

[Brian37]

Everytime an old bible thumper dies and atheist smiles.

Now while it is nice to see bad ideas die from reason and blasphemy I still have family and friends who believe. My mother who to this day still supports me at my age still believes. I will not be smiling at all when that time comes. She is no thumper though.

[Cato]

Your mistake there is not recognizing that that each individual sect is a minority right now. And they despise each other.

Exactly. Contrary to the opinions of believers who single source their history from David Barton, the Establishment Clause was enacted to prevent any particular flavor of Jesus from using the state to fuck over the others. Hell, even Kennedy had to overcome anti-Catholic bias in his run-up to election.

[Brian37]

Your mistake there is not recognizing that that each individual sect is a minority right now. And they despise each other.

Exactly. Contrary to the opinions of believers who single source their history from David Barton, the Establishment Clause was enacted to prevent any particular flavor of Jesus from using the state to fuck over the others. Hell, even Kennedy had to overcome anti-Catholic bias in his run-up to election.

Well the founders still never even said "no religious test unless you are some sect of Christianity", With what Jefferson said about the absurdity of religious claims and the barbarity of religious politics and even the ability of an atheist to be moral, I am quite sure he is the biggest reason the words "bible, Jesus and Christian" are not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution.

Kennedy and even Joe Lieberman and Kieth Ellison owe it to the founders for their ban on religious pecking orders favored by government.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Their ship is sinking.

The demographics are on our side--the rise in atheists/agnostics is largely driven by young adults. This is all the more reason to fight for secular public schools.

[jesus_wept]

One can dream...

I hope monotheism vanishes like polytheism did. The disappearance of organised religion would make the world a better place.

One billion Hindus might disagree that polytheism has vanished.