Almost Half of Christians Don't Think it is Important



As the faith continues its slow decline, leaders look for a way to reverse the trend. The Bible commands believers to go out and market the faith. Translated, that means people are to talk up the faith among nonbelievers and invite people to their church. Even though evangelism is technically part of the religion, almost half of the faith blows it off.

Those who blow it off no doubt have good reasons. Maybe they are skeptical about the entire Christian narrative. And, perhaps they have had people pushing them to buy or believe this or that and want no part of doing it themselves. Today, people cannot avoid marketing. It is everywhere and the last thing people want is more of it.

To sell something to someone else the one on the receiving end has to have a need. If the need does not seem to be there the sales person's job is to create that need. Those who comment on this blog are forever telling me I need religion. They will post that I have some kind of guilty I don't tell others about. Or, I have some insecurity that could be helped by joining the faith. I am a tough customer because I don't have any of those issues that could be helped by starting to believe something that seems ridiculous.

Those who want the Christian numbers to grow should do some hard headed analysis as to why it grew in the first place. The Christian faith happened to be in the right place at the right time. A lucky break is why it is here today. It is not because it holds some great truth.

We read that Christians are being killed in some Middle East countries. Christians are there because missionaries went from this country or Europe and converted people. Now they are being killed.

Those Christians who are reluctant to join in efforts to market the faith have their own good reasons.

Comments

  1. Matt NoahSeptember 28, 2019 at 8:04 PM

    No argument. Back in 1990 a columnist for a Denver newspaper once stated that evangelical activity meant people left their country and became missionaries in foreign lands. The columnist further stated that if you could get an adult to talk to a few neighbors about Christ over the course of a year, he would be considered an evangelist.

    Seemingly, the Church grows where it is persecuted. By this measure, Democrats are acting like they want Christianity to flourish almost as much as they want gun sales to flourish.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Matt NoahSeptember 29, 2019 at 1:25 PM

    In some small way, my presence here is as an evangelist to the atheists.

    The good news is that Christ's mercy and love is offered to everyone living. Those that die still having rejected that mercy and love are left to burn in hell for eternity, knowing that those in Heaven are living in God's presence, a state of bliss. This was the subject of today's Gospel, everywhere Catholic Mass was celebrated, i.e. Luke 16:19-31.

    A rich man lives a life of self-indulgence while poor people live and die around him. He offers nothing to them. Lazarus is such a poor man. When Lazarus dies, he is greeted in Heaven by Abraham. When the rich man dies, he lives in eternal flames. The rich man looks up to see Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. The rich man implores Abraham to send someone to warn his 5 brothers about what awaits in the afterlife.

    Abraham states, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.' He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'

    ReplyDelete
  3. little helperSeptember 29, 2019 at 2:24 PM

    This is actually a petty topic.
    There are as many atheists that are afraid of public speaking as there are Christians. It's just their nature. They may just be bashful. Jon, I know you have done a lot of public speaking. So have I. Do you condemn atheists when they are of the silent type? Some of the most successful evangelizing is done by serving others without words. There are many outlets for this service. Different people have different talents while evangelizing. They are not all street preachers or mayors. A popular saying is; "preach the Gospel always, and if you must, use words. I know people who drop everything they are doing to help someone in need, from construction to yard work, to mechanical, and people know they are Christians. You don't need a banana on the street corner. In fact, that practice is probably more detrimental to the cause. Then there those who humbly don't pretend to have all the answers. Their humility is more effective than a soap box. A grandmother knitting baby booties that she quietly gives to the needy is evangelism in action. As in any subject from Christianity to cooking, to dog training, knowledge gives confidence to speak. Fortunately, there is no level of knowledge required to believe or spread the Good News. Sincerity and humility is needed.
    I see little humility on this site.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ardy BSeptember 29, 2019 at 5:09 PM

      little helper “Sincerity and humility is needed. I see little humility on this site.” Sincerity and humility, the pride of the elect.

      Delete
    2. little helperSeptember 29, 2019 at 6:05 PM

      Correction; The thankfulness of the elect. You watch too much TV

      Delete
    3. Jon LindgrenSeptember 30, 2019 at 6:56 AM

      Ardy B -- Good observation. I thought of a new dictionary definition of the faith. "Christianity: A religion made up of people who correct one another."

      Delete
    4. little helperSeptember 30, 2019 at 7:21 AM

      Jon watches too much TV too. He and Ardy think what they see on TV represents all of Christianity. They would be wrong. Neither one of them can stand correction due to their pride.

      Delete
    5. little helperSeptember 30, 2019 at 7:22 AM

      And----Jon, your 6;56 is out of context. Nothing new.

      Delete
    6. Jon LindgrenSeptember 30, 2019 at 7:54 AM

      My definition of Christianity looks better all the time.

      Delete
    7. little helperSeptember 30, 2019 at 8:27 AM

      @ 7;54; From someone who is prideful of his out of context definition. More disinformation and akin to kindergarten banter.

      Delete
    8. little helperSeptember 30, 2019 at 8:49 AM

      Jon; So petty. I didn't "correct anyone other than Ardy, and sourced his disinformation. @5;09 with my 6;05.
      Your "definition" is misguided, and is inaccurate. In the past you have complained that Christians don't weed out the extremes, Now you claim (out of context) and P&M when it is done when the fact is it was not done in this case.
      You are a slippery bugger, but not slippery enough. You are incapable of honest discussion.

      Delete
    9. Matt NoahSeptember 30, 2019 at 1:31 PM

      I'm sure Jon's simplistic definition of Christianity is shared by absolutely no other theologians, not even Bart Ehrman who states, "At the end of the day, if someone considered herself or himself Christian and engaged in Christian worship, then I think we count them as Christian."

      https://ehrmanblog.org/whom-do-we-consider-a-christian/

      Jon will state that his definition was tongue-in-cheek and meant as comedy. So be it. For Jon to disagree with Ehrman would indeed be a landmark day.

      Delete

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