Demographics Help Us Understand
It was said often and is still repeated that during the Covid crisis donations to Christian churches held steady or increased. Churches received federal money as well. This could lead to the conclusion Christianity is in a strong position for the future. We can't predict the future with certainty so it could be the faith will grow and thrive. Looking at demographics, the odds of that appear doubtful.
The average age of Protestants (excluding Mormons) and Catholics is over 50 years. This older cohort has grown children and money to spend and give. Probably all charities which depend on giving by this group of older people did well.
What can branches of the faith do with money that helps them survive? The Catholic and Mormon branches are very wealthy. Yet there is slippage. Money can be spent on clergy and buildings but these may not be what is needed. What is needed is a message that persuades young people they should spend their time and invest their energy in the institutional church. The message is being defeated by other messages, missions and causes.
The average age of over 50 would not mean so much if it were steady or falling. It is, however, rising. Each funeral of an old member is not replaced by a younger new member. While there is talk of a "revival," none ever happens and I assume never will.
The link shows the average number of children per Christian couple is higher than the average number for atheists, Buddhists or Hindus. This should mean the formers would grow a little while the latter would fall. Instead, the percentage of atheists is growing a little while Christians are falling. I think this is because Christians are "raided" by non belief while non believers are not "raided" by believers.
I've wondered if the Christian Science denomination is a history that will be repeated by other denominations. It was founded in Boston in the late 1800's. It became the fastest growing denomination if the U.S. By 1935 it had 270,000 members in a country with far fewer people than we have today. Nevertheless, when its time was up it fell rapidly and today may have only 50,000 members. It still meets, however, and will continue even as its membership falls. Its end is out there but maybe not for quite a while.
Christian websites often implore the faithful to "teach the gospel." Perhaps it would be better to look at demographics because they will spell the future of the faith. The gospel is not relevant.
Jon, your fellow atheists at work
ReplyDeletehttps://www.foxnews.com/us/vandals-deface-colorado-catholic-cathedral-with-satan-lives-here
Matt-- I read that. They don't know yet who did it. Might have been an angry Catholic. There are plenty of them, like those sexually abused by priests.
DeleteYour graphic in today's blog posting; is it inserted over a photo of a church? Or do you even know? If so, where is the Church and is its name?
ReplyDeleteAs for the vandals, there have quite a few in Fargo. Most are a combo of mental illness, homelessness and drug addiction. Denver's cases seem quite anti-Catholic. If done by an "angry" Catholic as you suggest, it is an ex-Catholic. There are not plenty of them; at least not any more proportionately with schoolteachers, counselors, cops, politicians, etc.
Matt "Your graphic in today's blog...over a photo of a church?"
DeleteIt is a church. The cross on top might give you a hint. No, I don't know were the picture was taken. It is a stock photo. I have used it before.
I referred to the "For Sale" sign and whether it was inserted over a photo of a church or whether it was taken along with the church. Really, a building with a cross on top might be considered a church?!
DeleteSo, you don't know where the church is or whether it is for sale, much less if the asking prices is $79,000.
My family watched the Ten Commandments movie from 1956 last night. It is spell-binding how much Moses gave up when he left his wealth and position with Egypt to embrace his Hebrew heritage and family. Not to mention all the miracles which finally led Pharoah to free the Hebrew slaves. The introduction to the movie would make an atheist's skin crawl; all that testament to the Christian and Jewish values upon which our nation was founded and continues its existence as blessed by God.
DeleteOf course, the actors for Moses and his wife went on to roles after the movie; Planet of the Apes and the Munsters.
Matt--I know evidence is of no interest to you. But, evidence tells us the exodus and Moses story never happened.
DeleteMatt-- On the image of a church with a For Sale sign in front, I don't know anything about the picture. You can look at a site of stock pictures and decide for yourself.
DeleteIn other words, you superimposed a false for sale sign with a list price of $79,000 and a church you don't know exists to emphasize the value that you saw in any empty Christian church, for sale because it was nearly worthless. You are as objective as MSNBC and CNN.
DeleteYou can check your own historical references to the Egyptian pharaohs, the secular texts and all manner of history. You will find they do not conflict the biblical account of Moses.
DeleteMatt--So, the Bible lists pharaohs and these pharaohs have also been recognized by secular forces. That is not evidence the Moses saga ever happened.
DeleteYou know that is not what I said. But I have had my words twisted by better than you. Try to at least appear objective, to the 2-3 people who read our conversations.
DeleteMatt, OK, "You will find they do not conflict (with) the biblical account of Moses."
DeleteNeither the existence of the pharaohs nor that whatever was written about them does not conflict with the Moses tales is not evidence the Moses myth ever happened. As I have said here countless times, the Israeli government has political reasons to prove the Moses-out-of-Egypt-10-commandments-40-years-in-the-dessert tale actually happened. Toward that end Israel has offered up whatever money it takes to find the evidence. The professor heading up the effort has been working on it for decades. He has concluded there is no evidence.
Seeing as you do the world only through a religious lens its best if you keep watching Charlton Heston and thinking you are watching history.
Jon, you might want to focus on several deceased or living, orthodox Catholic theologians who have predicted what a post-Christian western civilization looks like. Deceased Archbishop Fulton Sheen had been preaching and teaching about this since at least 1950. As he put it, we are embarking on the end of Christendom. He clarified that he did not mean the end of Christianity as that would be heresy. The center of Christianity has left Europe and now resides in both Africa and South America. No, Christendom means the intertwining of Christianity with government, education, politics, economies and the basic moral fabric of society. As he noted, big events happen about every 500 years in the life of the Church. The fall of the Roman Empire, the schism between Catholicism and Orthodox eastern churches, the Protestant Reformation and now. What "now" results in is still a bit unknown. The 20th century was the most violent in human history.
ReplyDeleteJust read the local paper. First grade class contains sixteen students. Forty years earlier, our daughters class had 80! Same school! The total county population is not too far from the population of the county seat sixty years ago.
ReplyDeleteMust be most everyone has left the church.