[onslowe]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

The title of the thread is The Decline of Christianity.

The Pew Survey provided as the basis for the discussion does not provide data to support the title of the thread.

First, define terms. Does the term "decline" refer to a change on the numbers of individuals who say they are Christians, or does it refer to a shift in the number of professed Christians who have left the basic tenets or dogmas of their particular denominational choice?

If it is the former, the Pew study gives no basis for demonstrating a decline since there are no numerical changes in membership in the denominations from decade to decade to compare, so the "decline" cannot be demonstrated.

Similarly, if it is the latter, the study still does not give a comparison from decade to decade to establish a demonstration of a decline.

There are a couple of significant quotes in the study. One shows that Christian leaders in the northern half of the globe (North America, Europe) feel that Christianity is in (an undefined) decline, while Christian leaders in the southern half of the globe (South America, sub-Saharan Africa) feel Christianity is expanding.

The study also states that over the past century, the number of Catholics around the globe has more than tripled, from an estimated 291 million in 1910 to nearly 1.1 billion as of 2010. And as the population of the earth has increased the increase in Catholics has increased so that in 1910 Catholics comprised close to 50% of the world Christian population and in 2010 they were still close to 50% of the world Christian population.

Unscientific accounts (not in the study) may "show" that the moral decline in the United States might be considered a "decline" in Christianity, but compared to the debauchery of Rome at the time of the birth of Christianity this would be a hard argument to support. We are not yet feeding Christians to hungry lions in our stadiums.

On April 8, 1966, the cover story of Time magazine was "Is God Dead?" based upon the assertion of German philosopher Nietzsche that "God is Dead." In response, cartoonist Walt Kelly, creator of the Pogo possum comic strip, published a single panel filling the full length of the strip, showing a slogan chiseled on a mountainside saying, "GOD IS NOT DEAD --- He is merely unemployed."

This summarizes claims regarding the "decline" of Christianity.

God is in control. The numbers of people professing to be Christians and their behavior and beliefs is in His hands. I'll leave it to Him.

Christianity is personal. "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day." 2 Timothy 1:12

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Incisive and well done, Carl. Thank you for your post.