"Spiritual but not religious"

[celestemekent]

Is the description growing numbers of people are giving themselves. Seems religions of all sorts are losing vast numbers of people. In fact since 9/11 with the responses of some major religions offer the attacks as retribution for just about any social problems; like gays or divorce or corruption.

Being "unaffiliated" with any congregation is very common now, are these people "Christians" must they profess the historical creeds, and attend church to get the label? Since nearly 40% of people are unaffiliated does that make America Post Christian?

 

[celestemekent]

Anti-Gay Preacher Blames Hurricane Sandy On Homosexuality And Marriage Equality

By Zack Ford on Oct 29, 2012 at 10:50 am

John McTernan

A Christian religious leader has already claimed that Hurricane Sandy is further proof that “God is systematically destroying America” as political judgment for the “homosexual agenda.” John McTernan previously made similar allusions about Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Isaac (2012), which he reiterated in his urgent call to prayer posted Sunday evening (via Gay Star News):

Just last August, Hurricane Isaac hit New Orleans seven years later, on the exact day of Hurricane Katrina. Both hit during the week of the homosexual event called Southern Decadence in New Orleans!
​

McTernan believes that it is noteworthy that Hurricane Sandy is hitting 21 years after the “Perfect Storm,” because 3 is a “significant number with God”:

Twenty-one years breaks down to 7 x 3, which is a significant number with God. Three is perfection as the Godhead is three in one while seven is perfection.
It appears that God gave America 21 years to repent of interfering with His prophetic plan for Israel; however, it has gotten worse under all the presidents and especially Obama. Obama is 100 percent behind the Muslim Brotherhood which has vowed to destroy Israel and take Jerusalem. Both candidates are pro-homosexual and are behind the homosexual agenda. America is under political judgment and the church does not know it!
​

Religious spokespeople have frequently tried to draw bizarre connections between natural disasters and the LGBT community. Last year, the American Family Association’s Buster Wilson similarly claimed that Hurricane Isaac was punishment for the Southern Decadence LGBT festival. Rick Joyner had the same to say about Hurricane Katrina, claiming that “[God]‘s not gonna put up with perversion anymore.” Pat Robertson has long believed that acceptance of homosexuality could result in hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, terrorist bombs, and “possibly a meteor.”
It’s likely that McTernan will not be the only religious figure to draw such allusions from this devastating storm.

If anything this preacher is driving people away from Christianity as a religion.

 

[Abiding]

Luke 13:1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Some of this talk is disgraceful. Especially the Israel propaganda...oh wait sorry..the public relations.

 

[WolfInOxHide]

Does a person call their self a "christian" because they go to church or adhere to doctrine, or because they follow Christ?
I do not publicly call myself a "christian", I say I follow Yeshua.
And I only attend church when in the presence of at least one fellow believer, as daily as possible.

And a hurricane over the seat of American government during one of the most dismal elections I've seen, symbolic I'm sure, "punishment" for gays or anything else, I wouldn't go there myself.

 

[clarkthompson]

Not all preachers preach what they should all the time. I would question somebody who is a follower of Christ and does not surround theirself with believers as much as possible. The bible teaches where two or more are gather in my name the Spirit will be there, this is church, believers are the church.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

A definite trend toward secularization has occurred in the West, since the 1960s, among both Europeans and Americans as you state; however, in other parts of the world the reverse has occurred.

In the areas of the former Soviet Union, China, India, and Africa: exactly the opposite has been occurring. The percentage of Christians in these areas has grown tremendously and Christian church attendance has risen.

But let's return to look at the West a little closer. Though the West has become increasingly politically secularized (political secularization is not to be confused with state atheism) and the youth are much more inclined to not attend church services: religion continues to play a vital role in these countries.

I've read both of the recent PEW studies and they reflect what I observe in our society in my opinion.

1. Here's the first Pew study titled, “'Nones' on the Rise: One-in-Five Adults Have No Religious Affiliation":
‘No Religion’ on the Rise: 19.6% Have No Religious Affiliation - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Look closer at the data and you'll see that many of the "Nones" who claim to have no religious affiliation believe in God with a good share of them attending services either regularly or only periodically as stated:

"Just 5% [of the unaffiliaged] say they attend worship services on a weekly basis. But one-third of the unaffiliated say religion is at least somewhat important in their lives. Two-thirds [of them] believe in God (though less than half say they are absolutely certain of God’s existence)."

Here's the second Pew study titled, "Not All Nonbelievers Call Themselves Atheists":
Pew Forum: Not All Nonbelievers Call Themselves Atheists

Look closer at you'll find that of the 5% of Americans that claim NOT to believe in a God, gods, or universal spirit: 14% of THOSE (e.g. atheists) simultaneously claim to be Christians! Crazy no?

To gain a better understanding of what's going on, you'll want to visit other scholarly religious primary data sources such as:

1. The World Religious Database [WRD] http://www.worldreligiondatabase.org
2. The Association of Religious Data Archives The Association of Religion Data Archives - U.S. and World Religion Statistics and Data - ARDA

They reveal some important insights. Despite the trending PEW brought out, the actual percentages of even post-Christian countries who claim the Christian belief system as their own are still very high. Consider the following post-Christian secular European nation statistics:

A. Sweden - 64.5% of Swedes are Christian:
Sweden, Religion and Social Profile | National Profiles | International Data | TheARDA

B. Denmark - 84.98% of Danes are Christian:
Denmark, Religion and Social Profile | National Profiles | International Data | TheARDA

C. Norway - 91.32% of Norwegians are Christian:
Norway, Religion and Social Profile | National Profiles | International Data | TheARDA

D. Belgium - 81.48% of the population in Belgium are Christian:
Belgium, Religion and Social Profile | National Profiles | International Data | TheARDA

When you dig further down, in the West, what you'll find are that very vocal but small minorities of atheists in very powerful positions in government, education, the media, etc... are working hard to change Western cultures to their way of thinking. But when emperical studies are conducted in Western societies, we find that most overwhelmingly still do care about God and Jesus Christ despite a definite measurable trend toward secularization and against Christian religious establishment.

Is the description growing numbers of people are giving themselves. Seems religions of all sorts are losing vast numbers of people. In fact since 9/11 with the responses of some major religions offer the attacks as retribution for just about any social problems; like gays or divorce or corruption.

Being "unaffiliated" with any congregation is very common now, are these people "Christians" must they profess the historical creeds, and attend church to get the label? Since nearly 40% of people are unaffiliated does that make America Post Christian?

 

[Trax]

Is the description growing numbers of people are giving themselves. Seems religions of all sorts are losing vast numbers of people. In fact since 9/11 with the responses of some major religions offer the attacks as retribution for just about any social problems; like gays or divorce or corruption.

Being "unaffiliated" with any congregation is very common now, are these people "Christians" must they profess the historical creeds, and attend church to get the label? Since nearly 40% of people are unaffiliated does that make America Post Christian?

2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Basiclly, people are rejecting God. They use different terms to classify themselves, but they
still practice what they want to practice. Its just a sign of the times.
2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

 

[RickyZ]

I think of myself as "Jewish by adoption"

 

[celestemekent]

So is it possible for someone to be Christian without being an active committed member of a congregation? Is it possible that an "independent" church not held to some organizational responsibility is Christian?

 

[Gabriel777]

Does a person call their self a "christian" because they go to church or adhere to doctrine, or because they follow Christ?
I do not publicly call myself a "christian", I say I follow Yeshua.
And I only attend church when in the presence of at least one fellow believer, as daily as possible.

And a hurricane over the seat of American government during one of the most dismal elections I've seen, symbolic I'm sure, "punishment" for gays or anything else, I wouldn't go there myself.

It's preachers like those that probably work for the system and proclaim things like that in order to create hatred and confusion. He should know better.

Btw, America destroyed itself a long time ago