Christians in America

[seanD]

I know optimism is a much better pill to swallow than gloom and doom, but as an American Christian, whatever you think is going to happen in the next several years in this country or not going to happen (or hope won't happen), I think Christians should start preparing for some pretty dark times. By preparing I mean mentally and perhaps physically, but by all means spiritually. I think we Americans have had it really good and aren't prepared for this, even though many of us may think we're prepared for anything. And I'm not necessarily referring to persecution (though that's certainly a probability), but just the ugliness and turmoil that is coming our way, things we would never have expected to see happening here.

[rogue06]

I know optimism is a much better pill to swallow than gloom and doom, but as an American Christian, whatever you think is going to happen in the next several years in this country or not going to happen (or hope won't happen), I think Christians should start preparing for some pretty dark times. By preparing I mean mentally and perhaps physically, but by all means spiritually. I think we Americans have had it really good and aren't prepared for this, even though many of us may think we're prepared for anything. And I'm not necessarily referring to persecution (though that's certainly a probability), but just the ugliness and turmoil that is coming our way, things we would never have expected to see happening here.

If the left retains power I suspect we'll start facing some persecution for our beliefs given that they conflict with their latest religion -- LGBTQ++

[seanD]

If by "retains power" you're referring to this election, I don't think the outcome of this election will change much regardless of who gets in office.

[Cow Poke]

I think a lot of the reason we see a dark future for Christianity in America is because there are so many WEENIE SISSY Christians that are far more concerned with the "nice sayings" of Jesus, than warning people about the Hell to shun and the Heaven to gain.

It reminds me of the story of the preacher who stood in the pulpit and told his people...

I have two things to say this morning....

First, millions of lost people are going to Hell every year, and most of you in this room don't even give a damn.

(understandably, numerous gasps in the audience)

Secondly - most of you are far more concerned about the fact that I said "damn" than that I said millions of people are going to Hell every year.

[Cow Poke]

If the left retains power I suspect we'll start facing some persecution for our beliefs given that they conflict with their latest religion -- LGBTQ++

The Church seems to fare far better under persecution than in "good times".

[seanD]

I think a lot of the reason we see a dark future for Christianity in America is because there are so many WEENIE SISSY Christians that are far more concerned with the "nice sayings" of Jesus, than warning people about the Hell to shun and the Heaven to gain.

It reminds me of the story of the preacher who stood in the pulpit and told his people...

I have two things to say this morning....

First, millions of lost people are going to Hell every year, and most of you in this room don't even give a damn.

(understandably, numerous gasps in the audience)

Secondly - most of you are far more concerned about the fact that I said "damn" than that I said millions of people are going to Hell every year.

I agree. But I would also add that there isn't a sense urgency in the church. A whole lot of Christians, especially conservatives who aren't ignorant about what's been going on, seem to be drunk on a whole bunch of political hopium, thinking that with a right set of government policies in place we can turn all this around, which sort of produces a sense spiritual complacency and reliance on material and secular matters.

[Cow Poke]

I agree. But I would also add that there isn't a sense urgency in the church. A whole lot of Christians, especially conservatives who aren't ignorant about what's been going on, seem to be drunk on a whole bunch of political hopium, thinking that with a right set of government policies in place we can turn all this around, which sort of produces a sense spiritual complacency and reliance on material and secular matters.

Yeah, I tend to seek out men who are interested in making a difference. (And the age-old wisdom that - if you get the man, you get his family)

In The Feminization of Christianity, Brett & Kate McKay trace this back to about the 13th Century.

Having examined the evidence, Catholic scholar Dr. Leon J. Podles believes that men and women were about equally committed to Christianity for the first millennium of its existence. There is, at least, no evidence that a disparity in commitment existed; it was not remarked upon by early church fathers and observers, who would likely have noted the phenomenon, in the same way that, as we’ll see, was common in the religion’s second thousand years.

Podles speculates that the feminization of Christianity began in about the 13th century, for reasons we’ll detail in the next section.

Whether or not the gender gap can be traced back that far, we know with a surety that it began at least as early as the 17th century in America. In fact, the gap seems to have arrived right along with the country’s Puritan settlers. The rolls of early New England churches show more female than male members, despite the fact that there were about 150 men to 100 women in the population overall.

How high was the imbalance in early American church membership? In 1692, famous Puritan minister Cotton Mather shared this firsthand observation on the state of things around the Massachusetts Bay Colony:

“There are far more Godly Women in the World than Godly Men…I have seen it without going a Mile from home, That in a Church of Three or Four Hundred Communicants, there are but a few more than One Hundred Men, all the Rest are Women.”

You look in many churches today and it's pretty much all women and children. And when the kids grow up to where they can decide for themselves, they drift away - especially the boys.

I personally believe this is why we see so many "former Christians".

[rogue06]

The Church seems to fare far better under persecution than in "good times".

It goes in hand with the adage concerning hard times creating strong men and good times creating weak men.

[Cow Poke]

It goes in hand with the adage concerning hard times creating strong men and good times creating weak men.

[Cow Poke]

....
You look in many churches today and it's pretty much all women and children. And when the kids grow up to where they can decide for themselves, they drift away - especially the boys.

I personally believe this is why we see so many "former Christians".

So, last night was our Wednesday service and I was teaching about Women in the Bible. Toward the close, I mentioned the article about the Feminization of Christianity, and that it is cited that this was happening as far back as the 13th century, and that there were observations that all over Europe, congregations had 4 times as many women as men.

We had a really decent crowd last night*, and, as a follow up, one of the ladies noted that we had, in that meeting, exactly the same number of men as women.

I have always believed in a strong men's ministry.


*I've always noted that it SEEMS like the bigger the church, the smaller the ration of Sunday Morning attendance to Wednesday night attendance.
I would estimate that our Wednesday Night attendance is about 50% of Sunday Morning - which is pretty high.

[rogue06]

So, last night was our Wednesday service and I was teaching about Women in the Bible. Toward the close, I mentioned the article about the Feminization of Christianity, and that it is cited that this was happening as far back as the 13th century, and that there were observations that all over Europe, congregations had 4 times as many women as men.

We had a really decent crowd last night*, and, as a follow up, one of the ladies noted that we had, in that meeting, exactly the same number of men as women.

I have always believed in a strong men's ministry.


*I've always noted that it SEEMS like the bigger the church, the smaller the ration of Sunday Morning attendance to Wednesday night attendance.
I would estimate that our Wednesday Night attendance is about 50% of Sunday Morning - which is pretty high.

Been mulling this feminization of Christianity thing since yesterday, and I came to realize that many if not most of the sermons I can recall that might pertain here, it seems that they offered support for the women while merely telling the men what to do.

[NorrinRadd]

I thought that from the earliest days, Christianity was mocked as a religion of "women, children, and slaves."

See this article by Mike Bird (and try not to gag at the misuse of "incredulous" by a Ph. D.).

Also this article by William Bowes.

[Ronson]

If the left retains power I suspect we'll start facing some persecution for our beliefs given that they conflict with their latest religion -- LGBTQ++

What I've noticed is that even tolerance isn't enough. "They" (the Left/fascists/globalist cabal) want actual approval for the LGBTQ and the other distasteful causes they support.

"You aren't clapping hard enough to show your approval! Perhaps you need to be reeducated!

[Cow Poke]

Been mulling this feminization of Christianity thing since yesterday, and I came to realize that many if not most of the sermons I can recall that might pertain here, it seems that they offered support for the women while merely telling the men what to do.

And we have several "Christians" here who are seem to limit their "faith" to the "soft sayings" of Jesus, justifying their social warrior status.
What good is it to address the social needs of those who will spend eternity in Hell?

And I believe I have been pretty consistent that I'm a "why not BOTH" kind of guy.

[rogue06]

What I've noticed is that even tolerance isn't enough. "They" (the Left/fascists/globalist cabal) want actual approval for the LGBTQ and the other distasteful causes they support.

"You aren't clapping hard enough to show your approval! Perhaps you need to be reeducated!

Hence why some of them search for a Christian-run bakery or florist so as to make them participate in a gay wedding and such.