Conquer Club

in December 2008:

A recent Gallup Poll found that just 27 percent of Americans perceive religion's influence to be on the upswing while 67 percent of Americans say religion as a whole is losing influence on American life.

The trend is consistent with those who attend religious services regularly as well as those who seldom or never attend services, with majorities saying religion is losing influence in this country.

Woohoo, there is hope.

Not a surprise, it is what the Bible said would happen.

1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Thanks for posting this and showing how accurate the Bible is.

JH

Your welcome. Looking forward to the continuation of the trend.

Its a start but you still have a long way to go to catch up with the civilised world

mpjh wrote:Woohoo, there is hope.

Aye! Power to the secular state!

joecoolfrog wrote:Its a start but you still have a long way to go to catch up with the civilised world

Perhaps the US should have a state curch like the UK - that'd turn 'em away in droves.

mpjh wrote:in December 2008:

A recent Gallup Poll found that just 27 percent of Americans perceive religion's influence to be on the upswing while 67 percent of Americans say religion as a whole is losing influence on American life.

The trend is consistent with those who attend religious services regularly as well as those who seldom or never attend services, with majorities saying religion is losing influence in this country.

Woohoo, there is hope.

Have you considered that those 67% might be religious fundamentalists who think there's far too little religion in society?

MeDeFe wrote:

mpjh wrote:in December 2008:

A recent Gallup Poll found that just 27 percent of Americans perceive religion's influence to be on the upswing while 67 percent of Americans say religion as a whole is losing influence on American life.

The trend is consistent with those who attend religious services regularly as well as those who seldom or never attend services, with majorities saying religion is losing influence in this country.

Woohoo, there is hope.

Have you considered that those 67% might be religious fundamentalists who think there's far too little religion in society?

I have to echo this skepticism. Poll numbers aside, it appears to me from day to day observations that religion has been gaining some momentum as of late. That may simply be the rise of the religious right and the amplification of their noise machine due to the recent neocon insurrection and mainstream reaction to Islamic extremists, but that's hardly anything to be shrugged off. You'll get no woohoos from me until religion has been decisively rendered obsolete.

Either interpretation is a good sign. Either influence is declining, or the perception of the religious fringe is that their influence is declining.

Let's start reducing that religious influence from those who have currently gained political power by it -

Hallelujah, brother, the Lord is non-partisan.

The poll concerns the influence of religion -- not god.

jonesthecurl wrote:

joecoolfrog wrote:Its a start but you still have a long way to go to catch up with the civilised world

Perhaps the US should have a state curch like the UK - that'd turn 'em away in droves.

This is what I've been thinking, actually. It seems cyclical in history. Even in American history, there are periods where religious institutions will seize political power, exert it, alienate lots of people, then, after their Icarus wings are clipped, they remember what the scripture actually says about pride going before a fall, they go back to basics, grow, then some power hungry dickheads show up, cause all kinds of problems, start wars and cause misery all because of proud interpretations and delusions of grandeur.

It's endemic to all religious institutions.

Actually religion is alive, it's what our laws originated out of, so unless you replace our laws religion will never fade away, what comes up must come down, every religion and belief WILL get replaced, yes, Atheism too, just like alot of Pagan religions did, but all beliefs and faith leave their stain/mark so just take the best out of everything.

Stain, yes, the stain of Christianity -- I like the imagery.

mpjh wrote:Stain, yes, the stain of Christianity -- I like the imagery.

Wine stain? Judaism = Kosher wine stain, Islam = halal pork stain , Atheism = Richard Dawkins legacy stain!

brooksieb wrote:Actually religion is alive, it's what our laws originated out of,

WOOOW! I SEE A DEBATE!

brooksieb wrote:Actually religion is alive, it's what our laws originated out of, so unless you replace our laws religion will never fade away, what comes up must come down, every religion and belief WILL get replaced, yes, Atheism too, just like alot of Pagan religions did, but all beliefs and faith leave their stain/mark so just take the best out of everything.

No our laws are based on common sense not religion, thats why secular countries retain them, have a look at Shariah law and see what happens when only religious law is enforced.
God did not invent the 10 commandments, he was simply used to make them palatable to the unsophisticated, today it is no longer neccessary to use such sleight of hand .

brooksieb wrote:Actually religion is alive, it's what our laws originated out of, so unless you replace our laws religion will never fade away...

So, the cow from which my double cheeseburger originated is still alive? My mother will never die as long as I am alive? And that must also mean that as long as somebody somewhere is wearing a white jumpsuit and singing Love Me Tender that Elvis really isn't dead.

jesterhawk wrote:Not a surprise, it is what the Bible said would happen.

1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Thanks for posting this and showing how accurate the Bible is.

JH

lol

joecoolfrog wrote:Its a start but you still have a long way to go to catch up with the civilised world

Because Europe has SUCH a good track record

GabonX wrote:

jesterhawk wrote:Not a surprise, it is what the Bible said would happen.

1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Thanks for posting this and showing how accurate the Bible is.

JH

lol

joecoolfrog wrote:Its a start but you still have a long way to go to catch up with the civilised world

Because Europe has SUCH a good track record

Well most Europeans recognise irony ( especially when an emoticon is attached for the benefit of the mentaly challenged )

Yup, that's me..

Mentally challenged as evidenced by my inability/disinterest with deciphering your emoticon code.

mpjh wrote:or the perception of the religious fringe is that their influence is declining.

Oh yes, that's a fantastic thing. You know what happens when fringe groups think their influence is declining...

I think it interesting that with each of the polls I have posted, there is a core of rebid-religious posters that must, just must, explain the poll away. Hmmm, do I smell insecurity?

mpjh wrote:I think it interesting that with each of the polls I have posted, there is a core of rebid-religious posters that must, just must, explain the poll away. Hmmm, do I smell insecurity?

I'm certainly not explaining it away.

In fact it seems that every Christian who has posted in this thread has agreed with the statistics.

It seems that every time a Christian says something you just must, must, misconstrue it. Hmmm, do I smell insecurity?

I agree you are not explaining it away, doesn't mean you aren't trying.