AFA Journal
American Family Association
Note: The following data is suspect. Other numbers from different studies
provide alternative statistics. Regardless, the overall picture
seems entirely believable. One point sticks out: Churches that have
abandoned the value set that is supportive of families with kids,
values that are strictly heterosexual, are churches in serious decline.
Also worth noting, this study does not take into account all of the research
into the rise of the unaffiliated (the "nones") and this omission is a major
weakness because it glosses over an in-process train wreck of major proportions.
It is more than a little interesting that there still are four growing
denominations,.
three of which are Pentecostal. The other is "fundamentalist."
I have a major study of Pentecostalism in progress, no idea if it will ever be
completed,
because, so far, I do not have an answer to the question, which is specific to
the USA, namely: How is it remotely possible for smart people to become
Pentecostals?
Don't even try to say that this is evidence of the wonders of the Holy Spirit.
That kind of answer would be a self serving evasion.
My best guess for now, but I simply can't be certain, is twofold:
(1) protection -ideologically as well as physically- for growing families,. and
(2) perceived need to simplify one's conceptual universe, hence an excuse
to ignore just about all, 100%, of critical scholarship about the Bible,
religion, etc
because, you see, that would detract from making money. That is, modern-day
Pentecostalism is well on the way toward middle class status, in some
communities
upper middle class, and gone are many or most of its original cultural values.
Got a better theory?
Billy
<https://afajournal.org/past-issues/2019/march/liberal-beliefs-pulling-mainlines-further-down/#>
[https://afajournal.org/media/3357/mainlinechart.jpg]
<https://afajournal.org/past-issues/2019/march/liberal-beliefs-pulling-mainlines-further-down/#>
Liberal beliefs pulling Mainlines further down
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13
By Mark Tooley*
March 2019 – There’s a pervasive narrative today of conservative Christian
demographic decline. This narrative is partly based on reality and partly based
on wishful thinking by some. But this narrative typically ignores the far more
dramatic implosion of liberal white mainline Protestantism.
The popular conventional narrative asserts that young people in droves are
quitting evangelical Christianity because it’s too socially and politically
conservative. Of course, the implication is that if only Evangelicalism would
liberalize, especially on sexuality, then it might become more appealing.
But all the available evidence as to what happens to liberalizing churches
strongly indicates the opposite. Mainline Protestantism is in many ways what
critics of Evangelicalism wish it would become. And yet the Mainline, comprised
primarily of the “seven sister” historic denominations (See chart.), has been
in continuous free-fall since the early to mid-1960s. Its implosion accelerated
after most of these denominations specifically liberalized their sexuality
teachings over the last 20 years.
The facts of mainline Protestant decline are easily available. And yet the
Mainline, once the dominant religious force in America, has declined so
calamitously that for many it’s become almost forgotten. Often, when I speak to
young people, I must explain what the Mainline is. Many young people, when they
think of non-Catholic Christianity, are only familiar with Evangelicalism,
which displaced the Mainline decades ago as America’s largest religious force.
[In summary], during the mainline implosion the percentage of Americans
belonging to the seven sister denominations declined from one of every six
Americans to one of every 22. If the Mainline had simply retained its share of
population, it would stand today at about 55 million instead of about 16
million.
[It should be noted that] nearly all the mainline denominations have
liberalized their sexuality standards over the last 15 years, precipitating
accelerated membership loss. [Conversely], all growing denominations in America
and the world are conservative on theology and on sexuality.
And [while] it’s true that the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest
Protestant body, has been declining for 18 years, its decline from 16.4 million
to 15 million represents an 8% loss, not comparable to the average Mainline
loss of nearly 50%.
It’s important to reiterate the details of mainline Protestantism’s ongoing
spiral as a warning to other churches. Whatever the problems of evangelical
Christianity, becoming more like liberal Mainline Protestantism is not
a remedy.
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