I have said this before, but growth figures presented in a graduate program from Regent College, have the Christian church world wild (non Mormon but including RCC, what is happening in Africa and China) to be growing at the rate of 3000 converts per hour. If growth matters, this figures puts all completing religions to shame ------------------ but Perry is right on, of course.
The First Church grew to 6 million plus in the first 100 years (In the Mediterranean boundary)
JD
-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Perry Locke <cpl2602@hotmail.com>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 07:01:36 -0700
Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] LDS Church has ZERO Growth!
Since size matters to some in determining the "trueness" of a church, we must consider that according to these numbers (in the US):
1. The Catholic Church - 67,259,768
2. Southern Baptist Convention - 16,439,603
the Catholic church is 400% truer than the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention is at least 300% truer than the mormons. That makes the RCC a whopping 1300% truer than the LDS! C'mon, guys, you have a long way to go to become the one true church!
My point? Size, growth rate, number of members, number of stakes, wards, temples, missionaries, etc, has nothing to do with the truthfulness of the message taught by these man-made establishments.
There is only one church, it belongs to Christ, and consists of people who belong to Him...not by tithing, attending "services" or "masses", peforming temple ordnances, learning secret handshakes, taking communion, being baptised, burning candles, buying indulgences, doing any "good" works, whatever that is, or jumping through any other number of hoops set up by men, either before or after we are "saved". We belong to him because we trust in Jesus Christ (the one revealed to us in the Holy Bible, not some false one) for the forgiveness of our sins and we "accept" the free gift that He has offered. We demonstrate this by doing his will.
So, discuss size all you want. Size really doen't matter. What is in the heart of each individual is what matters. Do we truly love and trust Jesus Christ or do we not? Is this evidenced in our lives by our works, our doing his will?
Perry
>From: Dave Hansen <dave@langlitz.com >
>Reply-To: [email protected]
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] LDS Church has ZERO Growth!
>Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 21:52:40 -0700
>
>DAVEH: Your numbers seem a little low, John. How old are they? Here's >one from 3 years ago that is a bit higher......
>
>http://www.religioscope.com/info/notes/2002_020_US_church_stat.htm
>
>........And here is another that is from just a few months ago....
>
>http://news.ucc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=72&Itemid=54
>
>knpraise@aol.com wrote:
>
>>FYI ----- The Mormon Church is the 8t largest denom in the US with 2, >>787,000 adherents. Churches of Christ in 9th with 2,503,000 members. >>Within the US, growth rates for both groups are nearly flat line. In >>foreign countries, however, Mormons have a very strong presence >>(somewhere around 11 to 13 million) will the Churches of Christ have only >>a few hundred thousands. I mention C of C because of the association >>this church has with the beginnings of the Mormon church (IMO). JD >>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Terry Clifton <wabbits1234@earthlink.net>
>>To: [email protected]
>>Sent: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 17:32:06 -0500
>>Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] LDS Church has ZERO Growth!
>>
>>Blainerb473@aol.com wrote:
>>
>>> Blainer: You can prove anything you want with statistics. During the >>>year 2004, 3 new Mormon temples were dedicated, 2 re-dedicated, *0 were >>>taken down*, 119 in operation at end of year, with *ten more in various >>>stages of planning or building*. *_Converts baptized were 241, 239_*. >>>Total membership as of December 31, 2004, 12, 275,822, up about 3 million >>>from 1998. New stake buildings, new ward buildings always being built, >>>re-built etc, */none taken down or destroyed that I am aware of/*. /*All >>>church meeting houses are crowded,*/ some with three wards using >>>alternate time schedules, most with at least two wards doubling up. >>>Sounds like progress to me.
>>
>>==========================================================================
>>For a crowd like that you need a wide road.
>
>
>--
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Dave Hansen
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>http://www.langlitz.com
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>If you wish to receive
>things I find interesting,
>I maintain six email lists...
>JOKESTER, OPINIONS, LDS,
>STUFF, MOTORCYCLE and CLIPS.
>
----------
"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
1. The Catholic Church - 67,259,768
2. Southern Baptist Convention - 16,439,603
the Catholic church is 400% truer than the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Southern Baptist Convention is at least 300% truer than the mormons. That makes the RCC a whopping 1300% truer than the LDS! C'mon, guys, you have a long way to go to become the one true church!
My point? Size, growth rate, number of members, number of stakes, wards, temples, missionaries, etc, has nothing to do with the truthfulness of the message taught by these man-made establishments.
There is only one church, it belongs to Christ, and consists of people who belong to Him...not by tithing, attending "services" or "masses", peforming temple ordnances, learning secret handshakes, taking communion, being baptised, burning candles, buying indulgences, doing any "good" works, whatever that is, or jumping through any other number of hoops set up by men, either before or after we are "saved". We belong to him because we trust in Jesus Christ (the one revealed to us in the Holy Bible, not some false one) for the forgiveness of our sins and we "accept" the free gift that He has offered. We demonstrate this by doing his will.
So, discuss size all you want. Size really doen't matter. What is in the heart of each individual is what matters. Do we truly love and trust Jesus Christ or do we not? Is this evidenced in our lives by our works, our doing his will?
Perry
>From: Dave Hansen <
>Reply-To: [email protected]
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] LDS Church has ZERO Growth!
>Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 21:52:40 -0700
>
>DAVEH: Your numbers seem a little low, John. How old are they? Here's >one from 3 years ago that is a bit higher......
>
>http://www.religioscope.com/info/notes/2002_020_US_church_stat.htm
>
>........And here is another that is from just a few months ago....
>
>http://news.ucc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=72&Itemid=54
>
>knpraise@aol.com wrote:
>
>>FYI ----- The Mormon Church is the 8t largest denom in the US with 2, >>787,000 adherents. Churches of Christ in 9th with 2,503,000 members. >>Within the US, growth rates for both groups are nearly flat line. In >>foreign countries, however, Mormons have a very strong presence >>(somewhere around 11 to 13 million) will the Churches of Christ have only >>a few hundred thousands. I mention C of C because of the association >>this church has with the beginnings of the Mormon church (IMO). JD >>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Terry Clifton <wabbits1234@earthlink.net>
>>To: [email protected]
>>Sent: Wed, 27 Jul 2005 17:32:06 -0500
>>Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] LDS Church has ZERO Growth!
>>
>>Blainerb473@aol.com wrote:
>>
>>> Blainer: You can prove anything you want with statistics. During the >>>year 2004, 3 new Mormon temples were dedicated, 2 re-dedicated, *0 were >>>taken down*, 119 in operation at end of year, with *ten more in various >>>stages of planning or building*. *_Converts baptized were 241, 239_*. >>>Total membership as of December 31, 2004, 12, 275,822, up about 3 million >>>from 1998. New stake buildings, new ward buildings always being built, >>>re-built etc, */none taken down or destroyed that I am aware of/*. /*All >>>church meeting houses are crowded,*/ some with three wards using >>>alternate time schedules, most with at least two wards doubling up. >>>Sounds like progress to me.
>>
>>==========================================================================
>>For a crowd like that you need a wide road.
>
>
>--
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Dave Hansen
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>http://www.langlitz.com
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>If you wish to receive
>things I find interesting,
>I maintain six email lists...
>JOKESTER, OPINIONS, LDS,
>STUFF, MOTORCYCLE and CLIPS.
>
----------
"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
