Is Christianity on the wane?
Part of a very interesting discussion is one comparing Humanism and Christianity. Several commenters suggested that "Christianity is on the wane." I thought that was an odd thing to say and so I thought it might be wise to consider that thought.
My belief was that while Christianity was not doing well in old Europe and some other Western areas, it is growing pretty rapidly world-wide.
How Christianity is Growing Around the World
Excerpt: ...in 1900, there were approximately 10 million Christians in Africa. By 2000, there were 360 million. By 2025, conservative estimates see that number rising to 633 million. Those same estimates put the number of Christians in Latin America in 2025 at 640 million and in Asia at 460 million.
According to Jenkins, the percentage of the world’s population that is, at least by name, Christian will be roughly the same in 2050 as it was in 1900. By the middle of this century, there will be three billion Christians in the world -- one and a half times the number of Muslims. In fact, by 2050 there will be nearly as many Pentecostal Christians in the world as there are Muslims today.
But at that point, only one-fifth of the world’s Christians will be non-Hispanic whites. The typical Christian will be a woman living in a Nigerian village or in a Brazilian shantytown.
And these changes will be more than demographic. Jenkins points out that who he calls "Southern Christians" -- those living in Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia -- are far more conservative, theologically and morally, than their counterparts in the West.
Christianity taking over planet?
Excerpt: What is the fastest-growing religion on Earth?
Most news reports suggest it is Islam.
But a new book makes a compelling case it is a new, or, perhaps, old form of biblically inspired evangelical Christianity that is sweeping through places like China, Africa, India and Southeast Asia.
In "Megashift," author Jim Rutz coins a new phrase to define this fast-growing segment of the population. He calls them "core apostolics" – or "the new saints who are at the heart of the mushrooming kingdom of God."
Rutz makes the point that Christianity is overlooked as the fastest-growing faith in the world because most surveys look at the traditional Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church while ignoring Christian believers who have no part of either.
He says there are 707 million "switched-on disciples" who fit into this new category and that this "church" is exploding in growth.
Christianity Growing in Bhutan Despite Repression, Propaganda
Christianity growing in staggering fashion In Africa, Latin America and Asia
"There are more new Christians added to the world population than any other religion on earth every day. This data makes the entire discussion about "rates of growth" irrelevant."
Whereas news reports often suggest that Islam is the world's fastest growing religion, a careful look at the numbers suggests that Christianity is still the largest religion in the world and it is growing/spreading faster than the Muslim faith. It appears that Islam is the fastest growing religion in Europe, but this is a matter of immigration. More Christians are added to the population each day than any other religion and it is present in all 238 countries of the world and on all six continents is more widely distributed than Islam or other faiths.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So Christianity continues to grow. I believe my Humanist friends wish to believe that it is "on the wane" because they think Humanism is a superior philosophy. Consistent commenter Dan S posted this:
"Kohlberg's classification [of stages of moral development - really, reasoning] can be outlined in the following manner:
LEVEL--STAGE--SOCIAL ORIENTATION
Pre-conventional.1.Obedience and Punishment
......................2..Individualism,
..................Instrumentalism, and Exchange
Conventional........3.."Good boy/girl"
......................4..Law and Order
Post-conventional..5..Social Contract
......................6..Principled Conscience
[. = spaces - does bloggercomments has any sort of space-preserving formating option?]
The first level of moral thinking is that generally found at the elementary school level. In the first stage of this level, people behave according to socially acceptable norms because they are told to do so by some authority figure (e.g., parent or teacher). This obedience is compelled by the threat or application of punishment. The second stage of this level is characterized by a view that right behavior means acting in one's own best interests.
The second level of moral thinking is that generally found in society, hence the name "conventional." The first stage of this level (stage 3) is characterized by an attitude which seeks to do what will gain the approval of others. The second stage is one oriented to abiding by the law and responding to the obligations of duty.
The third level of moral thinking is one that Kohlberg felt is not reached by the majority of adults. Its first stage (stage 5) is an understanding of social mutuality and a genuine interest in the welfare of others. The last stage (stage 6) is based on respect for universal principle and the demands of individual conscience. While Kohlberg always believed in the existence of Stage 6 and had some nominees for it, he could never get enough subjects to define it, much less observe their longitudinal movement to it."
The implication is that a Humanist is often likely to be at level three, leaving the Christian behind at level two. But is there any doubt that Jesus Christ was beyond even stage six? He is the example for a Christian. One of my favorite quotes in the Bible is when it is said of Jesus, "Behold, He has done all things well!"
Jesus did not simply live a sinless life in which He did nothing wrong. He also did everything good at every opportunity. He went around the Jerusalem and Galilee and the surrounding countryside telling the truth, healing the sick, raising the dead, explaining His mission and simply living for others while living out the wishes of God the Father.
You see, the post-conventional individual still has to base his understanding of right and wrong on something. If he rejects Christianity and the Biblical standard of conduct, then he allows his reasoning and conscience and experience to have the last say. As I said, in this case man puts himself on the throne and can be no more moral or wise than a fallible and temporal man is able.
The Spirit-led Christian has principles based on the Word of God. Those principles were at the basis of the founding of my country, the USA, and I see no better nation on earth. Those principles are a basis for behavior but also the Christian has something even better than a principled conscience. He has a Eternal God who has placed His Spirit within that Christian, so that the Christian can, if he will, be able to be led by God. God's mind and understanding are neither fallible nor temporal and not subject to selfishness or error.
Christians come in all shapes and sizes. Many are erstwhile but misled. Some are insincere and pathetic. There are legalists who think that life can be boiled down to a set of hard and fast rules beginning with the clothes you wear and the kind of haircut you prefer. It has been said that 'Christians are the biggest handicap of Christianity' or something along that line. Alas, it is true.
And yet....and yet Christians in general are sincerely trying to live up to the challenge of Christ, to love God with all their being and to love their neighbors as they love themselves. There is no higher calling than this one.
People who know me personally come in and read this blog. I say this honestly, I do try to live up to this high calling and it is my own natural selfishness that is my biggest enemy. Those who know me consider me to be a good man. (right, guys??? Wink!) I know in my heart the many times I could do better. I want to do better. The Spirit of God within me moves me to do better for deep inside, fighting against my selfish nature, I do love God and mankind and I do really prefer doing good over bad. The Book of Romans truly addresses this struggle well, especially in chapters 3-8. In the end, God has conquered my selfishness and made it available for me to do the right thing every time if I will simply be in agreement with Him. My fellow Christians will understand this last paragraph, I would think.
To conclude, I believe Christians have the highest of calls and the highest of standards in common. The Humanist may or may not, but if the Humanist has the same call as the Christian, he still lacks the Spirit of God within to help him accomplish the goal. Therefore, to me, the greatest Humanist is the one who takes himself off of his own throne and gives that place to God, thus becoming a Christian fully empowered to carry out the greatest of goals.
My belief was that while Christianity was not doing well in old Europe and some other Western areas, it is growing pretty rapidly world-wide.
How Christianity is Growing Around the World
Excerpt: ...in 1900, there were approximately 10 million Christians in Africa. By 2000, there were 360 million. By 2025, conservative estimates see that number rising to 633 million. Those same estimates put the number of Christians in Latin America in 2025 at 640 million and in Asia at 460 million.
According to Jenkins, the percentage of the world’s population that is, at least by name, Christian will be roughly the same in 2050 as it was in 1900. By the middle of this century, there will be three billion Christians in the world -- one and a half times the number of Muslims. In fact, by 2050 there will be nearly as many Pentecostal Christians in the world as there are Muslims today.
But at that point, only one-fifth of the world’s Christians will be non-Hispanic whites. The typical Christian will be a woman living in a Nigerian village or in a Brazilian shantytown.
And these changes will be more than demographic. Jenkins points out that who he calls "Southern Christians" -- those living in Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia -- are far more conservative, theologically and morally, than their counterparts in the West.
Christianity taking over planet?
Excerpt: What is the fastest-growing religion on Earth?
Most news reports suggest it is Islam.
But a new book makes a compelling case it is a new, or, perhaps, old form of biblically inspired evangelical Christianity that is sweeping through places like China, Africa, India and Southeast Asia.
In "Megashift," author Jim Rutz coins a new phrase to define this fast-growing segment of the population. He calls them "core apostolics" – or "the new saints who are at the heart of the mushrooming kingdom of God."
Rutz makes the point that Christianity is overlooked as the fastest-growing faith in the world because most surveys look at the traditional Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church while ignoring Christian believers who have no part of either.
He says there are 707 million "switched-on disciples" who fit into this new category and that this "church" is exploding in growth.
Christianity Growing in Bhutan Despite Repression, Propaganda
Christianity growing in staggering fashion In Africa, Latin America and Asia
"There are more new Christians added to the world population than any other religion on earth every day. This data makes the entire discussion about "rates of growth" irrelevant."
Whereas news reports often suggest that Islam is the world's fastest growing religion, a careful look at the numbers suggests that Christianity is still the largest religion in the world and it is growing/spreading faster than the Muslim faith. It appears that Islam is the fastest growing religion in Europe, but this is a matter of immigration. More Christians are added to the population each day than any other religion and it is present in all 238 countries of the world and on all six continents is more widely distributed than Islam or other faiths.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So Christianity continues to grow. I believe my Humanist friends wish to believe that it is "on the wane" because they think Humanism is a superior philosophy. Consistent commenter Dan S posted this:
"Kohlberg's classification [of stages of moral development - really, reasoning] can be outlined in the following manner:
LEVEL--STAGE--SOCIAL ORIENTATION
Pre-conventional.1.Obedience and Punishment
......................2..Individualism,
..................Instrumentalism, and Exchange
Conventional........3.."Good boy/girl"
......................4..Law and Order
Post-conventional..5..Social Contract
......................6..Principled Conscience
[. = spaces - does bloggercomments has any sort of space-preserving formating option?]
The first level of moral thinking is that generally found at the elementary school level. In the first stage of this level, people behave according to socially acceptable norms because they are told to do so by some authority figure (e.g., parent or teacher). This obedience is compelled by the threat or application of punishment. The second stage of this level is characterized by a view that right behavior means acting in one's own best interests.
The second level of moral thinking is that generally found in society, hence the name "conventional." The first stage of this level (stage 3) is characterized by an attitude which seeks to do what will gain the approval of others. The second stage is one oriented to abiding by the law and responding to the obligations of duty.
The third level of moral thinking is one that Kohlberg felt is not reached by the majority of adults. Its first stage (stage 5) is an understanding of social mutuality and a genuine interest in the welfare of others. The last stage (stage 6) is based on respect for universal principle and the demands of individual conscience. While Kohlberg always believed in the existence of Stage 6 and had some nominees for it, he could never get enough subjects to define it, much less observe their longitudinal movement to it."
The implication is that a Humanist is often likely to be at level three, leaving the Christian behind at level two. But is there any doubt that Jesus Christ was beyond even stage six? He is the example for a Christian. One of my favorite quotes in the Bible is when it is said of Jesus, "Behold, He has done all things well!"
Jesus did not simply live a sinless life in which He did nothing wrong. He also did everything good at every opportunity. He went around the Jerusalem and Galilee and the surrounding countryside telling the truth, healing the sick, raising the dead, explaining His mission and simply living for others while living out the wishes of God the Father.
You see, the post-conventional individual still has to base his understanding of right and wrong on something. If he rejects Christianity and the Biblical standard of conduct, then he allows his reasoning and conscience and experience to have the last say. As I said, in this case man puts himself on the throne and can be no more moral or wise than a fallible and temporal man is able.
The Spirit-led Christian has principles based on the Word of God. Those principles were at the basis of the founding of my country, the USA, and I see no better nation on earth. Those principles are a basis for behavior but also the Christian has something even better than a principled conscience. He has a Eternal God who has placed His Spirit within that Christian, so that the Christian can, if he will, be able to be led by God. God's mind and understanding are neither fallible nor temporal and not subject to selfishness or error.
Christians come in all shapes and sizes. Many are erstwhile but misled. Some are insincere and pathetic. There are legalists who think that life can be boiled down to a set of hard and fast rules beginning with the clothes you wear and the kind of haircut you prefer. It has been said that 'Christians are the biggest handicap of Christianity' or something along that line. Alas, it is true.
And yet....and yet Christians in general are sincerely trying to live up to the challenge of Christ, to love God with all their being and to love their neighbors as they love themselves. There is no higher calling than this one.
People who know me personally come in and read this blog. I say this honestly, I do try to live up to this high calling and it is my own natural selfishness that is my biggest enemy. Those who know me consider me to be a good man. (right, guys??? Wink!) I know in my heart the many times I could do better. I want to do better. The Spirit of God within me moves me to do better for deep inside, fighting against my selfish nature, I do love God and mankind and I do really prefer doing good over bad. The Book of Romans truly addresses this struggle well, especially in chapters 3-8. In the end, God has conquered my selfishness and made it available for me to do the right thing every time if I will simply be in agreement with Him. My fellow Christians will understand this last paragraph, I would think.
To conclude, I believe Christians have the highest of calls and the highest of standards in common. The Humanist may or may not, but if the Humanist has the same call as the Christian, he still lacks the Spirit of God within to help him accomplish the goal. Therefore, to me, the greatest Humanist is the one who takes himself off of his own throne and gives that place to God, thus becoming a Christian fully empowered to carry out the greatest of goals.