A fantastic view of how nations die spiritually, given by a prominent and influential leader of the Russian Church … at a conference in London two weeks ago.
According to figures by the European Union agency Frontex, more than 1.8 million migrants entered the EU in 2015 alone … the number of migrants in Europe has increased from 49.3 million people in 2000 to 76.1 million people in 2015.
The other reason for the transformation of the religious map of Europe is the secularization of European society. Figures in a British opinion poll indicate that more than half of the country’s inhabitants – for the first time in history – do not affiliate themselves to any particular religion.
I would like to remind you all that in Russia before 1917 nobody ever proposed that the collapse of a centuries-old Christian empire would happen and that it would be replaced by an atheistic totalitarian regime. And even when that did happen, few believed that it was serious and for long.
The modern-day decline of Christianity in the western world may be compared to the situation in the Russian Empire before 1917.
The revolution and the dramatic events which followed it have deep spiritual, as well as social and political, reasons. Over many years the aristocracy and intelligentsia had abandoned the faith, and were then followed by common people.
The fundamental rupture in the traditional way of life – and I am now speaking … of the spiritual and cultural self-consciousness of the people – was possible only for the reason that something very important had disappeared from peoples’ lives, in the first instance those people who belonged to the elite. In spite of an outward prosperity and appearance, the scientific and cultural achievements, less and less place was left in peoples’ lives for a living and sincere belief in God, an understanding of the exceptional importance of values belonging to a spiritual and moral tradition.
And when half a century after the creation of the European Union its constitution was being written, it would have been natural for the Christian Churches to expect that the role of Christianity as one of the European values to have been included in this document, without encroaching upon the secular nature of the authorities in a unified Europe.
But, as we know, this did not happen.
The European Union, when writing its constitution, declined to mention its Christian heritage even in the preamble of the document.
I firmly believe that a Europe which has renounced Christ will not be able to preserve its cultural and spiritual identity.
I’ll get to the questions momentarily.
First, atheists and agnostics will never be more than a small minority in this country. Therefore, I beg of you to refrain from debating whether or not God exists. Just assume God exists. If you can’t, this thread is not for you. People NEED to believe. Therefore, people WILL believe … in something; ranging from a recognized religion to The State (as under Communism) … cuz “belief” is in our DNA.
Q1: With a bazillion churches, and increased church attendance, and a POTUS who invokes God often …. why is CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE sliding downhill to irrelevance in America? (Please don’t blame the devil.)
Q2: Can a restoration of Christian Influence be THE ONE BIG THING that unites America, and makes it great again?
Q3: If “no” to question 2, what is THE ONE BIG THING, if any, that can? (Note: please limit your answer to ONE thing.)
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PS: Do I realize that just the other day I posted a picture intermingling Christian symbols with American symbols, and that I condemned that … and that I posted a similar picture today, and that I endorse it? I SURE DO!! ???
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“I strongly believe in the possibility of 5 million hard-as-nails patriots willing to sacrifice everything to bring America back from the brink.” I think you will be right ultimately and I am very pleased by your up front optimism; but believe enough of the current crop of heathen, lazy and ignorant nominal-Americans won’t rebel against ZOG tyranny or Repent of copious sins until after a lot of Liberal and Natural Disasters compel them to reevaluate New Age Culture (bad) and Christianity (good).
Q1: While there are Christian churches seemingly multiplying in popping up everywhere their influences somewhere between minimal and nonexistent simply because in this country at this time being a Christian is simply a feel-good label one chooses there’s no sacrifice to be made no demands placed on the believers therefore no real strength develops in the faith .
Q2: It’s possible theoretically but highly unlikely he because while we have a culture that is awash in Christianity the fact is that that Christianity is weak as circus lemonade.
Q3: I doubt it. Certainly nothing that I can envision. But then again that’s the whole point of the quote above that things happen that we cannot and do not anticipate.