Christianity won't be # 1 much longer.

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#61
ethang5
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@Stephen
He will then accuse you of spamming when forced to show him...
You can't force anyone to do anything idiot.

But you can spam stupidity over and over again. Has Christianity crashed yet?

Homer: The number of Christians are declining in every country!

Ethan: Untrue. The worldwide number of Christians is increasing.

Homer: Christians are being baptised less.

Ethan: How do you know?

Homer: Here is a report from the church of England

Ethan: What about the report from the Baptist church?

Homer: err...huh?

Ethan: The church of england is not the whole of Christianity.

Homer: Here is a report from the church in Australia.

Ethan: Where is the report from the church in South America?

Homer: errr...huh?

Ethan: The church in Australia is not the whole of Christianity.

Homer: You are a liar!! The reports are real!!

Ethan: The reports are not complete, they are not global.

Homer: You are denying the truth!! Here are the reports again!!

Ethan: Spamming them a 1,000 times will not make them global numbers.

Homer: *%#@&+ %*$&!! 

Ethan: Is your Googler broken? Just query, "total worldwide Christian growth"

Homer: Respams his  "report" from the church of England again.

Ethan: Can Christians be decreasing in a localized place and still be increasing worldwide?

Homer: Yes

Ethan: Then spamming "reports" from localized places is stupidity. 

Homer: Respams his  "report" from the church of Australia again.

Ethan: >>jumps out of the way<<<

Homer: Fap! Fap! Fap! Fap! Fap! Fap!

Ethan: Eew!

Homer: You're embarrassing yourself patal!!

Ethan: I hear ya Mr. Flynt. Lol.
#62
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Regarding: #61

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#63
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Ragnar

Regarding: #61

Sexual harassment will not be tolerated on this site. The offender has been banned.

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See, prayer does work, praise Jesus!   I was in prayer with the Savior this morning at 12:05am, where the subject matter was ethang5's  Satanic presence within this forum, where instead of preaching the TRUE words of Jesus the Christ, he runs away from them, then what happens at 12:29am, ethang5 gets banned for 3 months! You Hell bound atheists, don't ever tell me that prayer doesn't work!

We have a 3 month respite of not having to put up with ethang5's insipid Devil Speak and runaway tactics, therefore let's take advantage of this time period, praise!

THANK YOU JESUS!


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#64
Stephen
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@BrotherDThomas
See, prayer does work, praise Jesus!  {..................................................] We have a 3 month respite of not having to put up with ethang5's insipid Devil Speak and runaway tactics, therefore let's take advantage of this time period, praise!  THANK YOU JESUS!


 Praise indeed Brother, but I am afraid 3 months may not be long enough to cure ethang5 of his dreadful Comical Ali syndrome.

As in the face of all the evidence Comical Ali  persisted that "there are no Americans in Baghdad at all". 


30 days later

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#65
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Turkey's President Erdogan turns another ancient Istanbul church into a mosque just a month after converting the city's famed Hagia Sophia into a place of Muslim worship.






#66
Tradesecret
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@ethang5
But though my claim is true, Jesus told us that the number of Christians would dwindle to almost nothing before He returned. This is as it should be, so Christians will not be surprised or made despondent by it. The game was over the moment Jesus said, "It is finished!" on the cross 2,000 years ago.
Where is this? Surely you are not referring to one solitary verse in the NT where Jesus asks a questions about whether faith will exist when he returns or not? 

I on the other hand take a different view of history. I still think we are in the early day of the church. In fact I think we are still in a pre-Christian world.  Yes, Jesus has arrived. Yes Christianity is here. Yet, the world has not yet embraced Christianity as its own.  Yes, there have been nations where this is the case. But not globally. 

When people talk about a post Christian world, they are missing the point that Christianity has over the years risen and fallen around the globe, but that it continues to rise all the same.  2000 years ago - there were 12 Christians. Today there are billions.  This is a fact and that fact is not in dispute. 

Although originally the Middle East was the strong hold of Christianity, which then spread to Africa and then to Europe. And then the West., namely America, Australia, and NZ. And all of the small islands in Oceania.  Mostly following the UK colonies.  Now today - Christianity is spreading exponentially in Asia, South America and Africa.  It is very true that in the West there is a decline.  There are reasons for this - yet it is just a pause.  

The philosophy of today will not last - it is relative and based in nothing.  Hence as people stop embracing it and return to a stability - it will return to the Church. And this time - it will be exponential in the West. But even this is nothing compared to the glorious golden age that awaits the church. 

That might still be a 1000 years away. But o how wonderful that will be. 
#67
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It will longer at number one that atheism will ever be. In fact atheism will never be number one. 


the point is - Christianity is the largest religion in the world  and has been for a long time. 

Is Islam really increasing as fast as it alleged? In Europe - it is facing enormous pressures. A look at the average number of children in Europe by Muslims has dropped significantly. Why? Secular education. 

In fact all over the world - numbers in population are dropping significantly.  This is probably to do with a bit of a perfect storm.  People are having less children normally. Females are starting families later because females are working longer. Getting pregnant is actually getting more difficult.  the idea that we are overpopulated has led to the UN and other organisations teaching females to use contraception.   Contraception is leading to not only less births - but causing significant harm in females wanting to get pregnant - hence the rise in IVF treatment. 

Numbers are declining. The UN provides future predictions in a number of manners - projections based on previous high rates of growth - projections based on current growths and projections based on the estimations of where all of this is heading.   Very interesting reading for those inclined to see data from the UN as informative. 

Statistics actually note that around the world population growth is declining fastest in secular - mostly former soviet bloc nations.  Then in the West - except in USA and Israel. 

Middle East and Asian numbers are also declining - such that Japan is expected to essentially die out in 100 years.  China's numbers are declining - India is still rising - but even India's numbers overall are declining over time. Very fascinating Stats. 





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#68
Stephen
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@Tradesecret
It will longer at number one that atheism will ever be. In fact atheism will never be number one. 

One example: 
1The share of Americans who identify as atheists has increased modestly but significantly in the past decade. Pew Research Center telephone surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019 show that 4% of American adults say they are atheists when asked about their religious identity, up from 2% in 2009. An additional 5% of Americans call themselves agnostics, up from 3% a decade ago.


Christianity is the largest religion in the world  and has been for a long time. 

for now and not much longer. read this thread.


Is Islam really increasing as fast as it alleged?

Europe’s Growing Muslim Population.  The baseline for all three scenarios is the Muslim population in Europe (defined here as the 28 countries presently in the European Union, plus Norway and Switzerland) as of mid-2016, estimated at 25.8 million (4.9% of the overall population) – up from 19.5 million (3.8%) in 2010.Even if all migration into Europe were to immediately and permanently stop – a “zero migration” scenario – the Muslim population of Europe still would be expected to rise from the current level of 4.9% to 7.4% by the year 2050. This is because Muslims are younger (by 13 years, on average) and have higher fertility (one child more per woman, on average) than other Europeans, mirroring a global pattern.




In Europe - it [Islam]  is facing enormous pressures.

And so it should.  Europeans are fighting a losing battle with Western governments supporting and vouching for Islam at every turn. Stop playing ignorant.



"One country, two religions and three very telling pictures: The empty pews at churches just yards from an overcrowded mosque".

  • Two photos show Sunday morning services in churches in East London
  • The third shows worshippers gathered for Friday midday prayers outside a nearby mosque
  • The difference in numbers could hardly be more dramatic.





A look at the average number of children in Europe by Muslims has dropped significantly.

Lets see your evidence for that claim.

Why? Secular education. 

Lets us see you evidence for that claim


In fact all over the world - numbers in population are dropping significantly. 

No supporting evidence.  And on and on and on you go,, making assumptions and claims without evidence.  Try reading this thread and the knots ethang5 -  the comical Ali of the western world tied himself up in.



A Muslims woman's  day out in London's Oxford Street



A day in the park for Muslim men


#69
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@Stephen
I will start to use evidence when you do. Referring to a youtube clip is not evidence - not even close. 
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#70
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@Tradesecret

I will start to use evidence when you do

Then you have already ignored the evidence from Pew research, and all the other evidence in this thread.  And you have no evidence AGAIN!! for you outrageous claims. Nothing new there then.

You have simply joined this thread to bait another member because you are losing a grip on other threads through lack of evidence for claims there too.  My evidence is clear and my claims are supported  throughout this thread. It is only  two and a half pages long, try reading it.  But I am sure these facts will be far too disturbing for you as it is that other  Comical Ali in denial - ethang 5

"One country, two religions and three very telling pictures: The empty pews at churches just yards from an overcrowded mosque".

  • Two photos show Sunday morning services in churches in East London
  • The third shows worshippers gathered for Friday midday prayers outside a nearby mosque
  • The difference in numbers could hardly be more dramatic.



Europe’s Growing Muslim Population.  The baseline for all three scenarios is the Muslim population in Europe (defined here as the 28 countries presently in the European Union, plus Norway and Switzerland) as of mid-2016, estimated at 25.8 million (4.9% of the overall population) – up from 19.5 million (3.8%) in 2010.Even if all migration into Europe were to immediately and permanently stop – a “zero migration” scenario – the Muslim population of Europe still would be expected to rise from the current level of 4.9% to 7.4% by the year 2050. This is because Muslims are younger (by 13 years, on average) and have higher fertility (one child more per woman, on average) than other Europeans, mirroring a global pattern.


 Your church is falling sinshine. Get used to it.  They will have you mumbling into a carpet three times a day before too long


#71
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@Stephen
Sorry Stephen, 

since when has Pew Research been evidence? And the dailymail LOL! is that what you call evidence? On what basis? I am asking for evidence and you never provide any. LOL you are a joke. 

I am still waiting for any evidence from you. 
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#72
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@Tradesecret
There are three pages of detailed  evidence herein this thread and from reliable sources including  from Christian church leaders themselves,  comical  Ali 2. .

Their fear concerning the rapid decline in numbers in the Christian church seems very genuine to me, or will  you will call them liars, like Comical  Ali 1?  You too will no doubt go into total denial mode as you always do. Christening are down by thousands  in the west.   Christian churches are being sold off or left to crumble by the thousand and are being burned to the ground. 
Church congregations are down  by the thousands. All well documented and recorded and easily confirmed with a click of a mouse.

Thank god for Noah!  We may never had mice to click.


I don't care what you accept or don't accept as evidence. That of course is entirely up to the reader and deniers like your self . I personally have absolutely no reason to disbelieve what these Christian church leaders have to say about the decline of the Christian church. 

When Comical Ali 1 found the evidence in this thread so overwhelming he spun this lie:



Comical Ali 1-->@ethang5 wrote: ; Jesus told us that the number of Christians would dwindle to almost nothing before He returned. 
Of course , he didn't have a biblical  verse to support this claim after many requests to do so. But do you notice anything in particularly contradictory  about his lying quote? 
#73
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@Stephen
There are three pages of detailed  evidence herein this thread and from reliable sources including  from Christian church leaders themselves,  comical  Ali 2. .
You keep telling me it is evidence, but what makes it evidence? People talking about stuff. Hearsay. 

Their fear concerning the rapid decline in numbers in the Christian church seems very genuine to me, or will  you will call them liars, like Comical  Ali 1?  You too will no doubt go into total denial mode as you always do. Christening are down by thousands  in the west.   Christian churches are being sold off or left to crumble by the thousand and are being burned to the ground. 
Church congregations are down  by the thousands. All well documented and recorded and easily confirmed with a click of a mouse.
I never denied Christianity was reducing in numbers in the West. I deny it is the fact for the rest of the world. I don't normally call people liars. Admittedly, and to my shame, I have called you a liar on more than one occasion.  I apologize for my behavior. I do take the view that we are still in the early days of the church - so I take a more optimistic point of view than Ethan. 

I don't care what you accept or don't accept as evidence. That of course is entirely up to the reader and deniers like your self . I personally have absolutely no reason to disbelieve what these Christian church leaders have to say about the decline of the Christian church. 
My position in respect of evidence in this post was brought on by what I considered to be  your absurdity. You continued to deny I had presented evidence. You never really explained why - just called me a liar. I decided that since you are being unreasonable that I would join you. I tend to take everyone on face value. I also tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. If you want to have reasonable discussions stop with the abuse - I will endeavor to do the same. But please stop thinking I am trying rewrite history or biblical narratives. I am not.  We don't have to agree on what the interpretations are - and to be honest I don't mind that you have a different view - although it would be nice if you provided your sources when you present widely different versions to what is normally acceptable.   

When Comical Ali 1 found the evidence in this thread so overwhelming he spun this lie:

Comical Ali 1-->@ethang5 wrote: ; Jesus told us that the number of Christians would dwindle to almost nothing before He returned. 
Of course , he didn't have a biblical  verse to support this claim after many requests to do so. But do you notice anything in particularly contradictory  about his lying quote? 
I confess I don't see the contradiction here.  Ethan indicates that Christianity is the number 1 religion in the world. but he also may well consider that Christian numbers may decrease or dwindle to almost nothing when Jesus returns.  This is the amillenial position and the premillenial position. Both these positions take the view that Christian will remain strong unto close to the end of the world - and then there will be a falling away. I don't see it myself. But I don't think it is particularly contradictory. But please elaborate what you mean by all means.  
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Stephen
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@Tradesecret
I never denied Christianity was reducing in numbers in the West. I deny it is the fact for the rest of the word

Yes and?  What's you point? 

This thread is about Christianity not being # 1 for much too long. 


Comical Ali 1-->@ethang5 wrote: ; Jesus told us that the number of Christians would dwindle to almost nothing before He returned. 

Of course , he didn't have a biblical  verse to support this claim after many requests to do so. But do you notice anything in particularly contradictory  about his lying quote? 
I confess I don't see the contradiction here.  

No surprises there then. 

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@Stephen
Is there a reason you just add short comments without explaining what you mean? It would be nice to know why you are not surprised? Or even why you think there was a contradiction? I make mistakes. I miss things. I like to learn. So I don't do it again. 


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@Stephen
My point was - so what? 

Christianity is still in its teenage years, so any reduction in numbers today is not to be unexpected.  Yet, I also pointed out that Islam is too reducing in numbers. 

I could have referred you to a book - Why Civilisations are dying. - but I mistakenly assumed that was known. 


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#77
Stephen
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@Tradesecret


Christianity is still in its teenage years,

That is more opinion and wishful thinking than fact. 


so any reduction in numbers today is not to be unexpected. 

Membership of the Christian church is in decline, no matter how much you want to play it down.  It is  serious enough situation to have many church leader extremely concerned.


Yet, I also pointed out that Islam is too reducing in numbers. 

Not according to the evidence. But I would like to believe that you were correct.  Every child born to Muslim parents is Muslim at birth. You can deny that as much as you want,  the same cannot be said for Christianity.

Marvelous how you keep missing this from the respected research center Pew.

Why Muslims are the world’s fastest-growing religious group.

"In the next half century or so, Christianity’s long reign as the world’s largest religion may come to an end, according to a just-released report that builds on Pew Research Center’s original population growth projections for religious groups. Indeed, Muslims will grow more than twice as fast as the overall world population between 2015 and 2060 and, in the second half of this century, will likely surpass Christians as the world’s largest religious group......" https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/06/why-muslims-are-the-worlds-fastest-growing-religious-group/

 " there are no American soldiers in Baghdad " Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf  aka Comical Ali,Iraqi Information minister. 


#78
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@Stephen
Christianity is still in its teenage years,

That is more opinion and wishful thinking than fact. 

It is based on the doctrines of the Bible. It is not just my opinion.  Jesus says he will not return until his bride is ready. I think history reveals quite clearly that when the church draws close to God it increases and matures. When it departs from God, then it becomes stale and numbers decline. It is a fact that the church tends to grow exponentially in places where it is persecuted and in places like the West where it becomes part of the furniture it becomes stale. In the West we also have a society which has abandoned its base of authority and philosophy. We are no longer modernist but relativistic. This was an important factor for people losing faith in institutions. As was the corruption in such institutions, like the church and the state. The church also abdicated its role in relation to welfare, leaving the state to pick it up. There are many factors. All which reduce the influence it has in the world of the West. Yet Asia, Africa, South America, and China in particularly, are all places where the church is growing very fast. 

I say the church has never really shown her true colors. I accept that many would disagree. Yet, although I don't have an issue with denominations per se - I think that many in the world outside of the church see it as a problem and it may be that a unity in the church might eventually see a growth again. I also see the church as having temper tantrums and exploring in various ways - and even to an extent trying to find itself.  TO me these are all pointers of its adolescence. It certainly still retains its youthly strength, and for many its charm, but the bible teaches - that the Lord won't return until his bride is ready - and honestly I don't think it is close. I am quite prepared for this take 1000s of years more. 

so any reduction in numbers today is not to be unexpected. 

Membership of the Christian church is in decline, no matter how much you want to play it down.  It is  serious enough situation to have many church leader extremely concerned.
I agreed with you - that the church in the West is declining. I am not minimising it. And it is serious - I never said it was not. But I also don't just keep my eyes on the West. I tend to take a global view. There are more Christians in China than people in Australia.

Yet, I also pointed out that Islam is too reducing in numbers. 

Not according to the evidence. But I would like to believe that you were correct.  Every child born to Muslim parents is Muslim at birth. You can deny that as much as you want,  the same cannot be said for Christianity.

Well the evidence is that familys in Europe and around the world that their numbers are dropping.  Whereas it was even 50 years ago - the average family was having 10 kid. This has reduced to 7 or 8.  This has an impact on the population. The book I referred to can be found on the internet. It is very interesting reading and it has the stats. 


Marvelous how you keep missing this from the respected research center Pew.

Why Muslims are the world’s fastest-growing religious group.

"In the next half century or so, Christianity’s long reign as the world’s largest religion may come to an end, according to a just-released report that builds on Pew Research Center’s original population growth projections for religious groups. Indeed, Muslims will grow more than twice as fast as the overall world population between 2015 and 2060 and, in the second half of this century, will likely surpass Christians as the world’s largest religious group......" https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/06/why-muslims-are-the-worlds-fastest-growing-religious-group/

Respectfully, I did not miss it. Nor did I deny this. It is the situation that the Muslim faith can be the fastest growing group in the world, yet still be reducing. These are not mutually exclusive.   And just because they grow twice as fast as the world population still does not change this fact. The world's population is slowing down significantly for a whole myriad of reasons - it is almost the perfect storm. Yet these same factors which are slowing the world's population are also impacting upon the Muslim world.  Whereas in most places in the world, population growth is in the negative - in Muslim nations it is in the positive. In Europe - the former soviet bloc in particular - population growth trends predict the end of Europe at its current trajectory. 

Yet when we look at places which are experiencing growth - these are places which are like Israel and USA.  

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#79
Stephen
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Membership of the Christian church is in decline, no matter how much you want to play it down.  It is  serious enough situation to have many church leader extremely concerned.
I agreed with you.
And numbers elsewhere are not making up the losses in the west including  Canada Australia  and others ;

Crisis of faith
Every ten years the census spells out the situation in detail: between 2001 and 2011 the number of Christians born in Britain fell by 5.3 million — about 10,000 a week. If that rate of decline continues, the mission of St Augustine to the English, together with that of the Irish saints to the Scots, will come to an end in 2067.


Compare : 

Almost a tenth of babies and toddlers in England and Wales are Muslim, census figures show
The percentage of Muslims among the under-fives is almost twice as high as in the general population, according to a breakdown of census figures

Census figures reveal a ‘startling’ shift in Britain’s demographic trend with almost a tenth of babies and toddlers born in England and Wales being Muslim.
The percentage of Muslims among the under-fives is almost twice as high as in the general population. Less than one in 200 over 85s are Muslims – an indication of the extent to which birth rate is changing the UK’s religious demographic.
The Office for National Statistics produced the breakdown of Britain’s religions and age groups. The figures, according to the Times, were extracted from data collected in the 2011 census.
One expert said it was possible that Muslims who worshipped would outnumber practising Christians. “It’s not inconceivable,” said David Voas, Professor of Population Studies at the University of Essex.


You and the Fish , sunshine , has had it's day.


It is the situation that the Muslim faith can be the fastest growing group in the world,
IS! You are ignoring the evidence. The only places that the dangerous barbaric ideology of  Islam  is not on the increase  are in  countries that won't allow it to grow. Unlike every country in the west where is has been supported and promoted as " the religion of peace" by western governments and western world leaders who I consider traitors to be their own people.

yet still be reducing.

As much as  I would sincerely  like to believe that I have seen no evidence for members of Islam - Muslims-   being in decline.
Every child born Muslim

Which will then require more mosques to add to the already 1600 that are already here in the UK and most of those built only  in the last 25 years years. While Christian churches fall empty and become dilapidated daily  or are sold off or simply abandoned or burned down .