'Lost' Christians Greatest Crisis in American Church, says Author

The inability of the church to discuss a topic that has become taboo among many Christians is one of the root causes why millions of Americans are leaving the church and never to return, says one author.

[Light Sensitive]

Quote from the author: "I felt God was pounding and pounding and pounding on me," he said

to the author: Thats why you have the issues you do, you think a super-being is "pounding" you, which is first absurd, and second extrmely egotistical to think a deity even takes notice of you! and decides to get your attention by punishing you, and not others...seems that believers do more blaming of god then most others..."god took a personal interest in me!"

it aint a god pounding you, just the luck of the cards...for this guy and anyone else.

realize that life is hard and always will be, and it all gets a little easier. truly.

[Wayne]

Light Sensitive wrote:

Quote from the author: "I felt God was pounding and pounding and pounding on me," he said
to the author: Thats why you have the issues you do, you think a super-being is "pounding" you, which is first absurd, and second extrmely egotistical to think a deity even takes notice of you! and decides to get your attention by punishing you, and not others...seems that believers do more blaming of god then most others..."god took a personal interest in me!"
it aint a god pounding you, just the luck of the cards...for this guy and anyone else.
realize that life is hard and always will be, and it all gets a little easier. truly.

lol An explanation from a non-believer. Pathetic. Here is the more likely explanation. A falling away before the coming of the Lord.

2Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come A FALLING AWAY first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

[Paul Zannucci]

Before I even realized this was posted over here I had commented on it:

http://zannucci.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/pent...

It is a humbling story, but one which sheds light on a way out.

[loveismygoal]

i personaly dont see it as a falling away from god..i see it as god leading his people away from man made tradition ,hypocrisy,false prophets,false teachings ,propaganda and lies ect .. like wayne says there is a falling away first..people realising the god they worshipped was false (god is not false,he is true)once he removes the brainwashing these people have endured..they no longer believe what they have been told..they no longer believe in the lord.. then..POW..his spirit can come and work with the peoples hearts..and in the last days i shall pour out my spirit on all flesh..people meeting the lord personaly and not just hearing a distorted view..i see this as an exiting time.

[Light Sensitive]

Wayne wrote:

<quoted text>
lol An explanation from a non-believer. Pathetic. Here is the more likely explanation. A falling away before the coming of the Lord.
2Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come A FALLING AWAY first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

classic example of why people are leaving...mumbo-jumbo. answering a Q/issue with mumbo-jumbo isnt gonna win any more players for your side.

what so many of the believers fail to see is that this quote-tossing is less engaging then you think, you all think it shows how special you are, and that others want to be like you, but here's a clue - we dont.

if every time someone came to you with Q's about "things" and all you did was toss quotes from relevant to the topic literature, like say Shakespeare, or Chaucer, Hemingway, etc - they wont come back...you'd be the looney to avoid. same applies to bible quote-tossing, it doesnt show youre smart, or a person with common-sense to go to for help, just shows youre a good parrot.

[Kerdy 1]

"'Lost' Christians Greatest Crisis in American Church, says Author"

Well, if you look at it as Lost without salvation, I would say yes. Proves that you dont have to be a real Christian to claim the title, and unfortunately, there are a lot of them out there.

[1noteasilyfooled]

"Most of the time, Christians leave because of a "wounded" experience. They either deliberately walk away due to questions and doubts that go unanswered or they feel that God has walked away or "disappeared," observed Sanford."

Most of what goes on by posters in this forum is "wounding".

[Wayne]

loveismygoal wrote:

i personaly dont see it as a falling away from god..i see it as god leading his people away from man made tradition ,hypocrisy,false prophets,false teachings ,propaganda and lies ect .. like wayne says there is a falling away first..people realising the god they worshipped was false (god is not false,he is true)once he removes the brainwashing these people have endured..they no longer believe what they have been told..they no longer believe in the lord.. then..POW..his spirit can come and work with the peoples hearts..and in the last days i shall pour out my spirit on all flesh..people meeting the lord personaly and not just hearing a distorted view..i see this as an exiting time.

No. The falling away I refer to is the great Apostasy, a falling away from the true God. This life is not a rose garden and Christ never said it would be. So, when the really rough times hit, people fall away from God. They have a view of God that hard times should NEVER knock at their door. That couldn't be further from the truth. Christ said pick up your cross and follow Him. Just because you go through a valley doesn't mean He doesn't exist. Remember, He is the Lilly of the valley. He will take care of you and protect you BUT, we still are on this side of eternity. Problems WILL happen from time to time. Grow up.

[1noteasilyfooled]

Wayne wrote:

<quoted text>
No. The falling away I refer to is the great Apostasy, a falling away from the true God. This life is not a rose garden and Christ never said it would be. So, when the really rough times hit, people fall away from God. They have a view of God that hard times should NEVER knock at their door. That couldn't be further from the truth. Christ said pick up your cross and follow Him. Just because you go through a valley doesn't mean He doesn't exist. Remember, He is the Lilly of the valley. He will take care of you and protect you BUT, we still are on this side of eternity. Problems WILL happen from time to time. Grow up.

So says you..

[scuter pie]

there are many of us who simply out grow the need for religion with no feelings of harm or foul

[george anderson jr]

1noteasilyfooled wrote:

<quoted text>So says you..

no ,so says the bible nitwit.

[george anderson jr]

scuter pie wrote:

there are many of us who simply out grow the need for religion with no feelings of harm or foul

blind leading the blind,they both fall in the ditch.

[ninetailedfox]

Wayne wrote:

<quoted text>
No. The falling away I refer to is the great Apostasy, a falling away from the true God. This life is not a rose garden and Christ never said it would be. So, when the really rough times hit, people fall away from God. They have a view of God that hard times should NEVER knock at their door. That couldn't be further from the truth. Christ said pick up your cross and follow Him. Just because you go through a valley doesn't mean He doesn't exist. Remember, He is the Lilly of the valley. He will take care of you and protect you BUT, we still are on this side of eternity. Problems WILL happen from time to time. Grow up.

Grow up, says the immature man with no social skills. Youre just jealous cause LIMG can think circles around you

[ninetailedfox]

george anderson jr wrote:

<quoted text>blind leading the blind,they both fall in the ditch.

Ive figured out the problem to all christians, they dont think that the bible applies to them, just everyone else.

[Light Sensitive]

Wayne wrote:

<quoted text>
No. The falling away I refer to is the great Apostasy, a falling away from the true God. This life is not a rose garden and Christ never said it would be.

So, when the really rough times hit, people fall away from God. They have a view of God that hard times should NEVER knock at their door.

That couldn't be further from the truth. Christ said pick up your cross and follow Him. Just because you go through a valley doesn't mean He doesn't exist. Remember, He is the Lilly of the valley.

He will take care of you and protect you BUT, we still are on this side of eternity. Problems WILL happen from time to time. Grow up.

The reality is that in times of "stress", people turn to god/religion more than away. Natural disasters like Katrina saw a rise in religious activity (church attendance, prayer groups, etc)

The problem is when the dust settles, some people wake up and realize that there is not going to be any sustainence from an imaginery being who by all believers accounts is a causual observer of our life on this planet, only interested in intervention when (proper) prayers are said...and then its typcially in the form of "cures" of questionable internal diseases...or some other questionable intervention...

people seek god/religion when they are under duress, rarely when they are doing well...? Hmm, wonder why? maybe because the superstitious human mind goes to default and finds outside reasons for their failures, because after all it couldnt be them that F'd their lives up. it must be some "outside source"...

[loveismygoal]

Wayne wrote:

<quoted text>
No. The falling away I refer to is the great Apostasy, a falling away from the true God. This life is not a rose garden and Christ never said it would be. So, when the really rough times hit, people fall away from God. They have a view of God that hard times should NEVER knock at their door. That couldn't be further from the truth. Christ said pick up your cross and follow Him. Just because you go through a valley doesn't mean He doesn't exist. Remember, He is the Lilly of the valley. He will take care of you and protect you BUT, we still are on this side of eternity. Problems WILL happen from time to time. Grow up.

grow up? have i done something to offend you wayne?please forgive me if i have it was never my intention.yes i agree with you that christ never said it would be a bed of roses but unfortuanatly many leaders are preaching these lies.there are many many wolves in sheeps clothing amongst the church of today some dont even wear the sheeps clothes and are blatantly wearing their wolves clothes for all to see.jesus said we are to count the cost before following him.i have counted and know that one day i may even be beheaded for my faith ..still i follow.i have been through many trials and tribulations but they count for nothing compared to what i may have to go through .i dont know if i passed or failed these trials but what i do know that jesus was right there by my side all the while taking me through each one.he has more than proved himself faithful to his word he has never left me nor forsaken me and i hope and pray that i prove myself faithful to him when i stand in front of him and hear the words well done faithful servant and not depart from me i never knew you.once more i ask your forgiveness if i have caused offence.peace.

[Light Sensitive]

Wayne wrote:

<quoted text>
No. The falling away I refer to is the great Apostasy, a falling away from the true God. This life is not a rose garden and Christ never said it would be. So, when the really rough times hit, people fall away from God.

They have a view of God that hard times should NEVER knock at their door.

That couldn't be further from the truth. Christ said pick up your cross and follow Him. Just because you go through a valley doesn't mean He doesn't exist. Remember, He is the Lilly of the valley. He will take care of you and protect you BUT, we still are on this side of eternity. Problems WILL happen from time to time. Grow up.

this attitude is mostly an american thing...we're very arrogant about our perceived "specialness" - and much of that sort of crap-thinking is the result of fundy-christian thinking and the inherent arrogance that is a common tenet of what being an american christian is all about. being superior, for first being American, and second for being a christian. its a recipe for stupidity...

[george anderson jr]

ninetailedfox wrote:

<quoted text> Ive figured out the problem to all Christians, they don't think that the bible applies to them, just everyone else.

think what you will,makes no difference to us Christians.

[ninetailedfox]

Light Sensitive wrote:

<quoted text>
this attitude is mostly an american thing...we're very arrogant about our perceived "specialness" - and much of that sort of crap-thinking is the result of fundy-christian thinking and the inherent arrogance that is a common tenet of what being an american christian is all about. being superior, for first being American, and second for being a christian. its a recipe for stupidity...

Buddhists teach not to be egotistical, and for good reason. the chinese culture is highly misunderstood.

[george anderson jr]

ninetailedfox wrote:

<quoted text> Buddhists teach not to be egotistical, and for good reason. the Chinese culture is highly misunderstood.

no the Chinese culture is intolerant of anything that is not Buddhist,why do you think so many Christian pastors are in prisons,and there is is nothing misunderstood about chinas bigoted views about Christianity.good reason to boycott the summer Olympics.