Is the church dying?

Feminists who shave their heads, wail, gnash their teeth, rend their garments and swear to withhold sex from men who don’t want to have sex with them also tend to be dismissive of religion. For such people there can be no higher power than their politics and virtue signaling in support of them. To them, Christianity is patriarchal, abusive toward women who must be subservient to men. Yet it has always been women who are the backbone of Christianity and of every church community. Still, there is some indication young women may be less interested in faith that before, or are there?

Graphic: Author

Americans identifying as Christian has dropped significantly over the past 30 years, data has shown. According to the Pew Research Center, 63% of Americans identified as Christian in 2020, a decline from 90% of Americans identifying as Christian since the 90s.

Furthermore, a Gallup poll released this year showed that only "three in 10" U.S. adults attend church once a week or almost once a week. This represents a significant decline from attendance 20 years ago, when 42% of U.S. adults would still attend church regularly.

The drop-off doubled in the last decade, where regular church attendance, which was at around 38% percent between 2011 and 2013, plummeted to 30%. 

But who are these women? The article provides clues:

The American Enterprise Institute reported in April that women outnumber men among young adults leaving the religion across four generations. Especially among Gen Z women, 54% of Gen Z adults who left their religion were women compared to 46% of men.

Ah. Now it makes sense:

The church's views of women are of concern to Gen Z, far more than previous generations, as religious institutions maintain the belief that women can't serve in leadership roles in the church, the Survey Center on American Life reported.

According to AOL.com, "As with Mojica Rodríguez, some fume over gender hierarchies, the inability of women to serve in influential positions, or expectations of chastity placed upon girls. Others, they say, struggle with their church’s positions on reproductive and/or LGBTQ rights."

A certain sort of woman, whose priorities and politics conflict with acceptance of Christian doctrine as provided in the scriptures are leaving. But are they abandoning faith and merely transferring to religions which while ostensibly Christian, reject much of Christian doctrine in favor of Democrat/socialist/communist (D/s/c) dogma? That’s a belief system that demands absolute perfection, absolute adherence to that secular faith in thought, word and deed, and if one strays, they’re immediately excommunicated, just as a Yale Psychiatrist told them to cut off family and friends who committed the ultimate secular sin: voting for Donald Trump. 

Graphic: MSNBC Screenshot

People coming and going in faith and attendance to church is as old as Christianity. The bemoaning of regional or national loss of faith is always followed by reawakenings that reenergize congregations and sometimes, entire peoples. In the current American political divide we see that played out rather dramatically.

Innumerable D/s/cs are filling the bank accounts of psychologists, ranting and screaming about the evil Donald Trump and allied Americans represent, while Normal Americans, Republican and otherwise, calmly go about life, which is overwhelmingly guided by faith in God.

There is a God-shaped hole in every human soul, a hole that can only be filled with faith, never with the false gods of politics. Christianity doesn’t force belief, it must be freely, honestly given, and once it is a life-long journey begins. Some may fall away only to return, others never return except perhaps on their death bed or when they’re in trouble, trouble only God can heal. As an old aphorism notes, there are no athiests in foxholes.

In a long and adventurous life I’ve learned the depth and joy of faith, and God’s promises. I’ve also learned the wonder of the faith of women. It’s an intuitive, child-like acceptance of reality, of grace and mercy, which they are uniquely created to understand and spread to others. I’ve learned too that listening to my wife, to all the women in my life, is the smartest thing I can do. They know things, understand things, in ways no man can.

Churches throughout America are growing, filled to capacity every Sunday and more. Other churches, concerned more with contemporary politics, decline. What remains constant is the word of God and His promises of peace and eternal life. That, and trying to live as He would have us live, ensures faith will never die.

Graphic: Author

On this Thanksgiving, we say a prayer for God’s bounty, not only on our tables, but in so many other ways. We can surely spare the time for a prayer asking Him to guide those whose souls are empty back to people, regardless of politics, who will always welcome them, and through their acceptance, help them find their way back to God.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor. 

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