According to a report on axios.com, the U.S. could see an unprecedented 15,000 churches shut their doors this year, far more than the few thousand expected to open, according to denominational reports and church consultants.
Why it matters: The unprecedented contraction, expected to continue over the next decade, risks leaving gaps in communities nationwide — particularly rural ones, where churches often are crucial providers of food aid, child care and disaster relief.
The decline of traditional brick-and-mortar churches comes as a record number of Americans (29%) are identifying as religiously unaffiliated, and as 62% identify as Christians — down from 78% in 2007, according to the Pew Research Center.
At the same time, mostly non-denominational megachurches — and evangelical Christianity in general — are an increasing influence on American life, driven by charismatic leaders, sympathetic politicians and social media.
These colliding trends have shaken the nation's longtime religious footing: There are fewer and fewer communities built around local churches, but rising pressure from conservative citizens and government officials to inject more religion into public schools, settings and institutions. Mainline Protestant denominations such as Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran represent nearly all the church closings.
...
Ragweed and other pollens making your cazy? Change your filters...
...
Don't worry. They will be replaced with 15,000 mosques; all taxpayer provided.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think the left is anti Israel? The left need votes and will do anything to get them, even if it means mass beheadings in a few years. Of lefties of course because mislums KNOW who they can't trust.
They should close! It's the 21st century. Archaic fairy tales and morality plays have no place in modern society.
ReplyDeleteKeep your religion to yourself, separation of church and state. These fsckers would love to implement the Christian version of Sharia law if they could.
ReplyDeleteIn our neck or the woods smaller churches are being shuttered at the same time mega churches are being built. A Mormon temple is about to be built. Our daughter's church has had to add two more services every Sunday. Our church added one more Sunday service and one more during the weekdays, plus time for sacraments. Kinda wonder if church facilities are declining but church membership is not declining?
ReplyDeletewe used to be catholic, but they keep picking pedo loosers as pope, pissinthepales have a god damn ukraine flag up (fuck that) and they all want to blow the jews (who killed my man JC), there is a reason they are closing but its about the opposite of what is always implied, and yes fully serious with all this
ReplyDelete