Category Archives: Religion

This article appeared online at TheNewAmerican.com on Sunday, May 26, 2019: 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has virtually guaranteed that he will sign into law a bill passed last week by the state’s legislature, probably later on this week. Called the “Save Chick-fil-A” bill, it is designed to protect individuals and companies exercising their First Amendment rights from being discriminated against by LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer) groups.

The language — which prevents government entities from taking “adverse action” against those individuals or companies — is general in nature but is pointed specifically at the San Antonio city council. In March, in a remarkable display of hypocrisy, that council blocked the city from inking a contract with Chick-fil-A to serve airport visitors because of Chick-fil-A’s alleged past history of discrimination against the LGBTQ community. At the time, San Antonio City Councilman Robert Trevino said, “With this decision, the City Council reaffirmed the work our city has done to become a champion of equality and inclusion. San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior…. Everyone has a place here, and everyone should feel welcome when they walk through our airport.”

In other words,

This article was published by The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor on Monday, April 22, 2019: 

The current narrative – the “secularization thesis” – that America’s churches are in terminal decline is dead wrong according to two college professors who looked into it. Professors Landon Schnabel of Indiana University and Sean Bock of Harvard published their findings at Sociological Science:

Recent research argues that the United States is secularizing, that this religious change is consistent with the secularization thesis, and that American religion is not exceptional.

 

But we show that rather than religion fading into irrelevance as the secularization thesis would suggest, intense religion – strong affiliation, very frequent practice, literalism, and evangelicalism – is persistent and, in fact, only moderate religion is on the decline in the United States. (emphasis added)

 

We also show that in comparable countries, intense religion is on the decline or already at very low levels. Therefore, the intensity of American religion is actually becoming more exceptional over time. We conclude that intense religion in the United States is persistent and exceptional in ways that do not fit the secularization thesis.

Gallup has repeatedly expounded on that thesis. On Thursday, Gallup reported that since 2000 church membership in the U.S. has fallen, modestly at first but accelerating recently. Twenty years ago, 70 percent of Americans said they were members of a church or a synagogue. Today, said Gallup, that has declined by 20 points to just 50 percent. Said Gallup: “The decline in church membership is consistent with larger societal trends in declining church attendance and an increasing proportion of Americans with no religious preference.”

The decline among Millennials (born 1980-2000) was equally drastic. Twenty years ago, 62 percent of Generation Xers belonged to a church while among Millennials today just 42 percent say they belong to a church.

Gallup concluded, based on this poll, that the “United States is far less religious than it used to be,” adding:

This article was published by The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor on Friday, January 18, 2019:  

I love my church. My wife and I have been attending there for nearly 50 years. It is our spiritual home until He comes or takes us Home. We sing in the choir. We deliver plants to the homebound and call on those in assisted living. We tithe. We believe the Gospel – the Good News – that Jesus Christ died for our sins and nailed our account books to His cross.

But lately we’ve noticed a distinct change. Our church is trying to become more “relevant” in order to “reach young people.” The problem is demographic: half of the church’s members are 65 or older. The church’s membership is half what it was when we joined. Giving, in real terms, has declined as well.

What to do? The church changed its logo and its mission statement. The former logo showed His cross emblazoned on a field of blue. Now it’s a silly combination of the church’s name, using its first two letters. It was designed by a local PR firm which was chosen because – ready? – it was secular and “tuned in” to the local culture.

It’s mission statement? It sounds like an ad for our local utility company, which gives life and light to the city.

For years, LifeWay Resources has been tracking the decline in membership and the walking away from the church of teenagers upon graduation for decades. Its current survey, released earlier this week, confirms the national trend. LifeWay, a creation of the Southern Baptist Convention, asked 2,000 young adults between the ages of 23 and 30 (who had a history of regular church attendance while teenagers) 55 questions about their faith. Said LifeWay:

“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Let us today go down to Bethlehem, and in company with wondering shepherds and adoring Magi, let us see him who was born King of the Jews, for we by faith can claim an interest in him, and can sing, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” Jesus is Jehovah incarnate, our Lord and our God, and yet our brother and friend; let us adore and admire. Let us notice at the very first glance his miraculous conception. It was a thing unheard of before, and unparalleled since, that a virgin should conceive and bear a Son.

The first promise ran thus, “The seed of the woman,” not the offspring of the man. Since venturous woman led the way in the sin which brought forth Paradise lost, she, and she alone, ushers in the Regainer of Paradise. Our Saviour, although truly man, was as to his human nature the Holy One of God. Let us reverently bow before the holy Child whose innocence restores to manhood its ancient glory; and let us pray that he may be formed in us, the hope of glory. Fail not to note his humble parentage. His mother has been described simply as “a virgin,” not a princess, or prophetess, nor a matron of large estate. True the blood of kings ran in her veins; nor was her mind a weak and untaught one, for she could sing most sweetly a song of praise; but yet how humble her position, how poor the man to whom she stood affianced, and how miserable the accommodation afforded to the new-born King!

Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendor.