Causes of Christian decline

[Confused]

While Christianity is still alive and dominant in the United States, in many other parts of the world, its been on a steady decline. There have been many postulated causes for this. Some of the most popular are:
-increased literacy and education has led to much critical inquiry into various
aspects of scripture capitalizing on the many discrepancies to point to logical
conclusions that it is mere myth, no more credible than the Roman Gods.
-scientific advancements have dispelled the occurrences of much of scripture
-society has reached a point where life isn't measured by the days until the final
reappearance of Christ. Generations are no longer living like Christ will return
tomorrow, as such, religion takes a back seat to todays life.
-the advancement of medicine has effectively explained many diseases and
disorders and offered treatments and cures in the form of natural medicine
rather than the ancient "snake oil" miracles.
-society has changed so dramatically that the average family has not the time to
devote to religion. Or todays society has reached a point where few things
aren't occurring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so adhering to many of the
principles in religious doctrine is simply impossible.
-and my favorite, mankind has gotten so weary of trying to figure out which form
of Christianity (or any religion for that matter) is the proper form that it is less
mentally taxing and time consuming to just not even give it thought.

For debate:
1) Which of the above would you consider being the cause for the declining
religious community? Or is there another cause you might attribute to it?
2) Do you think God would be consider any of the above reasons justified or
would He still hold you accountable even though the society now raising you is
the one that has perpetuated this decline and has passed these same values
onto you. In other words, would He be forgiving of the generation that currently
has to have a 2 income source just to make ends meet and as such, has allowed
religion to take a backseat? And what of the future generations that have these
same principles passed on to them? They know no better.

[Cephus]

It's not theologies interest to provide a test for science. Theologians have tested science and believe science exists. And you are right, I cannot come up with a way to test "spirit." To you, "spirit" is a concept and you can't come up with a test for a concept anyway, and why would anyone want to?

If theologians want to be taken seriously, then of course they have to provide a test for their claims. Otherwise, their claims should rightfully by dumped in the waste bin like all of the other nonsense people have come up with. Isn't that how we judge reality?

[OnceConvinced]

While Christianity is still alive and dominant in the United States, in many other parts of the world, its been on a steady decline.

Lets have some facts guys:

Southern Baptist Convention had 8.7 million members in 1960. Now they have 16.4 million.

Institute of Religion and Democracy, 2005

Lets look at some other countries around the world. Only about a century ago Africa had about 10 percent people who claimed to be Christian. Today about 50 percent claim Christianity as their faith. That's an increase from 10 million in 1900 to more than 350 million today. Uganda has an estimated 20 million Christians and is projected to have 50 million by the middle of this century.

Jenkins, The Next Christendom, 2-3

What about China? Even with limitations it is estimated there are 100 million Christians. At current growth rates it appears that in just a few decades China will become the largest Christian country in the world.

"Jesus in Beijing" by David Aikman

Christianity is growing and strong.

Facts? How many of these really are Christians? Do they practise it or just write it as their religion on a census form? If they're anything like in New Zealand, people will write "Christian" simply because the religion is in their family background and because they think they should fill something in there. It seems to have become common practise to identify yourself with a particular religion, even if you don't believe it or practise it.

[myth-one.com]

But they aren't surrendering to God. In the 12 steps program, the "higher power" can be the goldfish at the local pet store.

Yes, that was mentioned earlier:

The higher authority does not have to be God.

Not that long ago, the Catholic church put pedophiles in the position of priests under the assumption that if they were "married" to God, they would no longer lust. Guess what. It failed. Since I can't know what is truly in these individuals hearts, I can't presume to know the truth. I can only rely on history and the probability. Most of these individuals aren't first time offenders. Why didn't they find God the first time around?

I doubt if the Catholic Church knowingly placed pedophiles as priests. They knowingly and secretly kept priests who were discovered to be pedophiles, transfering them to different geographic areas. Going through a ceremony and being "married" to God only gave them more authority and opportunity over children. In many cases when children complained to other priests or parents, they were scolded. The sure "cure" for pedophilia is a lifetime separation from children. Children are not allowed in prisons.

[Openmind]

No, the evidence supports the conclusion that mainline denominations are losing members while less mainline denominations are gaining members. I don't think there's any problem with the social-Gospel leanings of liberal American Christianity, I simply think that the reason people are leaving these churches is because the social Gospel message is not being preached. Many mainline churches (at least in New England, where I live) seem more concerned with the maintenance of their church buildings than they are with the welfare of their church communities. I think American liberal Christianity has, by and large, fallen asleep at the wheel and is coasting in neutral. Few and far between were the outcries from the mainline churches against the war in Iraq, for example, though the Presbyterians, the Methodists, the Evangelical Lutherans, the Episcopalians, the American Baptists all should have had their congregations out in the streets protesting such a flagrant denigration of everything Christianity has stood for for nigh on two millennia.

American-style conservative Christianity is little better - they've been asleep at the wheel for their entire existence, but at least their vehicle's in gear, even if that gear is reverse. And at least having some kind of misplaced commitment seems to be working for people, or will at least until they realise that what conservative churches want isn't what they want. How many people are actually harmed, physically or economically or emotionally, by homosexuals? By comparison, how many people are harmed, physically and economically and emotionally, by lack of adequate health care?

Even so, such political concerns should be secondary. What churches should be doing is dialectically synthesising a community life such that it helps individual people - as individual people - realise their own defining, individuating relationships to Christ.

If all Christians were like you, MagnusYanam, I would accept religion as positive for society. Have some tokens for a very intelligent post.