It seems people don't really believe in a lot of things anymore

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I’m not talking about atheists not believing in God, for those people have always existed, and in small numbers (and in my opinion will always continue to exist in small numbers).

What im talking about is religious people, most notably Christians, that don’t believe in a lot of Christian teachings anymore.

My prime example of this is Satan, and demons. It seems to me that a lot of Christians just don’t believe in that stuff anymore. They have bought into the secular opinion that those are just superstitions and that they are ridiculous. And I understand where they are coming form. I used to be incredibly skeptical of exorcisms until I actually did research and discovered all the very well documented cases of it. But even then it can be hard to really believe in that stuff, and it seems most people don’t.

Another thing is the Eucharist. Yes if you were to ask a Catholic about the Eucharist they would probalby just regurgitate the Churches basic position that they have been taught since they were kids. But do they REALLY believe in it? I think most people don’t, once again because to the secular world, the idea of eating someones actual flesh and actual blood seems absolutely absurd and idiotic, and people seem to usually agree with that.

Another case that I don’t think is quite as noticeable but still exists, is that a lot of people don’t seem to believe in the power of prayer anymore. For instance, the whole notion of healing prayers that cure people of aliments, most people seem to think those are superstitious and phony.

Ultimately it just seems that Christians of the modern world have started to develop a very secular tinged Faith. They will believe in things that are safe, such as that God exists and that he loves you. They will believe that 2000 years ago, Christ died for us. But people are so reluctant to believe in the power of spirituality. Anything that seems just too out there, people either reject out right or try not to ever think about or especially talk about, probably out of fear of people thinking they are crazy.

What do you guys think?
 
One thing I’ll add is that as people abandon Catholic, or even generic Christian, worldviews they pick up any number of non-sense views; ghosts, occult, astrology, ect. I think it was Chesterton or C.S. Lewis who said that the problem with people disbelieving God is not that they won’t believe in anything… but that they’ll believe everything.
 
I don’t think we should generalize something we can’t really poll or measure. How do you know people don’t believe in alot of things anymore?

Even in those polls about religion in America, they don’t interview everybody in the USA, they only do a small portion and then use a “magic formula” to express it to a larger population & always have a margin of error.
 
I don’t think we should generalize something we can’t really poll or measure. How do you know people don’t believe in alot of things anymore?

Even in those polls about religion in America, they don’t interview everybody in the USA, they only do a small portion and then use a “magic formula” to express it to a larger population & always have a margin of error.
I just read this, a poll stating only 59% of Americans believe in Hell, while 74% beleive in Heaven.

usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-08-01-hell-damnation_N.htm

It’s a poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, who probably get a reasonable sample size, thus giving them fairly statistically accurate numbers.
 
Good article.

Anyway, what I thought most interesting was the marketing aspect of Christianity. What is more likely to bring a person to church, talking about God’s love or the eternal punishment of hell?
Maybe religious leaders aren’t putting enough emphasis on hell and in turn is making people think about it less.

I think it’s dumb to believe there is no hell. I thought it was made pretty clear in the bible? You can’t just pick and choose parts of the bible to believe in-
 
You can’t just pick and choose parts of the bible to believe in-

So you believe everything? What about the other books that were written but didn’t make the final cut of the bible, who had the power to pick and choose, shouldn’t it all be there? Do you believe that adam & eve were the first 2 humans on earth and that they populated the world? If so … that would make us all brothers and sisters and a product of incest - right?

Why is it that the bible is so specific on some things, the end of the world, hell, etc. Yet, something we all can see like the dinosaurs skeletons have NO mention in the bible - yet they did exist.
 
So you believe everything? What about the other books that were written but didn’t make the final cut of the bible, who had the power to pick and choose, shouldn’t it all be there?
- I don’t have a doctorate in Theology, you probably don’t have one either. Who knows why some books were left out, but it was probably for a reason. Why don’t you research it and get back to me.

Do you believe that adam & eve were the first 2 humans on earth and that they populated the world? If so … that would make us all brothers and sisters and a product of incest - right?

Some people take the creation account literally, other figuratively.

Why is it that the bible is so specific on some things, the end of the world, hell, etc. Yet, something we all can see like the dinosaurs skeletons have NO mention in the bible - yet they did exist

The bible doesn’t mention gravity, yet it exists. Weird isn’t it?
 
I’m not talking about atheists not believing in God, for those people have always existed, and in small numbers (and in my opinion will always continue to exist in small numbers).

What im talking about is religious people, most notably Christians, that don’t believe in a lot of Christian teachings anymore.

My prime example of this is Satan, and demons. It seems to me that a lot of Christians just don’t believe in that stuff anymore. They have bought into the secular opinion that those are just superstitions and that they are ridiculous. And I understand where they are coming form. I used to be incredibly skeptical of exorcisms until I actually did research and discovered all the very well documented cases of it. But even then it can be hard to really believe in that stuff, and it seems most people don’t.

Another thing is the Eucharist. Yes if you were to ask a Catholic about the Eucharist they would probalby just regurgitate the Churches basic position that they have been taught since they were kids. But do they REALLY believe in it? I think most people don’t, once again because to the secular world, the idea of eating someones actual flesh and actual blood seems absolutely absurd and idiotic, and people seem to usually agree with that.

Another case that I don’t think is quite as noticeable but still exists, is that a lot of people don’t seem to believe in the power of prayer anymore. For instance, the whole notion of healing prayers that cure people of aliments, most people seem to think those are superstitious and phony.

Ultimately it just seems that Christians of the modern world have started to develop a very secular tinged Faith. They will believe in things that are safe, such as that God exists and that he loves you. They will believe that 2000 years ago, Christ died for us. But people are so reluctant to believe in the power of spirituality. Anything that seems just too out there, people either reject out right or try not to ever think about or especially talk about, probably out of fear of people thinking they are crazy.

What do you guys think?
I agree with you, people believe in what they can see, feel & touch, with the Supernatural You cant do that. Most want instant gratification
no matter what it may be. If You talk with Christians outside of Church, a lot of them will tell you they dont believe this or that, even among Catholics
 
I agree.

I was at a party and all of the ppl but maybe 1 were baptized catholics (about 8 ppl), about 5/8 still call themselves catholic to varying degrees, and of those in addition to the non catholics, 2 or 3 were against many major moral teachings of the church, non thought sunday mass was required, most doubted the eucharist (its just a symbol), most doubted the ability to know truth (they believe it exist just is accessible). It defiantly was surprising, I mean I knew it all separately, but having it voiced all at once kinda showed how little ppl believe
 
I agree with you, people believe in what they can see, feel & touch, with the Supernatural You cant do that. Most want instant gratification
no matter what it may be. If You talk with Christians outside of Church, a lot of them will tell you they dont believe this or that, even among Catholics
Dissent Catholicism- Soon we will rule the world!
 
Chesterton stated that when people cease to believe in God they do not believe in nothing; they believe in anything else. Note the rampant belief in crystals, extra-terrestrials, etc etc.
 
Chesterton stated that when people cease to believe in God they do not believe in nothing; they believe in anything else. Note the rampant belief in crystals, extra-terrestrials, etc etc.
We’ll see who’s laughing when December 21st 2012 rolls around and nobody will let you in their bunker… 😛
 
all this comes from the parents of children. you know the old sane monky see monky do. me as a chatholic grew up from the start going to sunday mass and praying before i go to sleep a our father and hail mary at a very yopung age. But many was not bought up this way and grew up thinking and knowing differently.

A few weeks ago when i was at mass there was people who i never saw at mass before and they where the parents of chrildren about to make there first communion. thoe i was happy that they did come you could tell that alot of them dont go to mass. some turned up late, some left before the priest bowed at the end of mass. It’s fine that they are going to make there first communion but if the parents are not at least going to take them to mass weekly then they are not going to be brought up know much of there faith.

Just like christmas mass you always see the church so full that if you get there late there wont be any seats left but you go there a week after and the church would be lucky if it is half full.
 
so i’m trying to say that because i was taught at a young age at least the basics i then grew up by wanting to know more and by finding out you know history, people like the saints etc my faith just gets stronger and stronger.

with non beleivers they think as they get older that for them they got this far on there own so they dont think they need to believe in God. HOW WRONG THEY ARE
 
Not to good in England, most people are atheists, even though the census has Christian at about 50%, it is really about 5% as people get “christened” (non catholic baptism) like they get married but do it for the ceremony not for the faith side of things.

More people believe in dinosaurs and ufo’s/aliens than any higher being although this silly " mother nature" stuff has belief, its all science this and science that now.

We have people believing in other faiths but most believe Jesus is like santa, something you might believe when a child but grow out of it.

Its a shame.😦
 
Ultimately it just seems that Christians of the modern world have started to develop a very secular tinged Faith. They will believe in things that are safe, such as that God exists and that he loves you. They will believe that 2000 years ago, Christ died for us. But people are so reluctant to believe in the power of spirituality. Anything that seems just too out there, people either reject out right or try not to ever think about or especially talk about, probably out of fear of people thinking they are crazy.

What do you guys think?
I think you nailed it. As Mother Angelica said, people now have no sense of sin.
 
I think you nailed it. As Mother Angelica said, people now have no sense of sin.
I completely agree. I think ppl will either know what they are doing is wrong and think that it doesn’t matter b/c God forgives unconditionally (all u need is faith) or they will think that what they are doing has no effect on others thus it must not be too bad, if bad at all. And of course some ppl don’t think sin exists.
 
Dissent Catholicism- Soon we will rule the world!
I’m reminded of someone quibbling over a taxicab.

If you really want this one you can have it. I’ll take the next one - it will be along any minute.
 
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