Why do only Christians abandon the faith?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Renarax
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Renarax

Guest
So I been to india, to london (no longer christian) other countries in Europe, east asia, etc and one thing I noticed was that only in Christian dominated countries do people become atheists. NOWHERE else have I seen any non believers. And I’ve lived in India for quite a few years. It doesn’t depend on caste, wealth, social standing whatever
Everyone from the poorest guy to the richest actors or politicians worship the hindu gods

What are Christians doing wrong? It can’t be the mythology (hindu mythology is more ridiculous- sorry to say)
is it the history of Christian persecution? That shouldn’t matter. That’s like saying all communists are murderers

What is the main thing we have to change?
 
Interesting questions, but complex perhaps, at the same time. Part of it might be that Christian dominated countries tend to be fairly affluent and technologically advanced. When people are fat and happy, they often begin to think, "Hey mankind is pretty powerful, we have it all under control, who needs God anyways? " That might be part of it. Just my 2 cent musing before I run off to catch some zzzzz’s.
 
It is certainly not correct that “only Christians abandon the faith.” It is true that Western culture has become incredibly secularized.
 
What are Christians doing wrong? It can’t be the mythology (hindu mythology is more ridiculous- sorry to say)
is it the history of Christian persecution? That shouldn’t matter. That’s like saying all communists are murderers

What is the main thing we have to change?
We aren’t doing anything wrong and don’t need to change.

Satan attacks us, he doesn’t need to attack other religions so they have freedom from him.
 
I have only lived in Western society, but I know lots of lapsed people from all faith traditions.

I would think that in societies where religious expression is more acceptable in the public sphere (or mandated, in some places), you probably have people who go along with things because it’s culturally expected, not because of any real religious fervor. Some people can go on religious “auto-pilot” in situations where everyone pretty much practices their faith in the same way. It doesn’t mean that everyone is devout.

Also, in places where religious persecution is common, people may become especially devout because they are forced to think about what they believe and why they believe it. As JamalChristophr said, Westerners (in comparison to a lot of the world) are fat and happy. We are afforded the luxury of a great deal of security, and tend to make the error that it’s under our own power that we have those luxuries, so who needs God?
 
I haven’t lived anywhere else, but I have travelled some and I hava friends from very different backgrounds.

With other religions (Muslim, Jews or Hindu) I got the impression that Christians had much more freedom and choice, there was a lot more pressure on them to live a certain way.
My Muslim friends certainly did not feel like they had freedom of will not to believe.
My Hindu friend was very secular in Europe, but was a practising Hindu when she moved back to India. Everyone did it, she couldn’t not be a Hindu there.
A Jewish family I knew here lived like the rest of us, observing only some dietary restrictions in some situations, mostly when other Jews were around. When they moved back to Israel, their habits changed radically.

For example, Turkey is a reasonably secular country, considering the Muslim population, but the people I knew there said that a man and woman living together unmarried would still be frowned upon.
In European countries with a larger Muslim population the papers are full of stories of Muslim parents forcing their children to live according to the religion, even killing them if the disobey.
 
Nelka is probably closest to the truth of the matter - if Christianity were a religion invented by the world, then it would be like all the others, and not offensive to human sensibilities. But since it is delivered to us in the world (by God in Jesus) and makes us into a People who are not OF the world, Satan wishes to destroy our understanding that we are not of the world. Atheism is not different than other religions, in that it is attributing God’s activity and being to something other than the One God (whether that be to “no God, thus to Man” or to “an imagined god”)
 
I don’t think that only Christians abandon the faith, but others may not be so free to abandon it openly. many people of other faith just do what is expected, without any devotion involved. My neighbours are Hindus and the practice of the faith for them is purely social and about their cultural identity. She told me that myself. But they were married in a Hindu ceremony as is expected, and celebrate some holidays like nominal Christians put up the Christmas tree and think that is Christmas.

I have met Muslims who pretty much despised their religion and lived completely secular lives when abroad, and then returned home and went back to participate in the activities (for the lack of a better word) of their faith because that is expected and it’s what everyone does.

Christians openly reject the faith because they can. Others can’t. I think that is the only difference in many cases.
 
I think I understand. Thanks for the interesting answers.
( Ps - sorry for saying that thing about hindu beliefs. Like atheists i get uncomfortable when I think of my previous religion. )

But I think it’s commendable ( sort of ) that other people have integrated their culture with their religions. Wasn’t western European society also somewhat infused with religion until like 200 years ago? If so, we are denying ourselves a rich heritage which formed over 2000 years and have gone replacing it with something that is uninspired ( secularization )
Just a thought.
Any ideas to bring Christianity back to culture?
 
Any ideas to bring Christianity back to culture?
I think I (We) need to get more serious about practicing my own faith, especially in actions, and sometimes words. That means being especially more public about being a Christian. Like prayer, fasting, and alms giving, general every day charity, in particular.

Jesus said two things that come to mind:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
-Matthew 5:16 (RSVCE)

And:

"Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.
-Mathew 6:1 (NLT)
 
There are plenty of Asians who have given up Hindu and Buddhism and become Westernized for atheism or Christianity. In fact, I know many of these, but I know virtually none that are practicing these religions of their ancestors.
 
I don’t think that only Christians abandon the faith, but others may not be so free to abandon it openly. many people of other faith just do what is expected, without any devotion involved. My neighbours are Hindus and the practice of the faith for them is purely social and about their cultural identity. She told me that myself. But they were married in a Hindu ceremony as is expected, and celebrate some holidays like nominval Christians put up the Christmas tree and think that is Christmas.

I have met Muslims who pretty much despised their religion and lived completely secular lives when abroad, and then returned home and went back to participate in the activities (for the lack of a better word) of their faith because that is expected and it’s what everyone does.

Christians openly reject the faith because they can. Others can’t. I think that is the only difference in many cases.
I also know Muslims who also despise Islam. The just don’t do it openly.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top