The number of people in the United States who go to church on a regular basis was much higher in years past ...but more recently polled around 40%.
Other studies have polled it at less than half that amount ...due to what is called the 'halo effect'.
Americans tend to over-report socially desirable behavior like voting and attending church and under-report socially undesirable behavior like drinking. ---this tendency referred to as the 'halo effect'.
Also, aside from not reporting accurately because of a feeling of not wanting to admit it ...even among those who accurately report they go to church, it may be somewhat of a 'halo effect' why they do go.
And there is always the sense of doing what most everyone else is doing. Utah is the state in our country where there is the most church attendance reported.
Tennessee and south, not including Florida ...but as far as Texas, reports the next highest church attendance.
The lowest percentage of attendance is the northeast part of our country, including the District of Columbia ...and also the northwest part of our nation.
This is not to show that one part of our nation has better people than another ...it merely shows the effect of grouping, whether there are political reasons, social reasons, or economic influences.
And there are also different types of churches that more effectively grow in certain areas. A megachurch is usually defined as having two thousand or more for weekend attendance. Protestant churches have well over a thousand listed megachurches, while more than twice as many Catholic churches report to have attendance at that level, though they don't consider themselves as megachurches.
Curiously enough, it is said that many of these church denominations have decreasing numbers overall nationally, though nondenominational churches seem to be growing. Of course, a study is only perceived to be perhaps as reliable as what a particular group would want to believe, and to the extent any poll or study could accurately not be swayed by that unintentional bias.
One may ask, why say anything at all about it ...if I am then going to just downplay what is being said. Well, you'd have a good point there. I guess, I thought I'd just restate what you've probably already heard, before I attempt to add something different. It seems safer to begin on familiar ground ...before I'm accused of kicking familiar dirt in anyone's face.
Thursday, January 7, 2016
A friend of mine shared with me that he had heard a real good message.
I asked him what it was about.
He said it was about sin.
I waited a couple breaths, not wanting to ask the simple questions, but hoping he would give me more substance ...so I wouldn't have to ask, "What about sin?"
I looked at him with an expression of interest ...and perhaps he was surprised that I was possibly in the 1/4, of who'd even be interested in anything said about sin.
He said that the message was really good, and said that all sin can be reduced to one sin ...which encompasses all other sin.
I asked him what that one sin was.
He replied, "I can't remember."
Now, I can't believe that all sin is the result of forgetfulness. As we get older, we tend to forget things more, but that doesn't mean we necessarily sin more.
Okay, a bit more of my dry humor there ...but, not so fast. There may be something there.
A person who is recognized to be showing signs of dementia, then it appears that alzheimer's is inevitable ...it is a very difficult and sad condition as one may not even recognize a spouse, but it is not sin.
The very difficult separation of emotional feelings and loss of recognition is a heavy burden ...but it is not sin. Sin is a different kind of separation ...a conscious separation from God. This separation called sin is not brought on by old age or a disease ...which both exercise different degrees of forgetfulness upon our minds.
And we don't picture an old man trying to focus. The type of forgetfulness which might center around all sorts of sin ...is more the result of our own lax attitude, our lack of focus among the many distractions of life, and our forgetting how we've been saved by the grace of God.
Prioritizing the events of life, measures our gratitude for the grace we've already received. And though we should not judge events as yardsticks to our lives ...there are things we may feel are clear to us that we put above God.
Lucifer had much to be thankful for ...as all the angels did, yet he looked to put himself above God.
A person who is recognized to be showing signs of dementia, then it appears that alzheimer's is inevitable ...it is a very difficult and sad condition as one may not even recognize a spouse, but it is not sin.
The very difficult separation of emotional feelings and loss of recognition is a heavy burden ...but it is not sin. Sin is a different kind of separation ...a conscious separation from God. This separation called sin is not brought on by old age or a disease ...which both exercise different degrees of forgetfulness upon our minds.
And we don't picture an old man trying to focus. The type of forgetfulness which might center around all sorts of sin ...is more the result of our own lax attitude, our lack of focus among the many distractions of life, and our forgetting how we've been saved by the grace of God.
Prioritizing the events of life, measures our gratitude for the grace we've already received. And though we should not judge events as yardsticks to our lives ...there are things we may feel are clear to us that we put above God.
Lucifer had much to be thankful for ...as all the angels did, yet he looked to put himself above God.
How does this apply to us ...and when should you expect me to kick the dirt in your face?
Never.
That was never my intention.
We all sin, and we all need to be able to move on afterwards, without the feeling that we are hampering each other's ways.
Yet, each of our ways ...often take different paths. And though variety is often praised as being the spice of life, there is no variety to the path of eternal life.
Let's make one thing perfectly clear now!!! ...no one's sin is a vehicle to the path. We all sin, and sin is not the determination of our eternal future. The perfect part comes in with Jesus ...and He is the only path, the only safe One, that is.
Yes, sin is separation from God ...the more we sin, seems unlikely that we can find ourselves moving closer to God. And God does not want us to live in sin, separate from Him. It's difficult to think we could ever separate ourselves totally from our sinful ways ...so sin has to be made to separate from us.
We've heard the saying, "You can take the man out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the man."
Likewise, you can't take the sin out of the man ...even if we remove ourselves from where sin is rampant (though we should readily try to improve our Lot in life by attempting, when we can, to Go-More-A way that separates us from influences ...or should we say, Saw-Dumb choices and did it anyway.
Well, you can't take the sin out of the man ...as to say, wouldn't that be the equivalent of taking away his freedom of choice. And with no choice, there could be no personal judgment. With no judgment or personal choice, there would be no thought process. And with no thought process, it would be as if all humans were on the level of plant life.
Let's consider that for a moment. I would say plant life is the most abundant, as it seems most all other life depends on it. And plant life has its moments, where some flourish, and some don't. In most people's minds --and I don't think any of you are ready to forfeit your minds --the plant life tends to follow a popular model, called survival of the fittest. Unless a human tends to disagree, and decides to tend to his garden.
Now, we may be getting into the cultivation of minds ...but that has less importance in an evolutionary world view, where survival has only a temporal value ...and where values can't really claim much longevity, nor esteem themselves to hold much present worth.
So, I'm guessing that there are few people arguing the case for plants ...and anyone who would, would probably be called a blooming _ _ _ _ _ .
Let's get to the root of it. In our human world, it cannot be denied that there are some rather bad things. Most sane people, with a compassionate side to them, can see that the human world does not benefit everyone the same. And many people attempt to endure, while living in quite bad circumstances. We may say it is just the natural way of things, but there are forces --people, and governments --which are major factors, and mostly responsible for much of that bad living.
When we don't want to live a certain way, we either want the bad of it to be removed, or for us to be separated from it. We can tolerate some bad for a time, but unchecked, that bad will grow into a much worse condition ...one which nobody should be expected to endure.
Bad life choices are made by people ...and people can check themselves, keep themselves in check, and help keep others reminded of it. Or if people are not equipped with the faculties, awareness, or understanding ...perhaps they can be taught.
Yet, we are taught seemingly opposite things much too often. Opposite approaches often appear unbending, and more often work directly against one another. Some things work for good, and some things do not. Often we can't even agree with what good is. And often this is where bad gets a foot in the door ...then thrives, while others are forced not to.
There seems to be a great separation of ideals, and of the things we strive for in life...but shouldn't we get the kind of life we want?? That seems to be the prevalent idea driving our expectations ...yet, how often do we consider the extent our expectations and aspirations have upon others and the amount our influence impacts them as a result of our self-directed desires. And even if our thoughts involve much concern for others ...how much good do we really do for situations we have limited insight into??
Any hope that is worth a fanciful commitment to our imagination may only benefit our dream world ...and perhaps unknowingly cause a nightmare for someone else. Good intentions are a start, but we must also realize that we don't have all the correct information ...and likewise, not all the answers. It would be nice to think we could trust someone to excel in these areas which we are limited in.
That brings us to a matter of who we have faith in ...and though that commitment of faith can have unlimited potential, two groups often stand out. One group includes those who receive a rude awakening of who they are, and the other group continues to sleep in pleasant denial ...often with much loud snoring. The fact is, during most all occasions, we all want to have choice ...whether we admit it or not, There are times we don't want to choose ....but that is wanting to choose out of a position where we are perhaps expected to choose.
Whether in our dreams, or when we attempt to make our dreams a reality ...we choose our chosen direction in life, and who we trust to direct it. We may think we did not choose the direction our life has taken, and I absolutely agree that truth is way too often realized ...and we may even argue we didn't choose the attitude that brings us such discontent. Yet, perhaps you're missing what I'm saying (which I'm told is very easy to do). We often don't choose the events in our lives, but we do choose whether we prefer those events. If I offend or hurt someone ...it does not mean I enjoyed it.
Those who enjoy, or defend the hurt ...and promote things that God has clearly shown us are wrong, are choosing against what God has advised, encouraged, or commanded. There is not peace in compromising, or lessening the importance of things God has deemed important enough for us to know. And it is not a comfortable position to be in ...to attempt to choose between pleasing God, or catering to the expectations of others.
There have been many horrific disasters resulting from our attempts to believe in the old saying, "Why can't we all just get along?"
For this to happen, there has to be some law and order ...and often the consequences necessary to redirect those who wish not to listen nor comply, well, they are not so extreme as they are extremely unpopular.
If a car doesn't work, we try to fix it ...and we should try to fix societies problems too. But, if a vital car part simply will not work ...it would prevent the entire car from functioning. We must realize that certain problems in society just don't fix themselves. And this is certainly not a promotion for eugenics ...because with people, if you can't fix them, you care for them as compassionately as you can, the way they are. And you value all life.
Yet, we must be able to separate the concept of society as a whole and the individuals who make it up. Individuals are important, yet so is the whole. Many people use this language in the wrong way to justify things that are wrong ...and they can't fairly separate the two concepts, nor can they give a correct estimate on how to achieve peace.
The bottom line is ...for there to be peace, there has to be separation. And it is not a cold-hearted person as myself saying we have to divide because of my intolerance. The separation takes place when people separate themselves ...from God.
And any hope of any real future peace, outside of our minds, as in peace for the peaceful ...well, that will not be until Heaven. And since freedom of choice will not be denied, the separation has to take place, or Heaven wouldn't be any different than earth.
And speaking of earth ...of course, that means there's dirt. But, that doesn't mean we're back to kicking the dirt in someone's face. Some people think missionaries should not intrude into other cultures, but should leave them alone ...as they have no right to force their ideas on other people. I suppose those accusers would also say missionaries are forcing food and medical treatment upon those cultures.
I am thankful for all those who were kind enough to teach me when I was young, otherwise I would not have had a choice ...only my own biases, inaccurate judgments, and my ignorance. A shared perspective brings a choice with it. And though we can't predict, nor fully choose our day's events ...we can be given hope. And I prefer to choose hope ...over despondency. Without choice ...we may not even have need of faces, because it would be unnecessary to see what we wouldn't be able to choose.
I hope you do see.
And I hope you choose Jesus.
Well, you can't take the sin out of the man ...as to say, wouldn't that be the equivalent of taking away his freedom of choice. And with no choice, there could be no personal judgment. With no judgment or personal choice, there would be no thought process. And with no thought process, it would be as if all humans were on the level of plant life.
Let's consider that for a moment. I would say plant life is the most abundant, as it seems most all other life depends on it. And plant life has its moments, where some flourish, and some don't. In most people's minds --and I don't think any of you are ready to forfeit your minds --the plant life tends to follow a popular model, called survival of the fittest. Unless a human tends to disagree, and decides to tend to his garden.
Now, we may be getting into the cultivation of minds ...but that has less importance in an evolutionary world view, where survival has only a temporal value ...and where values can't really claim much longevity, nor esteem themselves to hold much present worth.
So, I'm guessing that there are few people arguing the case for plants ...and anyone who would, would probably be called a blooming _ _ _ _ _ .
Let's get to the root of it. In our human world, it cannot be denied that there are some rather bad things. Most sane people, with a compassionate side to them, can see that the human world does not benefit everyone the same. And many people attempt to endure, while living in quite bad circumstances. We may say it is just the natural way of things, but there are forces --people, and governments --which are major factors, and mostly responsible for much of that bad living.
When we don't want to live a certain way, we either want the bad of it to be removed, or for us to be separated from it. We can tolerate some bad for a time, but unchecked, that bad will grow into a much worse condition ...one which nobody should be expected to endure.
Bad life choices are made by people ...and people can check themselves, keep themselves in check, and help keep others reminded of it. Or if people are not equipped with the faculties, awareness, or understanding ...perhaps they can be taught.
Yet, we are taught seemingly opposite things much too often. Opposite approaches often appear unbending, and more often work directly against one another. Some things work for good, and some things do not. Often we can't even agree with what good is. And often this is where bad gets a foot in the door ...then thrives, while others are forced not to.
There seems to be a great separation of ideals, and of the things we strive for in life...but shouldn't we get the kind of life we want?? That seems to be the prevalent idea driving our expectations ...yet, how often do we consider the extent our expectations and aspirations have upon others and the amount our influence impacts them as a result of our self-directed desires. And even if our thoughts involve much concern for others ...how much good do we really do for situations we have limited insight into??
Any hope that is worth a fanciful commitment to our imagination may only benefit our dream world ...and perhaps unknowingly cause a nightmare for someone else. Good intentions are a start, but we must also realize that we don't have all the correct information ...and likewise, not all the answers. It would be nice to think we could trust someone to excel in these areas which we are limited in.
That brings us to a matter of who we have faith in ...and though that commitment of faith can have unlimited potential, two groups often stand out. One group includes those who receive a rude awakening of who they are, and the other group continues to sleep in pleasant denial ...often with much loud snoring. The fact is, during most all occasions, we all want to have choice ...whether we admit it or not, There are times we don't want to choose ....but that is wanting to choose out of a position where we are perhaps expected to choose.
Whether in our dreams, or when we attempt to make our dreams a reality ...we choose our chosen direction in life, and who we trust to direct it. We may think we did not choose the direction our life has taken, and I absolutely agree that truth is way too often realized ...and we may even argue we didn't choose the attitude that brings us such discontent. Yet, perhaps you're missing what I'm saying (which I'm told is very easy to do). We often don't choose the events in our lives, but we do choose whether we prefer those events. If I offend or hurt someone ...it does not mean I enjoyed it.
Those who enjoy, or defend the hurt ...and promote things that God has clearly shown us are wrong, are choosing against what God has advised, encouraged, or commanded. There is not peace in compromising, or lessening the importance of things God has deemed important enough for us to know. And it is not a comfortable position to be in ...to attempt to choose between pleasing God, or catering to the expectations of others.
There have been many horrific disasters resulting from our attempts to believe in the old saying, "Why can't we all just get along?"
For this to happen, there has to be some law and order ...and often the consequences necessary to redirect those who wish not to listen nor comply, well, they are not so extreme as they are extremely unpopular.
If a car doesn't work, we try to fix it ...and we should try to fix societies problems too. But, if a vital car part simply will not work ...it would prevent the entire car from functioning. We must realize that certain problems in society just don't fix themselves. And this is certainly not a promotion for eugenics ...because with people, if you can't fix them, you care for them as compassionately as you can, the way they are. And you value all life.
Yet, we must be able to separate the concept of society as a whole and the individuals who make it up. Individuals are important, yet so is the whole. Many people use this language in the wrong way to justify things that are wrong ...and they can't fairly separate the two concepts, nor can they give a correct estimate on how to achieve peace.
The bottom line is ...for there to be peace, there has to be separation. And it is not a cold-hearted person as myself saying we have to divide because of my intolerance. The separation takes place when people separate themselves ...from God.
And any hope of any real future peace, outside of our minds, as in peace for the peaceful ...well, that will not be until Heaven. And since freedom of choice will not be denied, the separation has to take place, or Heaven wouldn't be any different than earth.
And speaking of earth ...of course, that means there's dirt. But, that doesn't mean we're back to kicking the dirt in someone's face. Some people think missionaries should not intrude into other cultures, but should leave them alone ...as they have no right to force their ideas on other people. I suppose those accusers would also say missionaries are forcing food and medical treatment upon those cultures.
I am thankful for all those who were kind enough to teach me when I was young, otherwise I would not have had a choice ...only my own biases, inaccurate judgments, and my ignorance. A shared perspective brings a choice with it. And though we can't predict, nor fully choose our day's events ...we can be given hope. And I prefer to choose hope ...over despondency. Without choice ...we may not even have need of faces, because it would be unnecessary to see what we wouldn't be able to choose.
I hope you do see.
And I hope you choose Jesus.
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