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Church attendance 'to fall by 90%
The Guardian (UK) ^ | 21 December 2008 | Jamie Doward

Posted on 12/22/2008 8:43:46 PM PST by Marechal

In one of the most holy weeks in the Christian calendar, a report says that in just over a generation the number of people attending Church of England Sunday services will fall to less than a tenth of what they are now.

Christian Research, the statistical arm of the Bible Society, claimed that by 2050 Sunday attendance will fall below 88,000, compared with just under a million now.

The controversial forecast, based on a "snapshot" census of church attendances, has been seized upon by secular groups as proof that the established church is in decline. But the Church of England has rejected the figures, saying they were incomplete and ignored new ways of worshipping outside the church network.

(snip)

Keith Porteous-Wood of the National Secular Society said: "Church attendance has already been in decline for over 60 years, all over Britain, in all major denominations and across all age groups, except the over-65s. Independent statisticians now have enough data to predict confidently that the decline will continue until Christianity becomes a minority sect of largely elderly people, in little more than a generation."

(snip)

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Current Events; Mainline Protestant; Ministry/Outreach; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: anglican; atheists; christendom; church; churchofengland; deathofthewest; elderly; europeanchristians; greatbritain; obama; uk
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It is a pity that the shining stone set in a silver sea is well on its way to becoming a lump of chalk sinking slowly under wind and wave.

As the falling away accelerates, I sincerely feel it is but a short time until the end.

1 posted on 12/22/2008 8:43:46 PM PST by Marechal
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To: Marechal
In their prayers. I believe it will be just the opposite. I heard a radio announcer ask a futurist expert recently if they could suggest one thing to people what would it be - she said, get right with the Lord.
2 posted on 12/22/2008 8:46:23 PM PST by Jolla
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To: Marechal

who writes these things, Satan?


3 posted on 12/22/2008 8:50:06 PM PST by the invisib1e hand (appeasement is collaboration.)
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To: Marechal

But the mosques are doing great business.


4 posted on 12/22/2008 8:50:47 PM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: Jolla
<< - she said, get right with the Lord. >>

A big AMEN to that!

Want to know the way home? -- http://www.allaboutgod.com

5 posted on 12/22/2008 8:51:06 PM PST by Peace4EarthNow (Come to know Jesus as your Savior, so YOU TOO can be saved!!)
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To: Marechal
...a report says that in just over a generation the number of people attending Church of England Sunday services will fall to less than a tenth of what they are now.

Ping to read later

6 posted on 12/22/2008 8:52:19 PM PST by Alex Murphy ( "Every country has the government it deserves" - Joseph Marie de Maistre)
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To: Marechal

What do you expect when the Church of England’s own Arch-bishop suggest that they embrace Shariah and call God “Allah”?

With that kind of milquetoast relativism, it’s a wonder anyone attends the Church of England. What’s the point? What do they stand for?


7 posted on 12/22/2008 8:57:30 PM PST by St. Louis Conservative
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To: St. Louis Conservative

Depressingly obvious. They stand for everything, and so stand for nothing.


8 posted on 12/22/2008 9:00:50 PM PST by Marechal (In Ulcisci, Fidelitas)
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To: St. Louis Conservative

Wrongo—The future belongs to Jesus Christ. 90% will be joining churches soon. That day is coming when people will have to chose God or Satan. A great re-awaking is coming soon.


9 posted on 12/22/2008 9:15:56 PM PST by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
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To: Marechal

You said — “As the falling away accelerates, I sincerely feel it is but a short time until the end.”

Jesus did ask if He would find faith when He returned...


10 posted on 12/22/2008 9:24:42 PM PST by Star Traveler
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To: St. Louis Conservative

The Archbishop of Canterbury is an embarassment.


11 posted on 12/22/2008 9:27:05 PM PST by Rosemont
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To: Forward the Light Brigade
Yeah, and a certain communist is gonna make sure that the next four years are America's scariest and darkest times ever recorded.


12 posted on 12/22/2008 9:35:05 PM PST by Prole (Please pray for the families of Chris and Channon. May God always watch over them.)
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To: Marechal
Keith Porteous-Wood of the National Secular Society said: "Church attendance has already been in decline for over 60 years, all over Britain, in all major denominations and across all age groups, except the over-65s.

People will go somewhere for their "spiritual needs". When the communists in China and Russia tried to exterminate religion, they got worship of Lenin and Stalin (well their slowly rotting corpses anyhow) in Russia. Communism fell and Christianity came back in massive force. China had Mao and his little red book and when communism weakened slightly in rushed Christianity and Falun Gong as real hope for the future.

The firghtening possibility for UK is that their spiritual needs might be met by Islam in the future.

13 posted on 12/22/2008 9:40:07 PM PST by JimSEA
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To: Marechal
But the Church of England has rejected the figures, saying they were incomplete and ignored new ways of worshipping outside the church network.

Uh, like what?

14 posted on 12/22/2008 11:00:43 PM PST by BlessedBeGod
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To: BlessedBeGod
Uh, like what?

Home churches and fellowships.
15 posted on 12/22/2008 11:10:20 PM PST by aruanan
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To: BlessedBeGod
Uh, like what?

My question, exactly. The survey predicts that "by 2050 Sunday attendance will fall below 88,000." Nice try, CoE, but "new ways of worshipping outside the church network" (whatever they are) are not "Sunday attendance."
16 posted on 12/22/2008 11:13:26 PM PST by irishjuggler
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To: JimSEA

The “spiritual need” of Britons is either medicated through various media outlets, or through some flavor of Universalist Liberalism or Leftism (I.e. Godless christianity).


17 posted on 12/22/2008 11:42:00 PM PST by oscars300
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To: aruanan
Home churches and fellowships.

For members of the COE? That's not up their alley.

18 posted on 12/22/2008 11:45:51 PM PST by BlessedBeGod
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To: Rosemont

I wouldn’t attend a church run by that unspeakable “Archbishop,” either.


19 posted on 12/22/2008 11:46:16 PM PST by Marie2
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To: Marechal

I suppose it sort of depends on whether you believe less church attendence is causing the decline, or a symptom of the decline. Certainly religious belief is not declining - quite on the contrary, in spite of what National Secular Society fondly hopes.

You can almost feel the glee in Mr Porteus-Wood’s voice. What kind of person gets a kick out of witnessing other people’s distress? It’s a strange thing...secularists love to ridicule religous institutions and people, but religious folk are largely unconcerned about secular groups (apart from offering help).


20 posted on 12/23/2008 3:08:45 AM PST by Vanders9
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