Regarding an article discussing the decrease in the number of Chrisitians in the USA and the increase in the number of Atheists...
(It cannot be lifted, mended, or repaired with hostility nor hubris...)
Reply:
As a Christian, I am glad to see the religion decline. Why? Because too many Christians don't read and think about the Bible, and consume themselves with judging others. This is the result.... just like a bad parent, who brow-beats a kid for every halfway ill-step and won't let their kids watch even remotely tasteless TV, alienation is the end result. So, not only will these people see the country turn against them before they die, but most of them will probably have kids that move across the country and never speak to them again.
It's tragic, really, but, thus is the wage of judging.
Some tips for the modern Christian:
1) Teach by example.
2) Try to lean towards saying "I don't do that because..." as opposed to "never do that."
3) Respect the beliefs of others, even when they differ from your own.
4) This is a logical age, do not make statements that you cannot logically support, (Abortion is wrong!!! won't get you anywhere... you need a solid, prepared argument, and the ability to discuss it rationally to make an impact... and, sadly, that one's not even in the Bible unless you wrangle "murder" into it.)
5) Give up the focus on homosexual lifestyles. Your anger and distaste for them is not going to change them. They are people, and it's really sad that you have to be reminded... but their "sin" of homosexuality is no worse than your sin of thinking actor X or actress Y is sexy. All things of the flesh, people.
6) Stop trying to fight Science. Science, whether you like it or not, has the capability to greatly reduce human suffering. The teachings of it that conflict with the bible must be tolerated, if not incorporated into your beliefs. Scientific understanding is humanity discovering the tools of God. Stop with the "playing God"... if God didn't want man to learn from stem cells, he would have made them so mysterious that we couldn't learn from them, or he would have at least told us in the Bible.
7) Watch some racy TV or Movies, even rated R. Relax. Quit thinking that things are going down hill. In the time of Jesus, public executions, gladiators, disease, and poverty were completely commonplace by comparison to the modern world... quit pretending like the world's on fire in order to promote your religion.
People don't buy it when they hear you saying that and then immediately two blocks over they hear the ice cream truck. If they heard the rumble of chariots and the murder of children a couple streets over on a regular basis as in Roman and Greek times, maybe you'd have a point. My point is... things aren't that bad... get with the times... and ease up... your kids will love you and people will listen.
Just some thoughts.