Comments on: Declining Faith?

By: bobm744

bobm744 — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 02:19:57 +0000

Enjoyed article!

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:00:23 +0000

I have always found my church membership to be a very valuable part of my life and being. I was introduced to the idea of church membership by my wife. That membership and the love of the church members expressed to me after my wife’s recent passing was very healing. I can’t imagine not having church membership as part of my life.

By: Warren Stafford

Warren Stafford — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 22:12:44 +0000

I liked — LOVED _ this information and the technical way it was
presented thank YOU W R Stafford

By: Don Ingwerson

Don Ingwerson — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:46:46 +0000

Ron, you make a good point. Thanks for reminding us of the importance of expressing active kindness for each other and the good that each of us can do without reference to numbers.

By: Charles James Martin

Charles James Martin — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 06:17:52 +0000

We cannot understand reality as God knows it by looking at the material picture. The statement that the number of Protestants is declining may hint at the thought that its system is not satisfying people’s spiritual needs due to the church’s rote routines and stating of Bible quotes along with human, personal commentaries and interpretations of them without genuine heartfelt Christian feeling and the effective prayer for growth in grace.The Bible tells us, “And they shall all know me, from the least to the greatest.” I view this as a prophesy. Right now the leaven of Truth does its work, and this human appearance of declining Protestant numbers may be evidence of this. People must put off the old man and put on the new man in order for these searchers to get on the path that will lead them to their goal of understanding God, man and his relation to God,, and Gods’ laws. Mrs. Eddy tells us, “Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortal. In the perfect man the Savior saw God’s own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick.” What these people don’t get yet is that man’s perfection is a Scientific fact that can be proved. The church workers mentioned above are those lights on the hill, whose charitable actions hint at the Christly nature that is inherent in each of us. We hear from Mrs. Eddy that Jesus’ prayers were deep conscientious protests of truth. He was Immanuel, “God with us,” the Spirit of Truth and Love. He showed us that of which man is capable. I agree that no one knows what is going on in the minds of others. I would think that many are searching for deeper spiritual understanding, for which Christian Science provides, and that inevitable, here or hereafter, this search will end for then in their being led to Science, the truth of being. It is the needed way of thinking, as was illustrated and demonstrated in Christ Jesus’ life. Just look at its results, as are reported in the New Testament.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:36:16 +0000

This is such a wonderful article that reaffirms what we already know – that spirituality is continuing to meet human needs everywhere we go. I think it’s tempting sometimes to do headcounts on Sundays and Wednesdays, but we need to hold steady to the idea that many, many people are spiritual and are finding spiritual solutions to their problems – healthwise or otherwise – on a daily basis. A light that shines on the top of a hill cannot be hidden, no matter how what. Thanks for writing this, Ronald!

By: diana

diana — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 23:41:26 +0000

Good to hear about a church helping out! Thanks Ron. I betcha there are a lot of “silent” Christians.

By: Judy

Judy — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:06:28 +0000

It is wonderful to hear of the practical steps your members took to be a “hands-on” help to those in need. Well done good and faithful servants.

By: Marsha

Marsha — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 20:25:17 +0000

At a recent get-together a conversation centered on a mother’s hopeless feeling for her son whom she was afraid was just wasting his time. It seemed she’s done everything she could to guide him but was at a loss for what to do next. I spoke up with the offering that the best thing she could do, and maybe the only thing was to pray that he already had all that he needed and was compete. The four other people in the group all agreed and said the same things to her and religion or faith had not been part of that conversation and we barely knew each other. So, I would agree that there is no way to measure who is receptive to spiritual ideas and we shouldn’t assume that others aren’t. Then we spoke on issues of faith for the rest of the evening. It was apparent that that was really what we all were the most interested in. Who knew?

By: Pamela

Pamela — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:29:39 +0000

Thanks Ron for this information. It is important to understand that just because the “numbers” don’t seem to be there, does not mean that people are not praying about their communities and those things that are important to them.

Thanks too for sharing what your church did for the firefighter’s families, that was certainly Love in action. I love a statement that Mary Baker Eddy (the discoverer of Christian Science) makes in her major work, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. She writes, “Giving does not impoverish us … neither does withholding enrich us.” I am sure your church was enriched by its giving.