And before I go on, two comments: I'll look at the link, but I can almost guarantee that they will assume flat or nearly flat growth for Christianity in the evangelical community based on the deadness of Christianity in the West. But I will show some staggering growth in Southern Hemisphere where of course there is no reason to assume it will stop (unless you're a liberal researcher)....
Materialists
- Thread starter ShoeshineBoy
- Start date
A little known fact is that many of the missionaries that went to Africa at the beginning of this time period went with their caskets: they knew the great odds that they were going to die an early death from disease, murder, etc.
By the way, here's an interesting link to an atheist who hates charismatic Christianity but grudgingly acknowledges it's explosive growth:
http://atheisme.ca/articles/lf/charismax_en.html
Here's a comment he makes:
"Conservatively there are now 400 million Christian charismatics worldwide. And where in 1906 less that 1 % of the world Christian communion was charismatic, today at least 25 % is."
Again, notice that in the last century, the charismatics have grown from almost nothing to 400 million! (And, in reality, almost all of the Christians in the 3rd world are actually charismatic by the American definition anyway!)
And notice that he said conservatively 400 million.
http://atheisme.ca/articles/lf/charismax_en.html
Here's a comment he makes:
"Conservatively there are now 400 million Christian charismatics worldwide. And where in 1906 less that 1 % of the world Christian communion was charismatic, today at least 25 % is."
Again, notice that in the last century, the charismatics have grown from almost nothing to 400 million! (And, in reality, almost all of the Christians in the 3rd world are actually charismatic by the American definition anyway!)
And notice that he said conservatively 400 million.
He then projects that the charismatics could easily exceed the Catholic church by the year 2030!
"We are now facing the fact that the Pentecostals within a period of time also may outnumber the Catholic church, which today is the world's largest Christian denomination, with 1 billion members. Barrett's 1997 prognosis says that this number will increase to 1.3 billion in 2025, while the Pentecostals in the same timespan will more than double their number from 500 million to 1.1 billion -- an increase that with a similar speed will make the Catholic church the world's number two church before the year 2030. "
"We are now facing the fact that the Pentecostals within a period of time also may outnumber the Catholic church, which today is the world's largest Christian denomination, with 1 billion members. Barrett's 1997 prognosis says that this number will increase to 1.3 billion in 2025, while the Pentecostals in the same timespan will more than double their number from 500 million to 1.1 billion -- an increase that with a similar speed will make the Catholic church the world's number two church before the year 2030. "
Shoe,
There are TWO assertions to your claim
1) That there is explosive christian growth, and
2) That its due to evangelicals
Turok stomped the first myth, are you ready to concede
on that now, or do you wish to provide a rebuttal?
Further...You have not addressed the 2nd issue either.
Matching core beliefs. Obviously false to any outsider
but willing to hear your argument
peace
axeman
There are TWO assertions to your claim
1) That there is explosive christian growth, and
2) That its due to evangelicals
Turok stomped the first myth, are you ready to concede
on that now, or do you wish to provide a rebuttal?
Further...You have not addressed the 2nd issue either.
Matching core beliefs. Obviously false to any outsider
but willing to hear your argument
peace
axeman
All I can say is that your numbers are simply leaving out the explosive growth of charismatic and evangelical Christianity. I'm afraid it is your researcher that is living in the dream world...
Yeah, right! Keep dreaming guys...I'm not done yet anyway...
Did you hear what that atheist said? At least 400 million charismatic believers in the last 100 years.
Before you go mocking these numbers, let me ask how many guys typically show up to an infidels meeting? 10, 20 , 40?
C'mon, whether or not you agree with it, I feel that you should recognize this worldwide phenomenon just like this other athiest...
Before you go mocking these numbers, let me ask how many guys typically show up to an infidels meeting? 10, 20 , 40?
C'mon, whether or not you agree with it, I feel that you should recognize this worldwide phenomenon just like this other athiest...
Shoe,
You need to address the argument instead of making all
these unrelated side points.
Turok posted STATISTICS from several religious sources documenting
the decline/flatness of christianity ON A GLOBAL SCALE.
Your stats on a SUBSET of the world do NOT refute the more
global stats.
You are dismissing THE BIG PICTURE, by focusing on smaller
areas, a blatant error.
If you cannot show WHY Turoks references are in ERROR,
then you have no position. Or you must come up with another
valid source of statistics that show Christianity is NOT declining
***globally***, and is in fact EXPLODING on a global scale.
As of right now, you have not refuted Turoks argument.
peace
axeman
You need to address the argument instead of making all
these unrelated side points.
Turok posted STATISTICS from several religious sources documenting
the decline/flatness of christianity ON A GLOBAL SCALE.
Your stats on a SUBSET of the world do NOT refute the more
global stats.
You are dismissing THE BIG PICTURE, by focusing on smaller
areas, a blatant error.
If you cannot show WHY Turoks references are in ERROR,
then you have no position. Or you must come up with another
valid source of statistics that show Christianity is NOT declining
***globally***, and is in fact EXPLODING on a global scale.
As of right now, you have not refuted Turoks argument.
peace
axeman