Is organized Christian religion in the West in its last throes?

[Martinus]

Maybe it just ebbs and flows, but I cannot help to notice that organized Christian religion in the Western world (especially the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church) is behaving recently as if its world was crashing down around it.

The Catholic Church has been significantly weakened by scandals all over the world, yet it seems to be lashing out more vehemently against modernity, driving away more and more worshippers even in countries thought to be strongholds of Catholicism to date (such as Ireland or Poland, not to mention France or Spain, that pretty much ignore its stances on things like gay marriage and abortion altogether).

The Anglican Church seems to be adopting a different route, and rather than trying to maintain universal orthodoxy, it is attempting to cope by introducing different rules in different countries (e.g. taking different stances on things like female/gay priests and bishops, or gay marriage) but this also does not seem to be working as the division seems to be tearing the Anglican Communion apart.

So what do you think? Is this another set-back after which these churches will adjust to modernity like they did in the past, or are we seeing their last throes in the West (with their centers shifting to the third world).

[Eddie Teach]

 

[Phillip V]

The will soon be another Great Awakening.

[Martinus]

The will soon be another Great Awakening.

[Valmy]

Does anywhere besides Europe count as 'The West'?  Also what brands of Christianity count as 'organized' since we are making that distinction?

[Valmy]

The will soon be another Great Awakening.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Great_Awakening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Great_Awakening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Great_Awakening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Great_Awakening

[Martinus]

Does anywhere besides Europe count as 'The West'?  Also what brands of Christianity count as 'organized' since we are making that distinction?

State church or catholic church in predominantly catholic countries.

[Neil]

It's weird.  He says 'The West', and then uses Poland as an example.

Nice try, Russian.

[Valmy]

State church or catholic church in predominantly catholic countries.

Oh...then I guess so.  A State Church is pretty rare outside of Europe isn't it?  Catholicism is getting slammed by evangelical protestantism in Latin America thanks to the might and power of American culture...which is pretty different from what you are claiming that their anti-leftwing positions are the problem.

[Josquius]

Christianity in general in Europe is certainly on its way out.
State churches however...I can see them hanging on a lot longer. They've the historic, cultural and nationalist elements behind them. They're bigger than believing in sky monsters, many supposed members of the churches aren't believers.

[Martinus]

The will soon be another Great Awakening.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Great_Awakening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Great_Awakening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Great_Awakening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Great_Awakening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humor

[Valmy]

It is mostly an American thing.  How was I supposed to know you are aware of historical eras of Christian movements in the United States?

[Martinus]

It is mostly an American thing.  How was I supposed to know you are not aware of some Christian movements in the United States?

I didn't know the details but I was familiar with the term and even if I wasn't, I could understand it from the context.

[Neil]

The will soon be another Great Awakening.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Great_Awakening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Great_Awakening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Great_Awakening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Great_Awakening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weak

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tired

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overused

[Phillip V]

Christianity in general in Europe is certainly on its way out.

Nah. Faithlessness usually precedes some great war or depression. Then the Holy Spirit will return.