gsx1138

I don't remember where but I read that people who actually consider themselves to be christian has been on a steady decline for a few decades. I had also read that people in Europe go to church less than those here in the U.S. (guess they've had enough). Is any of this true or is it just wishful thinking?

beoba

You might be interested in this: <a href="http://www.adherents.com/" target="_blank">http://www.adherents.com/</a>

ohwilleke

People who consider themselves Christian has declined greatly in the U.K. in the past generation. The number of people who do not consider themselves Christian in the U.S. has grown noticably in the past decade (by about 78%) or so after a long period in which the numbers did not show a consistent trend; this trend is counterbalanced by a great deal of growth in conservative Christian denominations -- basically mainline Christianity is seeing defection to both conservative Christianity and secularism resulting in a net increase in non-religious people and a big conservative swing among those who remain Christians.

Christianity is growing rapidly in subsaharan Africa and parts of Asia. In Europe, evangelical Protestantism is activating lots of Christians who were inactive Catholics before. Most countries in Europe have seen significant declines in church attendance and church attendance is much lower in Europe generally, than it is in the United States (with the principal exception of Ireland). Church attendance has declined more in Protestant Europe than in Catholic Europe.

Australia and New Zealand seem to be following the secular trend seen in Europe.

Christianity is growing in Eastern Europe, since atheism is no longer the official state religion with the fall of communism.

No good statistics are available on religious affiliations in Antarctica.

Sheep in the big city

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ohwilleke:
<strong>
Christianity is growing rapidly in subsaharan Africa and parts of Asia.
</strong>

Is that due to proselytizing or just simple population growth?

<strong>
Christianity is growing in Eastern Europe, since atheism is no longer the official state religion with the fall of communism.
</strong>
I can only speak for east germany, but we did not have atheism as official state policy.
Religion was just a complete non-topic. The few christians we had were not given any trouble. At my school the even got time off for church activities if I remember correctly.

<strong>
No good statistics are available on religious affiliations in Antarctica. </strong>

Since most people there are probably scientists this could be the first contintent firmly in the hand of atheists woohoo!!

Arrowman

...which would give a whole new meaning to "Hell freezing over"....