Is the culture Christian or not Christian?

Author: Jarrett_Ludolph

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Many Christians believe that the culture is against Christianity, or at least that's the impression I get. However, 70 percent of American is Christian[1], so how could the culture be against Christianity, or secular, if a major of it is Christian? Which way does the culture lean? Christian or not Christian?

[1]


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@Jarrett_Ludolph
Many Christians believe that the culture is against Christianity, or at least that's the impression I get. However, 70 percent of American is Christian[1], so how could the culture be against Christianity, or secular, if a major of it is Christian? Which way does the culture lean? Christian or not Christian?

[1]
The Western Culture in many respects is a culture that exploded with Christian thinking, specifically, the protestant movement.  Yet over the years the predominant Protestant culture has morphed into a secular and progressive culture.  Yes, there are remnants of conservative and protestant culture about - in fact it probably underlies most of the primary institutions in society, most notably, our legal system, science, education, and moral systems. Yet over the past 80 years or so - the ordinary institutions of our western society have slowly but surely been influenced by relativism, by evolutionary thinking, Marxist and Hegelism which has in many ways undermined these historical institutions of state, church and family.  The family has now been redefined.  It is not longer necessary to be a married couple  of male and female.  Now it can be whoever you want - and you don't even need to be married.  It is now the community who raises your child, not the parents. Church has been undermined.  The bible has been made redundant.  The gospel disputed.  The church mocked and scorned in shame, not just because it belongs to another time, but because many of its clergy shamed the Lord Jesus.  Where once upon time it was considered a safe-haven - a place of sanctity, nowadays, people refuse to take their kids anywhere near it. The State has gone from being a place which governed in local areas over political matters has grown not only in size but now thinks it is authoritative in EVERY area. 

The church and many Christians do feel under attack by our society.  Originally secular did not exclude Christianity. Now it does. Where once it was appropriate to have prayers and religious instruction in schools, now it is prohibited.  Once, society embraced the sacredness of human life, now it aborts it out of existence. Once society would embrace Christmas as a Christian festival - now if someone dares to put up a nativity display they are hounded for not caring about other religions - despite the fact that we told to tolerate Halloween - Ramadan , hindu festivals and local indigneous festivals.   

Often Christians are told they are winging about nothing. You are the majority group they say - you are privileged.  The Christian culture is now not even a shell in the community even if many are Christians.  My view would be most of the so called Christians are Christians in name only, and do not even know more that a few traditions they learned when they were young. 

In our country during lockdown - the pubs are allowed to open up with 50 people inside - and 50 people outside. So are the shops, the restaurants, the cafes, and many other places.  The church is permitted 10 people only and they have to meet outside.  Interestingly enough, we can have a funeral on the Friday - with 20 people INSIDE - and exactly the same service - minus the coffin is not permitted on Sunday - in fact - only 10 people and then you have to be outside.  Meanwhile the Mosques are permitted to have 50 people. 

The government also refuses to talk to us. There is no sound reason. But yep, they are not anti-church. It is just our perception. 
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@Jarrett_Ludolph
Culture incorporates everything relative to a society and not just religion.

Religion is a consequence of culture, and therefore culture can be influenced by religion, to a greater or lesser degree.

And then there's being Christian and then there's being Christian....Having water forcibly splashed on you head as a child doesn't necessarily make one religious.

I'm a prime example of this....Probably, statistically regarded as Christian...But in reality, far from it.

The manipulation of statistics is also part of a societies culture, and therefore an assumed culture is often the result of manipulated statistics.
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@Jarrett_Ludolph
Protestant Christian culture itself has become very secularized.

I don't get the impression I live in a Christian culture, ratheff r, one that is in every respects pagan.
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Christians overall remain a large majority in the U.S., at nearly 70 percent of Americans. However, white Christians, once predominant in the country’s religious life, now comprise only 43 percent of the population, according to the Public Religion Research Institute, or PRRI, a polling organization based in Washington. Four decades ago, about eight in 10 Americans were white Christians.
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Orthodox Christians are certainly not a majority. 
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@zedvictor4



Culture incorporates everything relative to a society and not just religion.

Religion is a consequence of culture, and therefore culture can be influenced by religion, to a greater or lesser degree.
Why would so many Chinese nationals convert to Christianity? The religion of their culture is Buddhism and Confuciusism.  What caused this extreme division between communist ideology, eastern religion/philosophy, and a religion considered a product of European origin?


And then there's being Christian and then there's being Christian....Having water forcibly splashed on you head as a child doesn't necessarily make one religious.

I'm a prime example of this....Probably, statistically regarded as Christian...But in reality, far from it.

The manipulation of statistics is also part of a societies culture, and therefore an assumed culture is often the result of manipulated statistics.
I agree.

But statistics (and the manipulation thereof) is a major weapon atheist activists try to use to suggest atheists are more intelligent, educated, more moral/less likely to be incarcerated, have a better understanding of religion, more peaceful,.......and even know the bible more.

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@Jarrett_Ludolph
I wouldn't exactly ascribe Christianity as the dominant religion in the United States today.  I certainly encounter culture that feels alien to me throughout my life.

I'm not sure how to add that Christians can have a sort of counter-cultural way about worldly affairs. 
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@RoderickSpode
But statistics (and the manipulation thereof) is a major weapon atheist activists try to use to suggest atheists are more intelligent, educated, more moral/less likely to be incarcerated, have a better understanding of religion, more peaceful,.......and even know the bible more.

No one has ever spoken this way towards me or around me.  Everyone considers the faith to be "good" or at least having an unusual propensity for charity and clear headedness.
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@Conway
I understand.

I'm actually not talking about atheists in general. I think the majority of atheists, in the U.S. anyway, are puralists who have a stable/sober mind about religion.

I'm mainly referring to atheist activists (particularly militant atheists). 

There are even atheists who seem to be militant "against" militant atheism. 

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@RoderickSpode
Why do people do things?.....Because they can.....Conversion is an aspect of culture and previous experience is also.


 But statistics.
Maybe so,  but the same is also probably applicable to theist activists.

Though as I see it,  the term "atheist activist" is somewhat contradictory in terms of pure belief.... So I would further suggest, that what you are actually referring to is the application of an ideology as the basis of  social control (to a lesser or greater degree).  Though inevitably a social control system also has to incorporate everything else relative to a societies function,  and this is demonstrably as applicable to theist based systems as to atheist based systems.

Nonetheless, the question was simple....And the answer was easy...No....Culture is far broader than an acquired creation hypothesis....Culture is also the food you eat,  the clothes you wear, the music you listen to and the technology you utilise.....etc. etc. etc.
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@zedvictor4
Why do people do things?.....Because they can.....Conversion is an aspect of culture and previous experience is also.
Maybe I misunderstood you then.

The popular belief is that particular nations, regions, have a cultural religion that most people of that nationality/ethnicity will have a tendency to draw to  .....if they choose to embrace a religion. The idea of conversion being an aspect of culture, if I understand you correctly puts a damper on that notion. We would all just be subject to a global choose for yourself the religion of your choice theme (including non-religion or atheism).

For instance, Asian nations tend to favor religion or spirituality that doesn't center on a single all powerful creator. So for so many Chinese, Christianity opposes their culture. And the Chinese who are directly opposed to Christianity or western religion (usually credited to government) reject it partially because of western influence.


 But statistics.
Maybe so,  but the same is also probably applicable to theist activists.
Possibly. But what would you consider a theist activist? And how would they manipulate statistics?

Though as I see it,  the term "atheist activist" is somewhat contradictory in terms of pure belief.... So I would further suggest, that what you are actually referring to is the application of an ideology as the basis of  social control (to a lesser or greater degree).  Though inevitably a social control system also has to incorporate everything else relative to a societies function,  and this is demonstrably as applicable to theist based systems as to atheist based systems.
What I mean specifically is particular organizations like Freedom From Religion Foundation, Atheist Union, Atheist Experience, individual activists etc.


Nonetheless, the question was simple....And the answer was easy...No....Culture is far broader than an acquired creation hypothesis....Culture is also the food you eat,  the clothes you wear, the music you listen to and the technology you utilise.....etc. etc. etc.

I don't know if these organizations think ahead as to the cultural implications of an atheist based society. But that's what they seem to be pushing for.

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@RoderickSpode
Minority groups with specific ideologies are very much a part of social culture.... As are institutions that control the wider flow of data, therefore controlling the success of such minority groups.

Kids with heads glued to devices are the future of social culture.... And who knows where that will take humanity?....Fortunately or unfortunately, I won't be around to find out.

Global cultural conflicts are the result of the past differences arising from the inherent limiting factors of geographical location..... Limitations that no longer impede the flow of data around the globe.

So the West will influence the East and vice versa....And maybe one day if it's not too late, we will all be in agreement.
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@zedvictor4
There's some truth to what you're saying. The whole Cosmic Humanism and New Age Movement theme is the embracing of eastern spirituality/philosophy.

So in that respect there's some similarity between that and Christian conversions in Asia.

However, there's also a big difference. For one, the embracing of eastern religion/spirituality is modified into a more western influence. Even Buddhism itself has been westernized (sometimes called McDharma Buddhism). Asian (and non-western) conversions tend to stick to the direct message of the bible with little to no compromise.


Another difference is that the mass conversions had little to do with western influence. We're talking the early 20th century where globalization was nothing like today. They had no internet, and more than likely the Christian influence in Asian nations like China and Korea were a result of small enclaves of Asian Christians who probably received the Gospel through Jewish missionaries sent out shortly after the crucifixion of Christ.