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I find this fascinating, especially considering there are other studies showing that overall religious population is declining...

I wonder if Catholicism could be considered as the first "mega-church".

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"Try to become not a man of success, but try rather to become a man of value."
Albert Einstein

Supersize churches.

I'm in Baptist country.

It almost seems that there is a strange type of pride in several of the mega-churches we have in the area. Some almost seem cultish in their treatment of their congregations and the exclusion of those who are not.

Perhaps it is the need to feel as part of a community, where the electronic age we are in has removed the person to person contact in so many other ways.

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"Try and fathom the hypocrisy of a Government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured, but not everyone must prove they are a citizen".

Like the linked article said, some people go for the socialization more than for the spiritual reasons- this probably accounts for some of the seeming disconnect between the different studies.

Every once in awhile, I'll channel surf up to the religious channels just to see what they are showing. Most of it is pretty crazy (imo), but there's also a segment of these shows that are more like motivational speaker sessions than religious gatherings. One example would be the show that features Joyce Meyers. Her talks are kind of a mix between self-help and preaching. She appears to have a huge following, judging by the audience size.

This is just my personal opinion and observation, but I suspect that a sizeable segment of our society is looking for a way to reconcile what appears to be a declining society with an inner need for some type of belief to hold onto in uncertain times. The times they are a-changing, and the churches are too.

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"Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle... when the sun comes up, you'd better be running." -anonymous

IMO, mega-churches are gowing because they give people a place to feel both spiritual and social w/o the level of personal accountability that a smaller church has. In a mega, yu can blend in with crowd and if you miss a couple of Sundays or you're actively engaged in something that you shouldn't be, no on will know. In a small church, people know about you, they notice if you're gone, they notice if something is wrong and in most cases will talk to you about it. Megas allow you to be anonymous while still feeling spiritual. Again, IMO, I don't think that God EVER intended for Christians to be in megas. The Bible shows the early church being small home-based groups that met together and knew each other. This is partly because of the small twon nature of most Israeli communites, but also because it allowed people to share their faith with each other more effectively and hold each other accountable. Me, I like a church in the 200-300 range with a solid home group program. The church is now of a size to be able to muster resources on an effective scale while still having that level of accountability that people need.

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Our nation has not always lived up to its ideals, yet those ideals have never ceased to guide us. They expose our flaws, and lead us to mend them. We are the beneficiaries of the work of the generations before us and it is each generation's responsibility to continue that work. - Laura Bush

Leftists and very small children don't seem to be able to understand that the Government isn't there to "fix" the economy, anymore than a tick is there to fix your dog.~Oftencold

Interesting point of view.

The 'mega' churches around here do keep track of their congregations. I was told one even had a buddy system in place to make sure everyone was accounted for. Though good in some ways for those who may need to be checked up on, that idea scares me some. I prefer the anonomous format.

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"Try and fathom the hypocrisy of a Government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured, but not everyone must prove they are a citizen".

That's just ****ing creepy

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To tax the larger incomes at a higher percentage than the smaller, is to lay a tax on industry and economy; to impose a penalty on people for having worked harder and saved more than their neighbors. ~ John Stuart Mill

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Is it true that Baptists won't have sex standing up because someone might think that they are dancing?

What's the difference between a Baptist and a Methodist?


Methodist can say hello to each other in the liquor store.

Did you know that Adam was a Baptist?

Only a Baptist could stand next to a naked woman and be tempted by a piece of fruit.

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To tax the larger incomes at a higher percentage than the smaller, is to lay a tax on industry and economy; to impose a penalty on people for having worked harder and saved more than their neighbors. ~ John Stuart Mill

Gypsy Soul Memories
Scuba Diver Life
Success Freaks