The Loss of Christianity

For any serious thinking person there is an alarming and catastrophic change occurring in the world. It may best be exemplified by reports coming from Germany on the decline of Christianity.

Simply stated, Christianity is dying in Germany. Since the year 2000 Catholics have closed the doors and boarded up the windows of more than 400 churches. Protestants have done the same with over a 100. Another 700 Catholic churches are slated to close since only 12.3 percent of Catholics in Germany bother to attend.

Germany has an interesting demographic since it was divided between atheistic East Germany and Christian West Germany for many years. Der Spiegel reports that today 45 percent of West Germans believe in God and just a quarter in Jesus Christ. One might be forgiven for doubting the sincerity of a Christian who doesn't believe in Christ.

Fifty-two percent of East Germans claim to be atheist. The "beliefs" of the remaining 48 percent has little resemblance to Christianity. Only 8 percent of East Germans believe in a God who is "personally concerned with every human being."

Far, far worse, however, of all those surveyed there was not a single person under the age of 28 in East Germany that said they believed in God.

The magazine Der Spiegel reported that Priests are being imported to Germany from India. Congregations are predominately populated by women, all of whom are over 60 years of age.

In the midst of all this the Muslim population in Germany is growing rapidly. New Observer Magazine reports that the "decline in Christians is being aggravated by the ever-increasing number of nonwhite Muslim invaders who have been encouraged to settle in that country over the past few decades by successive leftist governments."

There are now at least 4.5 million Muslims in a country with a total population of 81 million. Germany is home to over 200 mosques including 40 mega-mosques, countless numbers of Muslim prayer halls and another 128 mosques under construction.

Die Welt magazine predicts that Christians in Germany will be a minority in 20 years. This is a sad commentary for a nation that was at the forefront of the Protestant reformation little more than 500 years ago. Martin Luther led a revolt that helped free Christians from the grips of a corrupt Church.

This trend came home to me while talking with a real estate agent when our congregation was searching for a building to purchase. "Oh," gleamed the agent, "it's a buyer’s market for churches! There are several for sale but no one is in the market to buy a church."

America may be following the road Germany is already on. Fifty years ago churches weren't for sale unless the congregation had outgrown the building and were moving to something bigger. Times have changed. Today there is an unmistakable attack on Christianity.

In such circumstances it is good to remember the words given to Zechariah in a vision concerning Zerubbabel. '"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6) It is the same Spirit that empowered Jesus Christ to heal the sick and raise the dead. It is the same Spirit that empowers Christians in the 21st Century.

Until next time,