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Americans are becoming less and less religious and one New York Times columnist has found the culprit: the religious, conservative “blowhards” who “have entangled faith with bigotry, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia,” or, in other words, the religious, conservative Americans who support President Trump.
Churches are empty, in part, because “for some young people, Christianity is associated less with love than with hate,” writes columnist Nicholas Kristof.
The unwillingness to address political issues such as climate change and racism, the stubborn refusal to work with the social justice movement, and the eager acceptance of Trump and his policies have all contributed to the growing unpopularity of Christianity, specifically evangelical Christianity, among the younger generations, Kristof claims.
Kristof is right that evangelicalism is declining the United States, but it’s not because evangelical churches are too conservative.
If anything, mainstream megachurches are becoming more and more liberal in an attempt to adapt the church to culture.
As a young evangelical, I’ve seen this firsthand: On Christian exclusivity, traditional teachings on sexuality and gender, and so on, many churches have capitulated to the cultural Left.
Yet, despite its best efforts to stand athwart culture and yell, “Stop!” evangelicalism continues to decline.
Traditional Christians support Trump not because they approve of his character, or the lack thereof, but because they feel they have no other choice.
Perhaps it’s because this decline has less to do with politics, as Kristof suggests, and more to do with the unappealing, empty spirituality some churches offer.
Young adults want authenticity, which is why, according to a recent poll, 67% of millennials said they’d prefer a “classic” church over a “trendy” one.
They want community, too, and in megachurches with 5,000+ people that can be quite hard to find.
The numbers back this up: Traditional churches tend to hold onto their attendance numbers better than most.
Young adults in search of a moral foundation want theological consistency, and they’re drifting toward churches that can offer both.
Kristof’s argument, however, has less to do with the problems plaguing evangelical Christians and more to do with the president they’ve chosen to support.
Masking his disdain behind feigned concern, Kristof points the finger at religious Trump supporters who have turned a blind eye to the president’s immorality and arrogance and blames them for Christianity’s decline — an accusation that is just as absurd as it is dishonest.
Traditional Christians support Trump not because they approve of his character, or the lack thereof, but because they feel they have no other choice. Continue reading
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