7 Reasons For Declining Church Membership
Some of us have had unfortunate experiences with a church or churches or experiences that have led us to have negative feelings towards religion, but fortunately spirituality is not defined by your activity in a church.
Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
Spirituality is based on a more personalized, less structured, and more open to new ideas/influences, and more pluralistic than that of the doctrinal faiths of organized religions. Some say that spirituality is the awareness that there is something more than than just a physical existence.
Traditionally, religions have regarded spirituality as an integral aspect of religious experience. Many do still equate spirituality with religion, but declining membership of organized religions and the growth of secularism in the western world has given rise to a broader view of spirituality.
7 Reason’s For Declining Church Memberships:
- Churches wanting to fill their pocket books instead of filling people’s hearts with truth about the bible, in other words, churches becoming businesses rather than temples of worship.
- Not receiving “straight” answers when asking questions regarding God and faith.
- Churches are inconsistent in practices and there are too many contradictions.
- Priest, preachers, and committed members placing themselves on a peddle stool and committing the one greatest sin… judging others.
- Hypocrites among church members.
- Church's feel dominated by men and undermine women.
- Emotional, sexual, or physical abuse from a church member.