Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: jloucks@uts.amdahl.com (Jim Loucks) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Christians a dying breed? Message-ID: Date: 25 Apr 91 03:28:53 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA Lines: 59 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu An atheist once told me that as a Christian, I was a dying breed. This seems to be the general belief in a lot of newsgroups. The Center for World Missions reports a different story: Worldwide Christianity is growing at a rate of 70,000 persons every day; 3500 new churches are opening every week. After 70 years of oppression in the Soviet Union, people who are officially Christians number about 100 million - 5 times the number in the Communist Party and 36% of the Soviet population. In China, Christianity is growing by an average of 28,000 every day. Conservative estimates indicate there are 40-50 million Christians in that country. The Church in Africa is increasing by 20,000 per day on the average; that continent was 3% Christian in 1900 and is over 40% Christian today. More Muslims in Iran have come to Christ since 1980 than in the previous 1000 years. In 1900 Korea had no Protestant church. Today Korea is 30% Christian with more than 4000 churches in Seoul alone. In Islamic Indonesia the percentage of Christians is so high the government won't print the statistic - which is probably nearing 25% of the population. ----------------------- I'm not proselyting as some are quick to point out. Just pointing out some facts so you may know... the rest of the story. If you can't understand the message of the Bible, it may be because: The Bible says in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 4: The god (Satan) of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. and in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 18-19: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." These two verses appear to denote the majority of the difficulties most non-Christians possess in regards to Christianity and the Bible. Ignoring flames is biblical according to the Bible in Proverbs chapter 15 verse 1: A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Maybe better than a gentle answer is no answer, at least on the net. Email replies are most welcome, which most likely will be answered with the same. -- Jim Loucks {sun, pyramid, uunet}!amdahl!jloucks