Will the church die out in the future?

m.j.w

This has surely been asked before but I cant find any topics and I have always wondered about this. I would say im an atheist myself as I dont believe in anything and at the minute I dont care what the answer is. When I was younger my perants brought me to mass as thats what thier perants did but when I got into my teens they stopped bringing us as they didnt want to go themselves. Anyone I know my age doesnt goto mass but Im sure most of their perants and grandperants probably did when they were younger, does this mean that in gernerations to come mass will be phased out because if people arent going now they are hardly going to bring thier kids to mass in the future and then than will impact furture down the line. I know there are familys that still goto mass regularly but surely the figures would be down on say 20 - 30 years ago or am I just completly wrong? I know I probably worded all that completly wrong but hope you's get what I mean.

Manach

I'd disagree, in that the future is a yet unsettled country. Churchgoers nowadays are less prevalent, but those who remain are sadly disappointed by the scandals but are more committed members. In times past, such as the time of the German Kulturekamf or the French revolution numbers have similiarly dwindled. However, perhaps rather wryly to borrow a scientific analogy, a sufficent reservoir population remains to rekindle the faith in future generations.

Onesimus

m.j.w wrote: »

This has surely been asked before but I cant find any topics and I have always wondered about this. I would say im an atheist myself as I dont believe in anything and at the minute I dont care what the answer is. When I was younger my perants brought me to mass as thats what thier perants did but when I got into my teens they stopped bringing us as they didnt want to go themselves. Anyone I know my age doesnt goto mass but Im sure most of their perants and grandperants probably did when they were younger, does this mean that in gernerations to come mass will be phased out because if people arent going now they are hardly going to bring thier kids to mass in the future and then than will impact furture down the line. I know there are familys that still goto mass regularly but surely the figures would be down on say 20 - 30 years ago or am I just completly wrong? I know I probably worded all that completly wrong but hope you's get what I mean.

any answer to your question ( in title ) either positive or negative would require faith on your part in order to believe the answer. but it would prove one thing...atheists really do have faith in certain things.

Bob Cratchet

Fashions come and go.
Right now it's fashionable and cool to to anti-Catholic.
As for the numbers, the fewer pseudo Catholics the better.
Every year for 2000 years we've been told it's dying out.
This year, and next year, and the year after, and the year after that, etc. etc. will be no different.
The same things will be said.

mikemac

Masses services are being cut, parishes amalgamated and priests covering larger areas.

Unless new priests can be trained up and allocated this is going to continue.
Thinking about the priest here and in the two neighboring areas, they are all over 50.

50 seems realy old to me :pac:

So I wonder.
Where once Ireland exported priests to Africa will we ever see Africa sending priests to Ireland?
Seems very possible to me, for sure an injection of young priests is needed

m.j.w

Onesimus wrote: »

any answer to your question ( in title ) either positive or negative would require faith on your part in order to believe the answer. but it would prove one thing...atheists really do have faith in certain things.

I dont get what ya mean, if the answer was yes the church will die out in the future what does that mean I have faith in?

m.j.w

Bob Cratchet wrote: »

Fashions come and go.
Right now it's fashionable and cool to to anti-Catholic.
As for the numbers, the fewer pseudo Catholics the better.
Every year for 2000 years we've been told it's dying out.
This year, and next year, and the year after, and the year after that, etc. etc. will be no different.
The same things will be said.

I dont think it is to do with it being cool to be anti-catholic, alot of people who dont goto mass are not anti catholic. I just think its a case of people not being forced to do things these days that they would have been in the past.

AhSureTisGrand

Are you asking if Catholicism will die out in Ireland or globally?

Baggio1

it wil survive because it has to... Christ has promised "the gates of hell will not prevail against it" BUT it will sooon be split, and the true church will go under ground, just as they did at the times of Nero and crew, the vast majority of so called catholics, etc will be easily fooled by the coming deception , mind you everyone else who has no discernmant will also be fooled by the deception aswell...


so bottom line? no it WONT die out,,,but it will LOOK like it has,, untill Christ returns after the coming chastisement.

gimmebroadband

The Church has been through some pretty tough times down through the centuries, but after 2000 years we're still here, and will be until the end of time! We have Tradition, The Holy Bible and the Magisterium to help us on our way. Jesus sends her the Holy Spirit, Saints and Doctors of the Church, to help keep her on the right path. For instance, St. Catherine of Sienna was one of the Great Doctors of the Church, loyal to the Holy See during the great Schism and was instrumental in getting the Papacy to return to Rome from Avignon- as the previous poster said, Jesus will not allow Hell to prevail!

philologos

OP: Which church?

gimmebroadband

philologos wrote: »

OP: Which church?

I would assume it's RCC as the OP mentioned going to Mass with his/her parents when younger!

philologos

I think the RCC has already gone into decline. As far as I know from studying with some of the seminarians in my philosophy class there is about 10 per year going into Maynooth. In the Church of Ireland there'll be 14 ordained as priests in 2011. Bear in mind that the CofI population is a lot smaller than the RCC population (perhaps 300,000 for the whole island).

Although attendances are across the board down in RCC and other mainline churches. In evangelical churches, and Greek Orthodox churches there has been a rise at least on the basis of census figures, and I'm fairly sure in attendance also.

Far from the end of Christianity in Ireland but we certainly need to rethink how the Christian churches should operate in the 21st century.

Turtwig

In the short term no it will not. In the long term, who knows but then again I could just as easily ask will Humanity die out in the future?

eyescreamcone

All religions have their day in the sun (Ra anyone?)
The time will come when the educated people of this planet will laugh at the fairy stories of all religions.
But first, religions will be relegated to being very popular fairground attractions.

Maybe they will remain strong in the underdeveloped countries but for western society they are on the way out.

In history the priest/rabbi etc was one of the only educated person in the village.
People went to him for advice on all aspects of life.
Now we are better educated than any cleric... and he is not needed for advice on how to live our lives any longer.

Morbert

My random guess would be that the Christian church will not die out any time soon. But I do think it will become more universalist, if not more unitarian, in the Western world.

I think any hardline churches will continue to fracture into more and more esoteric splinters until every hardliner belongs to the True Church of Himself/Herself.

georgieporgy

(post# 15) LOL the wisdom of a first year university student! I remember well when I too knew it all.:rolleyes:

eyescreamcone

georgieporgy wrote: »

(post# 15) LOL the wisdom of a first year university student! I remember well when I too knew it all.:rolleyes:

Perhaps you might enlighten me as to what use a Bachelor of Divinity degree is, and how useful it is in modern society.
I have nothing worthwhile to learn from these self appointed gurus.
Not now ...not ever!

m.j.w

yea sorry meant to say catholic church

Baggio1

post-15...... oh man "we're better educated now" "educated people will laugh at fairy tales" well there ya go..university heads, who are soo educated that they know f.all about the subject being discussed,, its emabrressing to come across these know all - know nothings,,, seen many of them coming into the job,, a degree in worthlesness and all the knowledge of world events of a mole!... and for fun yehah they head to oxygen to role around in the mud like a slimey hogs hahahah yehah university classsss hahahah
,,,,,, learn something about the subject and stop being yet another student head who "thinks" he's educated and knows something its embarressing dude...fairytales?? hahaha yehah maybe try a degree in jackanory stories

Bob Cratchet

Baggio1 wrote: »

post-15...... oh man "we're better educated now" "educated people will laugh at fairy tales" well there ya go..university heads, who are soo educated that they know f.all about the subject being discussed,, its emabrressing to come across these know all - know nothings,,, seen many of them coming into the job,, a degree in worthlesness and all the knowledge of world events of a mole!... and for fun yehah they head to oxygen to role around in the mud like a slimey hogs hahahah yehah university classsss hahahah
,,,,,, learn something about the subject and stop being yet another student head who "thinks" he's educated and knows something its embarressing dude...fairytales?? hahaha yehah maybe try a degree in jackanory stories

Qualifications and education are not the same thing.

I've met many's a person who is in theory well qualified, but very poorly educated.

Irish Universities and Colleges seem to be very prone to this. These days its all about bums on college seats and the revenue that goes for them, learn the exam answers off by wrote, collect the bit of paper, and then a photo for the sitting room wall for mammy.

By all means enjoy the experience, but never let University or College interfere with your education.

Robert ninja

Die out? Well, it won't just dissapear. There's always be people going to it, just like in any other religion, there's always a few left that practice it. If by die out one means that it will be drastically damaged with a very bad reputation and very few people going to church... then that has already happened. The church is already dead given that criteria. Found this in A&A

robindch wrote: »

American catholic fundamentalist visits Dublin and is so shocked at what he finds that he has to scare-quote catholics in the video title!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaGj1rJdPKo

Another thing, the church buildings themselves will remain for as long as possible given their antiquity, that alone will be enough to keep people saying they haven't died out.

Festus

Baggio1 wrote: »

it wil survive because it has to... Christ has promised "the gates of hell will not prevail against it" BUT it will sooon be split, and the true church will go under ground, just as they did at the times of Nero and crew, the vast majority of so called catholics, etc will be easily fooled by the coming deception , mind you everyone else who has no discernmant will also be fooled by the deception aswell...

The coming deception? Is it not already here?

Baggio1 wrote: »

so bottom line? no it WONT die out,,,but it will LOOK like it has,, untill Christ returns after the coming chastisement.

+1

Baggio1

i luv that line "catholic fundementalist", um noo actulayy he's just the real deal who actually believes in all the truths of faith,, its called consistancey,,,,,,,, unlike soo many watered down half believers out there who believe twice a year and at weddings bla bla,,,

festus - coming deception etc - um yeah in spirit its already here,, BUT the physical appreance wil be fully inforced by the pope who takes over when Benedict has to flee Rome,, sure the liberals and half and none believers will cheer loudly that the horrible conservative Pope has gone..BUT they are all going to be decieved by the next guy - charming,liberal, willing to compromise, change the laws on sexual sins especially,,sure he will be wildly popular........ but he aint what he seems....

there is a line in revelations that reveals this - God will send them a deception so that they may be dammed as they have not loved the lord their God as he wished or words to that effect - our protestant buddies will have it word for word for me i am sure