After success through most of the 20th century, why has liberal Christianity now become an abject failure?

Question

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

The more liberal denominations are losing membership worldwide, while fundamentalist, non-questioning versions of Christianity and Islam are gaining followers.

Why is this failure occuring?

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Percentage change in membership in 10 years, 1995-2005:
Disciples of Christ: -21%
United Church of Christ: -15%
American Baptist: -15%
Presbyterian (USA): -12%
United Methodist: -5%
http://www.pcusa.org/research/reports/denominational_size.pdf

Here's an article regarding liberal churches' membership drops.

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/492/CFI/cfreport/index.htm

Answer 1

Liberal Christianity only worked as an alternative to the hegemony of Conservatism. In a pluralist culture, the vacuity of Liberal Christianity is more obvious as its basic tenets can be affirmed just as well by watching Oprah, Disney Channel, or reading Hallmark cards than going to church once a week. Why bother?

I grew up in a liberal church and over the last 25 years its membership has droped maybe two-thirds. It got worse after the pastor did post-doc studies at Harvard and nursed the teet of Harvey Cox. My folks still go there but most of their friends have left. It is really depressing.

Answer 2

What's that old line "England swings like a Pendulum do?"

Winston Church said "A young man who isn't a liberal has no heart, An old man who isn't a conservative has no sense"

I can't speak for the rest of the world, but since America is a part of the world (technically) :) i assume a lot f the same factors are moving elsewhere.

Every society lives in Cycles. Every twenty /thirty years you will see a movement between conservatism and liberalism. It usually follows the war, boom, bust cycle, but we haven't really had that since WW2 (we've just had the wars and the busts.)

However, the Greatest Generation ( a Brokaw Plug?) has another motivating factor - the baby boom. In the sixties you have that huge upswing of young, idealistic liberal people, and this was the first generation since Luthor to question their parentls religion. They moved into Hinduism with the Beatles, EST with the Beach Boys and the summer of love with - well, the naked Bacchanal. As these young people explored deeper into religion, moving more into Pirsig and Casteneda, they sought more liberal religious organizations. And these were very communial people, they would join any group it seemed. They were going to change the world, but really discovered the establishment wasn't giving up without a fight - and it had all the guns and money.

Disillusioned, they became the corporate raiders and MTV generation. They had kids, got a job and a mini van and settled into life. They discovered that all systems need to be changed from the inside and they did some marvelous things - like getting women CEOS in office, voting for Black Mayors and cleaning up the enviorment. Hardly the Marxist paradise they promised, but a pretty cool set of accomplishments. They also came up with "spiritual, but not religious"

Twain said "When I was a boy of 17 and left home, my father was a moron. WHen I returned a man of 22, I was surprised how wise he had become".

This is what happened to the baby boomers. We have all grown up, now and we are enfranchised in this society, and let's face it, recognising our mortality. (sheesh!). We find ourselves, having rejected wholesale our parents more orthodoxed religion, lost without an oar. As we move back into conservatism, so do our children, who are still rebelling against whatever we believe in - just like we did. The great experiment didn't fail, exactly, it rather just kind of found a middle ground and we are scrambling to find something to make sense of it all.

I think Islam is a lot of the same thing, compounded but the creation of Isreal and "western Meddling" as they see it.

Answer 3

As a liberal Christian, this is my opinion ...

Liberal Christians are sometimes looked upon as more "evil" (for lack of a better word) than Atheists and Pagans combined. The majority of Christians are taught that The Bible shouldn't be questioned and that you either have to accept all of it or none of it. And if you call yourself a Christian but you are open-minded enough to question things, than you're either a hypocrite or a liar trying to lead people away from Christ.

But despite our open-mindedness, we aren't really accepted by Non-Christians, either. It doesn't matter how much we might agree with them on political and scientific issues, we're still delusional idiots because we believe in God.

Liberal Christians are like the middle children of the religion-debate-family. We're few and far between, and we can't really find a place of our own. So I think that most liberal Christians either leave the entire religion behind, or are "guilted" or persuaded into becoming more fundamental.

Answer 4

My theory is that the more liberal denominations tend to lead to more questions, and people aren't searching for more questions. They want answers, even if those answers come with the price of turning a blind eye to other problems, truths, discoveries, etc. Beliefs are difficult to maintain without total obedience, and having the ability to interpret the Bible for yourself leads to much confusion and the shocking reality that there are many contradictions within it. It would be much easier for someone else to interpret it and then tell you what it says. Easier, but much less enlightening.

Answer 5

Cite your sources please.

Because in large cities around the country that is not the case...the fundamentalist congregations are folding as the older parishoners die off, and they are not attracting new ones to the old ways.

But, new "praise" churches which are usually more liberal in theology are popping up all over the place...the music, manner of worship, dress, and theology are all very liberal....

Answer 6

Who wants a watered down version of the real thing?

If you don't believe in God, then a religion of any sort probably doesn't appeal to you, especially not a watered down one.

If you are religious, then a watered down version will strike you as dishonest, weak, and too compromised.

Either way, you probably want something different than your parents did, just to prove how much of an "independent" and "free thinker" you are.

Answer 7

Liberal Christianity changed from not being socially involved to being socially involved in debates of race, gender and sexuality. That scares a lot of people. The more conservative denominations give easy answers and worship is more entertaining. Simplistic answer, I know but, your question is wide open!

Answer 8

Good question!
I think it's because people are increasingly being drawn to polarities. But that doesn't really answer the question completely. All I know is that this atheist vs. fundamentalist duality is really dangerous--for every religion.

Answer 9

Your question is based on a false assumption. Name a denomination and cite your source of info, if you can.

Answer 10

It has failed to educate the people with God's word,instead it has condoned sin, hoarded riches and followed the doctrines of men instead of God.