[Darris McNeely] So guess what the largest
religious group in America happens to be right
now?
I was surprised, it's atheists.
Over 23% of those polled say that they are
atheists and that's now become the dominant
religion in the United States.
While mainline religions have declined a great
deal in recent years, and again, that's not
big news, the rise of those who are agnostic,
atheistic, not believing in God is increasing,
becoming dominant in our culture today.
Really, that should not be surprising because
there's something else that's been happening
and I've been reading a great deal about this
lately and that is because of the stresses
of life, because of a lot of the problems
and disorders that are a part of our culture
that have been on the increase, suicide rates
increasing, health rates declining among certain
segments of the American society.
To see that atheism is becoming the dominant
faith as we would call it, should not be surprising
because what we're looking at is a cultural
decline in America and other parts of the
world but in America, particularly as this
is being watched and this is creating a great
deal of disorder and problems.
When you have situations like this where one
in six Americans take antidepressant drugs
and nearly one in five American adults suffer
from anxiety disorders then to see that atheism
is the dominant faith, we shouldn't be surprised.
Where might you fall on that?
Where might someone that you know fall on
that as well?
We are living in a very interesting time,
we're living in a period where materialism
is producing a materialistic society and a
focus away from God.
We are watching a licentious society worship
sex, a culture that doesn't worship God is
going to slide in that direction and that's
where we are at this particular time.
What is really needed in our world at this
time is what we see in 2 Timothy 1 where we
see that the spirit of God produces a mindset
and a faith and a confidence of power and
love and a sound mind.
When we can focus in on that, all these others
can begin to be put aside but atheism that
will not find itself in that direction.
We're living in a very interesting period
of time and the decline in health and other
problems that certain parts of our society
can be directly traced to this decline in
faith.
That's BT Daily.
Join us next time.
