Church-Shopping.

I recently came across a pair of articles that discussed the frequency in which Americans change their religious affiliation. One conclusion, "More than four in 10 American adults are no longer members of the religion they were brought up in..." or as noted by another article, "What the Pew researchers didn't anticipate is that fully 44% of Americans have changed faiths at least once. "

It is interesting that an article chose to headline the minority behavior uncovered by Pew Research (i.e. "Church-Shopping" and "Changing Religion"). Further, there is no indication if this is an increase, decrease or steady trend in American behavior. The article entitled "Changing Religion" touches on this by noting that, "the fact that most people who switch religions do so before they are 24, combined with the finding that older people as well as younger people have changed, suggests to Smith that the trend has been going on for some time". It seems to me that there is nothing new in the results of the study. America has always been a religious "free-for-all". From the Puritans to the Latter Day Saints to the Family churches, there has always been choice in this country when it comes to the choosing of one's religion.

The real trick, in my opinion, is to maintain your faith. If "church-shopping" is a result of an effort to keep one's faith fresh, I cannot find fault in it. But in the end I think it is a loop that cannot circle forever. It will eventually lose it's momentum. The apostle Paul was a master at finding the good in every situation. He exhorts Timothy in 1 Tim 6:6,"But godliness with contentment is great gain.". At the end of the day I believe that what we all need is Love. That is supplemented with Peace for those who are able to be contented in their godliness. I hope that our house of worship is providing both in great abundance.

Ref:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1894361,00.html

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/27/changing.religion.study/

While I'm Waiting by John Waller

Part of the soundtrack to the movie Fireproof. Excellent movie, sensational song.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." Isaiah 40.28

Dishonest Scale

It will not matter if the Constitution of the United States is interpreted to read that the union of two men or two women is equal to the union of a man and a woman in marriage. Just because someone, a court, a congress, a king or a president declares a lie to be the truth, that lie does not cease to be a lie and the truth does not cease to be the truth.

The financial parallel is just as destructive as we have seen how declaring someone living entirely from gov't benefits, i.e. unemployment, food stamps, welfare, (all of which have a legitimate place in our society) as equal to someone providing a service or producing a product, i.e. gainfully employed, when it comes to being able to purchase a home or qualifying for a loan.

The dishonest scale hurts everyone involved even if the damage is not felt immediately as was the case with the banks and other financial institutions of the United States.