Churches fight to stay open as attendance dwindles
abcnews.go.com
Churches faced with empty pews are fighting to keep their doors open, while former houses of worship are being converted into bars, clubs and luxury condos.

Summary

Churches across the U.S. are grappling with dwindling attendance and financial instability, forcing many to close or sell properties.

The Diocese of Buffalo has shut down 100 parishes since the 2000s and plans to close 70 more. Nationwide, church membership has dropped from 80% in the 1940s to 45% today.

Some churches repurpose their land to survive, like Atlanta’s First United Methodist Church, which is building affordable housing.

Others, like Calcium Church in New York, make cutbacks to stay open. Leaders warn of the long-term risks of declining community and support for churches.

  • @rottingleaf
    3•7 days ago

    I’ve met a lot of (ex-Soviet, that should be kept in mind) Muslims, most wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between this madhhab and that.

    And Christian theology, when you don’t reduce it to average American Christians, has a lot of tradition.

    What I mean … you typical Salafi is just like that:

    when most of these folks have sub fifth grade reading levels means that whatever feels good at the time is what God wants.

    Can we just agree that most people with religious identities don’t care about actual philosophy?

    • @andros_rex
      1•6 days ago

      I don’t disagree with you about Christian theology in general. I think a part of it is that American Evangelical Christianity is rapidly diverging from what most would recognize as Christianity. I’ve seen a few news articles where pastors get pushback on things like the Sermon on the Mount. I’ve never a seen a literalist/dominionist advocate for the clearing of debts every 7 years; only stoning queer people. I could see Trump ending up as some sort of messiah figure.

      I think Salafism and American evangelical fundamentalism have a lot in common; in my religious historiography class we discussed how increased literacy in general in the 19th century led to a lot of these “literalist” movements.

      Can we just agree that most people with religious identities don’t care about actual philosophy?

      100% - for the vast majority of individuals it’s more of a cultural/in group experience. Very enlightening when you study periods of mass conversion… usually more of a practical concern than one of conviction.

      • @rottingleaf
        1•6 days ago

        in my religious historiography class we discussed how increased literacy in general in the 19th century led to a lot of these “literalist” movements.

        Literacy increase in 1920s-1930s USSR (European parts) led to a certain kind of people for whom things officially printed are obviously true.

        They unironically consider it the ultimate argument that some general summary, that is printed in an official history book for schools, says what they say. They don’t get the idea of cross-checking sources, they don’t get the idea of hermeneutics, they don’t get the idea of dispute. Actually it’s worse - they think they get all these ideas, and all these ideas are barbarism, while reading something officially printed and not doubting it is enlightenment. It’s that bad.