# Pew: Americans giving up on God, miracles



## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

Satan's plan with the help of the fascist socialist is progressing. I can not image life without God and my beliefs, especially as the world grows crazier and increasingly dangerous.



> Pew Research Center said Wednesday that 49 percent of what they term "nones" left their church and religion because they "don't believe." Another 20 percent said they don't like organized religion. Other reasons included "common sense" and a lack of believe in miracles.
> 
> The survey is the latest from Pew that demonstrates a growing trend in America: More and more people are junking religion and many are giving up on God.


Pew: Americans giving up on God, miracles | Washington Examiner

Why some Americans left religion behind | Pew Research Center


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

RedLion said:


> Satan's plan with the help of the fascist socialist is progressing. I can not image life without God and my beliefs, especially as the world grows crazier and increasingly dangerous.
> 
> Pew: Americans giving up on God, miracles | Washington Examiner
> 
> Why some Americans left religion behind | Pew Research Center


I always ask people if they prefer UN-organized religion

here is a wonderful verse for people that refuse to go to church because of the hypocrites and other crap that happens in churches

*Proverbs 14:4 Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.*

in other words the crap is there because people are working for God.. if there was nobody there it would not have problems


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Sadly, American's began giving up on God as early as 1776. 

No mention in Scripture of the great Republic called The United State's of America, now is there?

We may not know how it ends for The USA, but it ends.


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

"Opiate of the masses" is what Markist commies called religion. How long before that catches on state side?


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

God is #1 for me , I may not go to church , but who said you have to go to church to believe in God ?


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

Not a good idea to give up on God and miracles, everyday we are living is a miracle, and God hasn't given up on us yet, we are still here.


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## stowlin (Apr 25, 2016)

Its been going on for years; just like the progressive communist wanted. 

Must replace God, Family and Culture with government.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Targetshooter said:


> God is #1 for me , I may not go to church , but who said you have to go to church to believe in God ?


Well... it is a teaching that Followers of Jesus are suppose to gather together on a regular basis

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/814-is-church-attendance-required


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

When as a nation we turn our backs on God, why would we be surprised that as a result of we are going down the tubes and God is not saving our butts? It happened to Isreal and Juda a number of times, not to mention Noah. Reap what ye sow?


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

My wife goes to church 3 times a week. Do I need to be in church to pray to Him? Those that do not believe in a higher power will regret when judgement day comes. Wherever 3 or more are gathered. jmo.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

There are a lot of people who believe in the words: Cold, . . . Dark, . . . and Silence.

There is no such thing as any of them. One cannot hold a handful of dark, a pound of cold, or 18 inches of silence.

Cold is the absence of heat, . . . dark is the absence of light, . . . and silence is the absence of sound.

Each word was designed by an unknowing world that could not find a true definition of the idea they had, . . . so they invented a word to cover their perceived absence of heat, absence of light, and absence of sound.

Luck and coincidence are words that same world has coined to define miracles, and to define faith. Neither is a word found in the Bible, as there is no such thing as either one in God's presence. 

It is either the will of God that causes something to happen, . . . or it is the permission of God that allows it to happen. NOTHING else happens any other way.

It is a sad, frowning, sorry world that cannot accept faith, . . . cannot accept miracles, . . . and cannot accept the Jesus Christ who makes both possible.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

1skrewsloose said:


> My wife goes to church 3 times a week. Do I need to be in church to pray to Him? Those that do not believe in a higher power will regret when judgement day comes. Wherever 3 or more are gathered. jmo.


Which Higher power?

Where 3 or more are gathered in HIS NAME..... this does not mean when 3 christians go fishing or hunting

Matthew 18:20
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Jesus made it clear we (his followers) are to gather together and have pastors /teachers and support one another. This could be very formal in a church building or informal in a home church...

The church is not a building or the great outdoors.. the church is the body of believers and it is clear that People that are following Jesus are to gather together.

If you are not following Jesus and claim another higher power then that is on you..but if you are claiming to believe in Jesus as the Christ and you are not gathering together with the body - you are disobedient


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

dwight55 said:


> It is either the will of God that causes something to happen, . . . or it is the permission of God that allows it to happen. NOTHING else happens any other way.


AMEN. God is sovereign.... And everything happens in order to glorify Him


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## rstanek (Nov 9, 2012)

I have had people ask me, How do you know for sure that there is a God, a simple response so they understand,I say, I would rather believe and be wrong, that not believe and be wrong. They have no response. I believe.....


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Know this and understand it well, for it is a truth and a core principle I instilled in my three children.


Life is full of choices and ultimately decisions.
Good decisions have consequences.
Bad decisions have consequences.
Not making a decision has consequences.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

God is alive and well in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous.


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## Panchito (Aug 24, 2015)

Maine-Marine said:


> AMEN. God is sovereign.... And everything happens in order to glorify Him


God is sovereign!
Jesus is the Christ!
Not so sure about the second part?


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

Panchito said:


> God is sovereign!
> Jesus is the Christ!
> Not so sure about the second part?


We sing from the same sheet of music, . . . good one Panchito.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

When I was about 30 or so, I was have some real hard personal problems. One evening it peaked when I was standing in my bedroom and I ripped the cross necklace off of me and cursed God, told him to F off, to just get out of my life, etc. I later looked for the cross and necklace and could not find the cross. Found the necklace but not the cross. 

It was about a week or two later, I gained some knowledge and when I was standing in the hallway told God I was sorry for cursing him and to please forgive me. I looked down and between my feet was the cross. I knew then that God had forgiven me. Keep in mind from the time that I threw the cross to the time that I found it, I had been doing normal house keeping like vacuuming. There is no way that the cross could have been in the hallway. This is one of my miracle stories.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

MaterielGeneral said:


> When I was about 30 or so, I was have some real hard personal problems. One evening it peaked when I was standing in my bedroom and I ripped the cross necklace off of me and cursed God, told him to F off, to just get out of my life, etc. I later looked for the cross and necklace and could not find the cross. Found the necklace but not the cross.
> 
> It was about a week or two later, I gained some knowledge and when I was standing in the hallway told God I was sorry for cursing him and to please forgive me. I looked down and between my feet was the cross. I knew then that God had forgiven me. Keep in mind from the time that I threw the cross to the time that I found it, I had been doing normal house keeping like vacuuming. There is no way that the cross could have been in the hallway. This is one of my miracle stories.


Thanks for sharing MG, I like you know what it is like to seek the face and presence of God and stand in amazement at the things he reveals.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Panchito said:


> God is sovereign!
> Jesus is the Christ!
> Not so sure about the second part?


Lets look at the second part and lets look at the Jews being killed in Germany during WWII. it was awful. But did God get the glory in the end and was his purpose fulfilled. 
Remember that no ruler is in place accept God allows it.

If God is not sovereign in everything he is not sovereign at all


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

rstanek said:


> I have had people ask me, How do you know for sure that there is a God, a simple response so they understand,I say, I would rather believe and be wrong, that not believe and be wrong. They have no response. I believe.....


Here is the thing.... People that REALLY believe - want to know more about him and are obedient to his teachings


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Maine-Marine said:


> Here is the thing.... People that REALLY believe - want to know more about him and are obedient to his teachings


Psalm 63:8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. KJV


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

A Watchman said:


> Thanks for sharing MG, I like you know what it is like to seek the face and presence of God and stand in amazement at the things he reveals.


All so very true for many of us, Watchman, . . . I sometimes wish I had better words than just "amazing" or "miracle" or "hallelujah" or even "Thank You".

We use those words in the presence of our friends, family, fellow belivers, . . . but sometimes what happened just needs something bigger, . . . like MG's story.

That cross was not there when he cleaned, . . . but it was there when the Lord needed to be confirmed perfectly in his life.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

rice paddy daddy said:


> God is alive and well in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous.


Most in AA and NA would say that God is the only way to sobriety.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

RedLion said:


> Most in AA and NA would say that God is the only way to sobriety.


If they want to stay sober, it is essential, according to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. That is the connecting thread found all through the book, in addition to a whole chapter on the subject: Chapter Four, We Agnostics.

God is mentioned 8 times in the 12 Steps Of Alcoholics Anonymous. Several examples (OK, God is not mentioned in Step 12, rather the wonderful result of gaining a relationship with Him)
Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
:vs_love:


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

rice paddy daddy said:


> If they want to stay sober, it is essential, according to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. That is the connecting thread found all through the book, in addition to a whole chapter on the subject: Chapter Four, We Agnostics.
> 
> God is mentioned 8 times in the 12 Steps Of Alcoholics Anonymous. Several examples (OK, God is not mentioned in Step 12, rather the wonderful result of gaining a relationship with Him)
> Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
> ...


Just the recipe for good living regardless if addiction is a problem or not.


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## Panchito (Aug 24, 2015)

N


Maine-Marine said:


> Lets look at the second part and lets look at the Jews being killed in Germany during WWII. it was awful. But did God get the glory in the end and was his purpose fulfilled.
> Remember that no ruler is in place accept God allows it.
> 
> If God is not sovereign in everything he is not sovereign at all


I am sorry but you are going to have to explain to me how God got the glory in the Jews being killed?
I agree God is ultimately in control but.... Isn't Satan kind of the " ruler" of the world until Jesus comes and kicks his arse?


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Panchito said:


> N
> 
> I am sorry but you are going to have to explain to me how God got the glory in the Jews being killed?
> I agree God is ultimately in control but.... Isn't Satan kind of the " ruler" of the world until Jesus comes and kicks his arse?


How did God get the Glory.

1. Lots of people had to turn to him
2. Israel became a nation because of it

and 3rd I will a Rabbi's answer
_What greater conceit and what greater heartlessness can there be than to give a 'reason' for the death and torture of millions of innocent men, women and children? Can we presume to assume that an explanation small enough to fit inside the finite bounds of human reason can explain a horror of such magnitude? We can only concede that there are things that lie beyond the finite ken of the human mind. It is not my task to justify God on this. Only God Himself can answer for what He allowed it to happen. And the only answer we will accept is the immediate and complete Redemption that will forever banish evil from the face of the earth and bring to light the intrinsic goodness and perfection of God's creation&#8230;There is absolutely no rationalistic explanation for the Holocaust except for the fact that it was a Divine decree_&#8230;

Is satan ruler of this world. No. he is the prince or god (small g) but he still must answer to God.

Satan still has access to heaven, he has not been cast down yet...

The long and short of it is God is in control. Yes we have free will.. but in all things God Wills it or God allows it... ALL THINGS


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

Panchito said:


> N
> 
> I am sorry but you are going to have to explain to me how God got the glory in the Jews being killed?
> I agree God is ultimately in control but.... Isn't Satan kind of the " ruler" of the world until Jesus comes and kicks his arse?


Panchito, . . . you will have to bear with me on this one, . . . takes a while to explain even what little I understand about it.

1: Everyone who reaches the age of accountability, where God judges THAT individual as "from here on out" responsible for their own personal actions, then becomes a sovereign entity, capable of going to hell or going to heaven.

2: Their relationship with God will determine that last part, whether they go to heaven or hell.

3: We also have a God given right and privilege to determine how we will or will not participate in our own personal preservation.

4: The Jews failed miserably in # 3.

5: God foresaw the willingness of the Jews to be led to the slaughter, . . . and *allowed it to happen* for a greater purpose.

6: That greater purpose was the re-certification of Israel as a nation in May of 1948. They had not been a country since the year 70 AD when Titus sacked and leveled Jerusalem and basically disenfranchised the nation of Israel. Additionally, all Roman map makers were given specific orders to remove the name of Israel from all maps, all books, all publications, and replace it with the term "Palestine".

7: Israel had to once again be certified as a nation so that the pages of the Bible that contain Israel in prophesy, . . . could be fulfilled. Without the nation of Israel, Matthew 24, Luke 21, Mark 13, . . . and sundry other prophesies were impossible to be fulfilled.

THAT is where God will ultimately get His glory out of the Jews being killed. Did they all die and go to hell???? I will not get into that discussion, simply because I am not their judge, . . . others will jump on that bandwagon, . . . I will not. I am of the opinion that God allowed it to happen, . . . knowing who / when / where / and what would happen.

NOW, . . . your last question: NO, . . . and again for emphasis *NO, NOT, NADA, NEVER, ........* Satan is not the "ruler" of this world. Satan ONLY has the power that people will give him in and over their lives, their actions, their desires, etc.

He cannot change the weather, . . . he cannot change the time, . . . he cannot make *ANYTHING HAPPEN* that is contrary to the laws of nature defined by God and Jesus.

He cannot read our minds, . . . but he can toss in suggestions, . . . ideas, . . . and when he gets a group of people together listening to his suggestions, . . . he gets something like our congress or our senate or the liberal half of our supreme court. He promotes materialism, self gratification, and anything that will detract from the worship of God and Jesus.

Sorry for the length, . . . hope you did not get bored, . . . but Satan is our enemy, . . . not God, . . . not God's purposes. Satan is the one we need to understand and be ready to war against.

AND, . . . with God the Father, the Holy Spirit, Jesus the Son, . . . and 2/3 of the angels of heaven on our side, . . . we cannot lose, . . .

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Panchito (Aug 24, 2015)

Kj


dwight55 said:


> Panchito, . . . you will have to bear with me on this one, . . . takes a while to explain even what little I understand about it.
> 
> 1: Everyone who reaches the age of accountability, where God judges THAT individual as "from here on out" responsible for their own personal actions, then becomes a sovereign entity, capable of going to hell or going to heaven.
> 
> ...


Don't get me wrong ! I don't want to glorify Satan in any way at all !!!! But are you sure that he has that " little " power? I just don't want to underestimate him? 
I guess I have problems with the free will , and what God allows thing, and how God gets the glory in everything, specifically the bad stuff.
Just to clarify. I am on team Jesus!


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

Panchito said:


> Kj
> 
> Don't get me wrong ! I don't want to glorify Satan in any way at all !!!! But are you sure that he has that " little " power? I just don't want to underestimate him?
> I guess I have problems with the free will , and what God allows thing, and how God gets the glory in everything, specifically the bad stuff.
> Just to clarify. I am on team Jesus!


Am I sure, . . . sure, yes, . . . absolutely and positively certain, . . . no.

In the course of making a life for myself, . . . I developed a black hat/white hat philosophy on life, . . . everything can be deduced down to a black hat (bad) or white hat (good) determination. I do not make room for much in a grey area, . . . especially if it has to do with eternity, permanence, etc.

It my reading of the scriptures, . . . other outside studies, . . . listening to other teachers, . . . I have never once been shown that Satan has powers that are "out of this world". In fact, . . . every bad thing I can think of can be traced back to a *decision made by the mind of a human being*, . . . from Eve and the fruit to the idiot I encountered in the Wendy's parking lot tonight.

Human decision is the lowest common denominator for evil, . . . and all evil can be traced to it.

Therefore, . . . I'm going to put the "blame" there, . . . as it is something I can help people with. I cannot heal a blind man, raise the dead, or lift up a cripple, . . . but I can help them make decisions that will make a better life for them.

It all comes down to the one statement made back in the Old Testament: choose ye this day whom ye shall serve, . . . as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord. The predominant thought of that passage is the one word: choose......... Choice is what makes it good, . . . or bad, . . . white hat, . . . or black hat.

It is all choice, . . . by the human, . . . after having been tempted. And if we read the story of Job, . . . we see that satan had no power over Job, until God gave him that power. But even after satan had done everything he had the ability to do, . . . Job still thumbed his nose at satan and at his wife who would have given up the first week.

But, . . . that is just my take on it. Other people make room for grey areas, . . . which to me is too close to asking trouble to walk in and sit in the chair next to me.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Panchito said:


> Kj
> 
> Don't get me wrong ! I don't want to glorify Satan in any way at all !!!! But are you sure that he has that " little " power? I just don't want to underestimate him?
> I guess I have problems with the free will , and what God allows thing, and how God gets the glory in everything, specifically the bad stuff.
> Just to clarify. I am on team Jesus!


Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers - where is the glory for God in that? if we only look at that event we would assume that the evil done in no way glorified God.. however look at the end game, Joseph ended up saving his whole nation

Stephen getting stoned to death... It would appear that there was no glory to God there, until you consider that we still read about the event and understand that life is not as precious as we think and that going home to the father on the throne is better

God could STOP an event he wanted to stop.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

Take eight minutes and fifty three seconds out of your life and listen to what this rabi said before members of congress:


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## Panchito (Aug 24, 2015)

U


Maine-Marine said:


> Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers - where is the glory for God in that? if we only look at that event we would assume that the evil done in no way glorified God.. however look at the end game, Joseph ended up saving his whole nation
> 
> Stephen getting stoned to death... It would appear that there was no glory to God there, until you consider that we still read about the event and understand that life is not as precious as we think and that going home to the father on the throne is better
> 
> God could STOP an event he wanted to stop.


But. But. But. Ok! I see where you're coming from!


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