Religious Pie-Charts Are Ridiculous!
Jul 11, 2018 10:34:22 GMT -5
John, frienduff, and 1 more like this
Post by tlsitd on Jul 11, 2018 10:34:22 GMT -5
You've probably seen them: Religious pie-charts---those graphs that divide the world's population by religion (this percentage of Christians, this percentage of Muslims, etc.)
These charts seem to be used by the secular media and foolish Christians (or professing Christians) to illustrate the predominance of the two major religions of the world---primarily to compare Christianity with Islam these days---as though they are in competition with each other to conquer the world, and as though having more numbers means something. Christians are even willing to claim Roman Catholics to increase their numbers, to "win" the competition.
It's totally ridiculous to make these kinds of charts, and foolish for Christians to pay any attention to them---for several reasons.
Christianity has never been about numbers, for one thing. True Christians have always been and always will be a very small percentage of the world's population. Many are called but FEW are chosen, said Jesus. So why do Christians think that it should be otherwise?
If an accurate pie-chart could be made, by God, illustrating how He sees the world, there would only be two colors: Black (representing the darkness, those who do not know Him) and white (representing the light, those who do know Him), and most of the pie-chart would be black, with just a sliver of white. It wouldn't matter what those in the black were: professing Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Atheist; they would be in the black---the perishing. If such a chart were to be made, Christians would be rejoicing to be a part of the sliver!
Muslims FAR exceed true Christians. There's no comparison whatsoever. The Muslims are part of the black of "God's pie-chart", as are the Roman Catholics---people who do not know Him and are on their way to the lake of fire, (except for any among them He has chosen to be saved, who will eventually become a part of the white percentage.)
Numbers are something that natural, competitive man is concerned about. God is concerned about truth and quality, not quantity. Christianity is not in competition with Islam in numbers, but only spiritually, as the soldiers of the faith contend with the spiritual authorities over this present darkness to bring God's saving truth to those who are in darkness and bring them into His light.
It's that same kind of foolish thinking about numbers that makes Christians excited about filling mega-"churches" with people---as though having more people in a place means some kind of victory for the cause of Christ. Rather than focusing on making genuine converts, they just bring people in and "Christianize" them, "converting" them to a perverted form of Christianity that isn't, and increasing their numbers with unsaved souls that God doesn't recognize and isn't pleased with---who will be part of the MANY who will say to Him on the day of judgment "Lord, Lord". The numbers do not glorify Him at all. God doesn't want MORE ersatz Christians; He wants REAL Christians.
Which brings me to another point about those pie-charts: The "Christian" percentage includes everyone who claims to be a Christian. It does not represent people who are born again (which is the only percentage Christians should be concerned about, if there was any way calculate that so that it could be charted---which there isn't.) That "Christian" percentage includes Roman Catholics, probably Seventh-Day Adventists, maybe even Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses---anyone who is remotely connected to Christian teachings or beliefs in any way----besides all of the many denominational and non-denominational "Protestants" who profess to be Christians and aren't born again.
(Most Americans would probably tell you that they are Christian by "culture" or religious affiliation, but most Americans are not truly born again. Calling yourself a Christian doesn't make you one; but it will suffice to get you into the Christian percentage of a pie-chart.)
It confounds me how some Christians want to claim Catholics as Christians in order to win some kind of numbers competition between Christianity and Islam or the other religions of the world. It's totally ridiculous. God doesn't care what the dominant religion on earth is; He cares about people being saved. He never intended for Christianity to conquer the world in numbers; but it will ultimately be the only religion of the whole world---when He destroys this one and creates a new one. In this world, true Christians will always be only a sliver of the pie; but it's the sliver that is going to heaven, and which will someday fill the whole world.
The rest of the chart---of "God's pie-chart"---the larger percentage---is going to hell, and to the lake of fire. Is that something to be proud of?
These charts seem to be used by the secular media and foolish Christians (or professing Christians) to illustrate the predominance of the two major religions of the world---primarily to compare Christianity with Islam these days---as though they are in competition with each other to conquer the world, and as though having more numbers means something. Christians are even willing to claim Roman Catholics to increase their numbers, to "win" the competition.
It's totally ridiculous to make these kinds of charts, and foolish for Christians to pay any attention to them---for several reasons.
Christianity has never been about numbers, for one thing. True Christians have always been and always will be a very small percentage of the world's population. Many are called but FEW are chosen, said Jesus. So why do Christians think that it should be otherwise?
If an accurate pie-chart could be made, by God, illustrating how He sees the world, there would only be two colors: Black (representing the darkness, those who do not know Him) and white (representing the light, those who do know Him), and most of the pie-chart would be black, with just a sliver of white. It wouldn't matter what those in the black were: professing Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Atheist; they would be in the black---the perishing. If such a chart were to be made, Christians would be rejoicing to be a part of the sliver!
Muslims FAR exceed true Christians. There's no comparison whatsoever. The Muslims are part of the black of "God's pie-chart", as are the Roman Catholics---people who do not know Him and are on their way to the lake of fire, (except for any among them He has chosen to be saved, who will eventually become a part of the white percentage.)
Numbers are something that natural, competitive man is concerned about. God is concerned about truth and quality, not quantity. Christianity is not in competition with Islam in numbers, but only spiritually, as the soldiers of the faith contend with the spiritual authorities over this present darkness to bring God's saving truth to those who are in darkness and bring them into His light.
It's that same kind of foolish thinking about numbers that makes Christians excited about filling mega-"churches" with people---as though having more people in a place means some kind of victory for the cause of Christ. Rather than focusing on making genuine converts, they just bring people in and "Christianize" them, "converting" them to a perverted form of Christianity that isn't, and increasing their numbers with unsaved souls that God doesn't recognize and isn't pleased with---who will be part of the MANY who will say to Him on the day of judgment "Lord, Lord". The numbers do not glorify Him at all. God doesn't want MORE ersatz Christians; He wants REAL Christians.
Which brings me to another point about those pie-charts: The "Christian" percentage includes everyone who claims to be a Christian. It does not represent people who are born again (which is the only percentage Christians should be concerned about, if there was any way calculate that so that it could be charted---which there isn't.) That "Christian" percentage includes Roman Catholics, probably Seventh-Day Adventists, maybe even Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses---anyone who is remotely connected to Christian teachings or beliefs in any way----besides all of the many denominational and non-denominational "Protestants" who profess to be Christians and aren't born again.
(Most Americans would probably tell you that they are Christian by "culture" or religious affiliation, but most Americans are not truly born again. Calling yourself a Christian doesn't make you one; but it will suffice to get you into the Christian percentage of a pie-chart.)
It confounds me how some Christians want to claim Catholics as Christians in order to win some kind of numbers competition between Christianity and Islam or the other religions of the world. It's totally ridiculous. God doesn't care what the dominant religion on earth is; He cares about people being saved. He never intended for Christianity to conquer the world in numbers; but it will ultimately be the only religion of the whole world---when He destroys this one and creates a new one. In this world, true Christians will always be only a sliver of the pie; but it's the sliver that is going to heaven, and which will someday fill the whole world.
The rest of the chart---of "God's pie-chart"---the larger percentage---is going to hell, and to the lake of fire. Is that something to be proud of?