[…] it seems that this “personal relationship” thing started during the Enlightenment. And, as you say, some people argue that the “accept Jesus into your heart” thing really got going with American evangelical grifter-preachers like Billy Graham. I will read some more. Thanks for the tip.

Yeah, for sure. Someone else pointed out that it’s also a repackaging of an ancient and widely-discredited heresy called Gnosticism, so perhaps “recent” is an overstatement; but for the vast majority of Christian history, it has not been considered orthodox.

Christianity has lost almost all credibility.

I don’t disagree, though I might clarify that Christianity has lost almost all credibility in the West due to the association with people who claim the name but have nothing to do with its tenets.

Educated people just aren’t going to go back to believing in some invisible sky daddy.

I don’t think that necessarily matches up with the data. Globally, Christians have on average the same amount or more schooling than non-Christians. The association of anti-intellectualism with Christians is also a recent American phenomenon, the Dark Ages excepted.

I mean, come on, an all-powerful, invisible, father figure who delivers justice to the oppressed (but only in the NEXT life) and who loves you no matter what? […] And some Middle Eastern dude whose death saved all of humanity and who said he’s coming back any time now, but that was 2000 years ago? It’s too much.

Yeah, I agree, it’s unusual. But if it was completely explainable, if it matched all of our expectations and experiences, it wouldn’t be divine. A transcendent God would have to do things and know things we don’t expect or understand, or we would be his equal.

It is too obviously a wishful construct of childish human consciousness.

I have to be honest, if I were trying to imagine and craft a religion for myself, it would be a lot heavier on me always getting what I want and a lot lower on the self-sacrifice. (/s, but only a little bit)

Honestly, and I legitimately just realized this, it would look a lot more like the false faith that people like Johnson believe in.

Protestantism is currently associated with American evangelical right wing nutters. […very fair criticism…] If anything, the crazy moralistic and hypocritical side of Christianity seems to be taking centre stage.

Yep. They are. For those of us who try not to be in that camp, it’s very frustrating. But I think they are honestly the loud minority.

Western populations outside of the US are rejecting Christianity in droves and that rejection is particularly pronounced among young people. If Trump and the Christian anti-science right-wingers take office again, it might well be the final nail in the coffin for religion in most of the West.

This has been oft-prophesied. I will say that, if this anti-science right-wing nonsense masquerading as Christianity dies, what small remnant of Christians might continue on will be much healthier with their absence.

Extremist Muslims and Jews massacring each other in the Middle East, and Modi with his Hindu Nationalism, just make the societal mood toward religion worse, leading many to believe that ALL religion is inherently harmful.

I would hope people are able to see the difference between religion and extremism. Not that extremists make that easy.

Honestly, rather than the Second Reformation you speak of, I think we are more likely see further bans on religious expression in public life, and possibly some form of state protection for children to prevent them from being religiously indoctrinated.

In any occasion where religion is suppressed or banned, it flourishes underground. This is well-attested historically, not merely for Christians; and can be seen even today in places like China.

If all the “reasonable” people leave religion behind, only the extremists will be left, which will further convince the population that religion is harmful. It seems like Christianity has entered that downward spiral.

Perhaps. I think the premise is unfounded, but in any case it doesn’t change my plan. All the bad feelings and negative thoughts about Christianity are meaningless if it’s true, and I believe it is; so I’ll just keep on trying to be as loving and helpful as I can.