The rise of atheism.

In the United States,atheism is growing faster than any religious group.  Nearly 20% of Americans now avoid “organized religion in favor of a non-defined skepticism about faith.”  Many are leaving organized religion as American society becomes more secular.  These church dropouts are turned off by the increasingly political nature of organized religion and by “Old Testament condemnations of homosexuals, premarital sex, contraception and abortion.  The Catholic Church’s sex scandals also prompted millions to equate religion with moralistic hypocrisy.”  The once “Christian nation” of America is not just turning away from mainstream Christianity, but from organized religion as a whole (Yahoo News, April 13, 2012).

As society moves further away from the “laws of God,” the love of many—for God’s moral way of life—is growing cold (Matthew 24:12).  However, religion is the tool for positively influencing the morality of society.  Noted historians Will and Ariel Durant have observed, “There is no significant example in history of a society successfully maintaining moral life without the aid of religion” (Lessons of History, p. 51). 

While many believe that this moving away from outdated moral instructions in the Bible is a sign of progress, ancient Bible prophecies reveal that prior to the return of Jesus Christ there will be a great “falling away” from the standards of biblical Christianity (2 Thessalonians 2:3).  As we approach the end of this age, this trend will continue to increase.