Sometimes I think Christians are just giving up

If they even believe there is anything left to give up.

There was a letter on another blog in which the individual lamented that he doesn't think most people even believe it anymore.  Most in church that is.  He was Catholic, and though beaten down by this observation, isn't planning on leaving the Catholic Church.  Nonetheless, I fear his lament transcends any particular tradition in the Christian world.  It might even touch on Judaism as well.

Fact is, most are mostly atheist and assume atheism until an atheistic, material explanation doesn't work.  Then we'll consider the possibility of God and spiritual stuff.  Sunday mornings is a little different, but otherwise, throughout the week, it's mostly assuming a reality that smacks more of Dawkins, Harris, and Hawking than Matthew, Mark and Luke.

I thought of that as I saw on the news this morning a story about a local middle school having classes on yoga and meditation.   It's in partnership with BalletMet (the local ballet company).  Apparently the whole class is about teaching meditation, mindfulness and yoga.  Turns out, that's all the rage, and not just in that local school.

I know.  It's supposedly a 'secular' spin on these things.  Nonetheless, you know as well as I do that the line between 'meditation' and 'meditation as spiritual discipline' is paper thin.  Remember, this is the country where students have been told they can't even thank God in a speech about their own life's experiences.  That high level of intolerance seems to stand in stark contrast to our rather high tolerance of a broad approach to disciplines with roots in a decidedly Eastern spiritual worldview.

And it dawned on me, thinking of that letter.  I think of things that Christians were fighting against and trying to resist all those years ago when I became a Christian in 1990.  I guess if you really don't believe most of it, you're certainly not going to put up a fight for it.  Most don't seem to think religion has much to do with your eternal destiny anyway.  Just be a swell person (see Pope Francis).  Beyond that, I wonder how much most actually believe anymore.  It's as if we're entering the period of Christian agnosticism.  And the speed with which the defenses are failing and the offense is faltering is the best proof you can find.