The Future Foretold/The Pagan Revival
From The Endtime
| The Future Foretold | ||
| Information Overload | The Pagan Revival | Fascination with Satan |
"Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day [of Jesus' Second Coming] will not come unless the falling away [from faith and belief in Jesus] comes first" (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
The civilizations of Europe and countries of the Western world have been described by many commentators as now being "post-Christian." The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy–O'Connor, gave this bleak assessment of Christianity in the United Kingdom. "Christ is being replaced by music, New Age beliefs, the environmental movement, the occult, and the free-market economy."[1]
In Jesus' discourse about the signs that would precede His return, three times He told His disciples that numerous false prophets would arise on the world scene, and that they would attract large followings. "Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many" (Matthew 24:11)[2].
Paganism is flourishing. The BBC reports: "A study in 1997 suggested there were 100,000 practicing pagans in the UK, an increase of 95,000 since 1990."[3]
"Pagan power" is similarly on the increase in North America. AP reports,
According to the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, based on data from the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) conducted in 2001, there are approximately 408,000 Wiccan and Pagan adults in the United States. The figure rises to 750,000 if their children are included. This would make it the seventh largest religious grouping in that country. There are an estimated 40,000 in Canada.
The ARIS survey of the American adult population indicates a growth in the Wiccan community of 17-fold between 1990 and 2001—the highest of any faith group monitored. This would indicate a doubling in numbers of adherents about every 2.5 years. If the latter growth rate is accurate and if it continues, then Wicca would be the third largest religious group in the U.S. by about 2012, behind Christianity and Judaism.[6]
In May 1998 the Chicago Tribune reported that, though difficult to quantify due to lack of formal organization, neo-paganism is the fastest-growing religion in North America, with the Internet being the prime means of proselytizing.[7]Although the Bible and prayer were officially banned and removed from U.S. public schools in 1962, many of these same schools now offer their pupils accredited courses in witchcraft and the occult.
[edit] Notes and References
- ↑ "Is Christianity 'almost vanquished'?" Charles Moore, Western Catholic Reporter (Canada), 15 Oct 2001
- ↑ Note: See also verses 5 and 24 of Matthew 24.
- ↑ "Pagans celebrate as numbers soar," BBC Web site, 31 Oct 1999
- ↑ The Daily Record, Glasgow, Scotland, 12 Aug 2001
- ↑ Martinez, Michael J. "Modern Witches," AP, 31 Oct 1995
- ↑ American Religious Identification Survey, by The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, at: http://www.gc.cuny.edu/studies/
- ↑ Quoted in "21st Century Challenges to Separation of Religion and Government," Jefferson 21st Century Institute, at: www.j21c.org/challeng.htm.
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