<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"America may have never been a \u201CChristian nation,\u201D but this is for sure: For most of this country\u2019s history, Christianity has been a dominant cultural and social force. From the engine behind social service outreaches to the founding of educational institutions, hospitals and more, the Christian faith has made an indelible mark on our society\u2014at least until recently.\r\n\r\nToday, that voice is in decline. Although a 2012 Pew Forum Study indicated 73 percent of Americans still identify themselves as \u201CChristian,\u201D that number would drop dramatically when it comes to significant areas of influence such as the media, academia, business, entertainment and more.\r\n\r\nChristianity has always had a love/hate relationship with culture\u2014particularly the media. The Catholic Church rose up against the invention of the printing press, fearing the common man\u2019s ability to read the Bible for himself would undermine the Church\u2019s authority. As a result, William Tyndale spent most of his adult life running from the authorities, living among smugglers and eventually being martyred, all for the \u201Ccrime\u201D of translating the Word of God into English.\r\n\r\nSince that time, the Church has learned some important lessons. By 1833, the American Bible Society owned more printing presses than the largest publisher in the U.S. Early in the 20th century, the Church embraced movies, radio, then TV and now the Internet and social media. But in the vast majority of cases, we\u2019re not using those platforms to engage the greater culture. From the web to publishing, record labels, TV networks, universities and more, the last 50 years have seen a withdrawal from mainstream culture and a move back to a cloistered, protective bubble. How do we regain influence? \r\n\r\n\r\nTwo thousand years ago, an obscure, marginal group following the teachings of Jesus became the dominant religious force in the Western world. They didn\u2019t have political power, an army or vast wealth, so how did they do it?\r\n\r\nFor one thing, they lived lives that baffled the Romans. For instance, at the time, the life of a child had little meaning in Roman culture. If a newborn was unwanted, it was simply left to die. But Christians would go out and find these babies, take them in and raise them as their own. The Romans simply had no context for why anyone would do that. There were plenty of other ways Christians confounded the empire, and after a while, it made a difference. Not through criticism or force, but through actions. \r\n\r\nWhat could Christians do today that would so astound people that they might reconsider our message? \r\n\r\nPerhaps we start with Foster Care. If the Church got serious about solving that issue, there wouldn\u2019t be a foster child within 100 miles of any church in America. And what about funerals? Why do we weep like the rest of the world? Our loved one just stepped into eternity, why aren\u2019t we throwing a party? And let\u2019s fix our marriages. The Church doesn\u2019t have much moral authority when it speaks about marriage as long as the divorce rate among Christians is so high. \r\n\r\nThere are numerous examples, but it all comes down to transformation. If we were really living a transformed life, it would stand out. We can\u2019t argue our way back to the table. But what if we actually lived out the surprising, bewildering and outlandish truth of the Bible? Perhaps just as it happened 2,000 years ago, someone would notice. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/can-christianity-make-comeback>