Can't Blame Everything on the 60's

As noted by Michael Kruse, vice chair of the PC (USA) General Assembly Council, according to Roger Finke and Rodney Stark mainline decline in relation to the population growth can be traced back to much earlier. Growth is not enough to prevent denominational decline. The question is whether growth occurs at a rate similar to the growth in the general population. In their recent book The Churching of American, 1776-2005: Winners and Losers in Our Religious Economy, Methodist decline is traced back to around 1850 when circuit riders were exchanged for more settled educated clergy and efforts were made to be accepted by those with status in society.

The authors also point to the little recognized fact that America is NOT becoming less religious.

Presbyterian Heritage and Missions

If there is a single trait which serves to give to the Presbyterian Church in the United States a distinct character it is that of a Spirit of Missionary Enterprise which it has possessed from its very origin.
Unpublished history, “Standing Committee of Missions,” c. 1827.

According to the denominational the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. was the first Protestant denomination in the United States to organize a missions committee at the national level. In 1802, the General Assembly appointed seven members to the initial Standing Committee of Missions. The success of the committee and subsequent growth in mission work led to the organization of a permanent Board of Missions in 1815 and a separate Board of Foreign Missions in 1837. From age to age, Presbyterian mission work has touched the lives of people throughout the United States and the world. The statistics to the left show how in 2006 the PC(USA) had less than one-sixth the number of missionaries than in 1965. (From the April 08 edition of Presbyterians Today)

A simple and great thought on prayer

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?"
Corrie Ten Boon

Um terço dos espanhóis admite ser xenófobo, diz relatório

According to the report: "Immigrants, new citizens: on the road to an inter-cultural Spain" released by the Spanish Federation of Banks, one third of Spanish people admit to being xenophobic.

Os espanhóis estão cada vez mais intolerantes com a imigração, segundo um relatório recém-lançado pelo governo da Espanha.

De acordo com a pesquisa, nos últimos oito anos, o índice de rejeição aos estrangeiros triplicou, e um terço da população agora admite ser xenófoba.

O relatório "Imigrantes: Novos cidadãos. A caminho de uma Espanha Intercultural" elaborado pela Confederação Espanhola de Bancos indica que parte dos espanhóis associa imigração com delinqüência e outros problemas.

No ano de 2000, o índice de rejeição era de 10%. A última pesquisa revela que, nos primeiros meses de 2008, um terço dos espanhóis (30%) confessou ser xenófobo em ao menos alguma resposta.

Quatro entre dez entrevistados, por exemplo, prefeririam não ter um vizinho imigrante ou cigano. Seis entre dez afirmam que a insegurança aumenta por culpa dos estrangeiros.

"Níveis de racismo"

O relatório estabelece quatro níveis de racismo e xenofobia. O primeiro é o radical, dos que mantêm o discurso de superioridade e defendem a expulsão de todos os imigrantes.

O segundo, chamado de inserção subalterna, inclui os que reivindicam prioridade para os espanhóis diante dos estrangeiros.

O terceiro nível é o de integração formal, em que entram os moderados que concordam com condições de igualdade de direitos e deveres entre moradores locais e imigrantes.

Leia a noticia da BBC Brasil

The Wall Street Journal: "Surge in U.S. Hispanic Population Driven by Births, Not Immigration"