Imploding Churches?

[_amantha]

I stopped by RFM and saw a post by Simon Southerton about a bishop and his family who recently decided to leave the church. This sparked a discussion about evidence for an increasing exodus from the church.

I personally don't see evidence for this exodus.

My question is:

Has there ever been a significant religion which has fallen apart as its members come to realize that it is fundamentally false?

[_the road to hana]

I stopped by RFM and saw a post by Simon Southerton about a bishop and his family who recently decided to leave the church. This sparked a discussion about evidence for an increasing exodus from the church.

I personally don't see evidence for this exodus.

My question is:

Has there ever been a significant religion which has fallen apart as its members come to realize that it is fundamentally false?

Worldwide Church of God could fit into this category:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldwide_Church_of_God

It was essentially dismantled after the founder's death and completely refashioned.

[_Scottie]

I assume you're asking about large, well known religions, right?

Small religions fail all the time.

I agree with you. I don't see the church self-destructing anytime soon.

Here in Utah County, it's not uncommon to see 3 meeting houses within a 2 mile radius. And all of them used to capacity.

I wonder when the multi-level meetinghouses will start popping up. Land is getting too expensive here to keep buying 2 acres per chapel.

[_charity]

I think you could examine the RLDS, now Community of Christ, organization. Not much is left of the RLDS, but their buildings and all were taken over by the CoC group, sort of an internal coup.

[_the road to hana]

I think you could examine the RLDS, now Community of Christ, organization. Not much is left of the RLDS, but their buildings and all were taken over by the CoC group, sort of an internal coup.

LOL. The diehard RLDS'ers would say the same thing about what the Brighamites did with the church Joseph Smith organized.

[_karl61]

I read on the web a while back that JW's thought the end was going to be in the late 1800's (sort of like some Mormons) and when it did'New Testament happen they lost about a third, then they switched it to around world war 1 time, and again it did'New Testament happen and they lost a bunch more. I know that when I let JW's have their five minutes at my steps and get my free old testament study guide that they think a supreme ruler is going to appear and take over the government and then there will be peace. They kind of say the same thing each time and then give me my study guide.

[_Doctor Steuss]

My question is:

Has there ever been a significant religion which has fallen apart as its members come to realize that it is fundamentally false?

I think Zoroastrianism was a (very) significant religion which has essentially fallen apart. But, I don't know/think that it's loss of appeal (in regards to its place in antiquity when compared to its current place) was due to a belief/realization of it being “fundamentally false.”

I think that most religions probably “fall apart” when they lose their social cohesion in lieu of any form of true/false realization.

[_JAK]

I think you could examine the RLDS, now Community of Christ, organization. Not much is left of the RLDS, but their buildings and all were taken over by the CoC group, sort of an internal coup.

LOL. The diehard RLDS'ers would say the same thing about what the Brighamites did with the church Joseph Smith organized.

Of course what you’re really discussing is a multiplicity of doctrinal shifts.

You are all (so far) correct in your observation.

Something which few if any organized religious groups want to discuss is the evolution of their particular group.

It is reminiscent of Cognitive Dissonance discussed on another thread. No group wants to face up to the fact that they are a part of a continuing evolution of religious view/doctrine/dogma.

Despite all these morphs, not in any of our lifetimes will we see “implosion” which will diminish all the established and organized religious power-structures. Their first order of business is self preservation. That means that they will go to every length to preserve themselves.

What will be interesting in the short run (our lifetime) will be to see the protests which result in organizational division. They are underway as we speak.

JAK

[_charity]

I think you could examine the RLDS, now Community of Christ, organization. Not much is left of the RLDS, but their buildings and all were taken over by the CoC group, sort of an internal coup.

LOL. The diehard RLDS'ers would say the same thing about what the Brighamites did with the church Joseph Smith organized.

Were you aware of Slaughter Sunday, when the RLDS bishops got to their church buildings and found the locks changed?

Those members who stayed in Nauvoo and eventually became RLDS had all the property that the LDS had to leave as they were forced out of Nauvoo. Actually, there weren't any RLDS until 1872.

[_JAK]

I think you could examine the RLDS, now Community of Christ, organization. Not much is left of the RLDS, but their buildings and all were taken over by the CoC group, sort of an internal coup.

LOL. The diehard RLDS'ers would say the same thing about what the Brighamites did with the church Joseph Smith organized.

Were you aware of Slaughter Sunday, when the RLDS bishops got to their church buildings and found the locks changed?

Those members who stayed in Nauvoo and eventually became RLDS had all the property that the LDS had to leave as they were forced out of Nauvoo. Actually, there weren't any RLDS until 1872.

And the first known use of the term Latter Day Saint was not until 1834.

Doctrinal shifts are moving right along.

JAK