We Seem to Be Living In a Declining Era of Christianity: Understanding How This Happened

By Ken Kapreilian

This is the collegiate edition for 2020 and is being used in the Emeritus program at College of Marin. This book is a follow-on to my previous book, Are We Living In a Declining Era of Christianity?

In this new book I explore the issues regarding our current era and the very important topic which is that

We Seem to Be Living In a Declining Era of Christianity: Understanding How This Happened.

This current era that we are living in, is the opposite of era which gave us The Great Awakening. Remember that The Great Many people have asked the following question, “Has God given up on our nation?” The right question to ask is, “Has our nation given up on God?” This book is written in a thought provoking and informative style. So that after you have finished reading it, you will be fully informed and able to respond in an intelligent and researched manner regarding this issue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9780359791163

Book preview

We Seem to Be Living In a Declining Era of Christianity:

Understanding How This Happened

Ken Kapreilian

© Kapreilian Publishing    2020

ISBN:978-0-359-79116-3

Any use or reproduction without written consent is prohibited by law, except for short media excerpts. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

We Seem to Be Living In a Declining Era of Christianity:

Understanding How This Happened

Preface

Understanding How This Happened

Summary

Introduction

Examples of Beliefs and Behaviors in a Declining Era of Christianity

Bigger is not better

It All Depends On What You Believe

Summary

Chapter 1 – Living In a Post-Christian World

Is God Self- Evident?

Opposition To This World’s Definition Of Fair

What is Truth?

Is Truth Absolute?

Conclusion

The Metaphysical Aspect of God

Just What Is Eternity?

Biblical Absolutes

Summary

Chapter 2 - Culture Wars: This Is the World in Which We Live

Witch Do You Believe In?

The Enemy Within

Can You Read The Writing On The Wall?

Hopelessness and Justice

Summary

Chapter 3 - A Declining Era of Christianity and Generations of Hypocrites

The Adulterous Pastor- No pulpit, no more

Don’t Believe Everything You Think

Now What?  (Been right and been wronged)

If All These Things Are True, Then Why Do People Struggle With Their Behavior?

Summary

Chapter 4 - Applying God’s Grace in Difficult Situations

An Introduction to Grace

What is Grace?

Can The Grace Of God Still Exist In An Awful Situation?

Pride Promotes Strife

How Then Should We Live?

Do Everything without Grumbling

The Present That Is Always Present In Our Life

What Do You Give Of Yourself When There Is Nothing Else Left To Give?

Grace In The Life Of The Believer

Do We Sacrifice Grace And Faith At The Altar Of Institutionalism (A Local Church)?

Summary

Chapter 5 - Why The Doctor’s Office Is Called Their Practice

The Machine Never Stops

What Happens When Those Who Care For Us, Just Don’t Care For Us

Don’t Talk To Me About Grace, You Don’t Understand What I Am Going Through

God’s Grace and Us

Uncertainty

Avoiding Lawsuits With Other Christians

Summary

Final Thoughts

Appendix

Preface

Understanding How This Happened

This section is an introduction and an illumination into the war of Good vs. Evil and as such, it will present a clear picture of that event. The War in heaven was the climactic event; it is the nexus between Good and Evil. Therefore, we will come to understand that Evil, although the opposite of Good, had to originate as a part of God’s plan. Thus, Good and Evil are now a part of the human experience.

So then, let us begin at the beginning. God created the heavenly beings or angels. Satan was one of those angels. Now, a strange and violent force influenced Satan and the other angels. A force they did not fully understand. This is a force so powerful that it can transform even heavenly beings. What is this force? This force is sin. Sin is an act of rebellion against God. Therefore, we also understand that sin existed outside of humanity. Sin and temptation gave Satan the will to wage war against God. His will was to overthrow God and make his (Satan’s) throne higher than that of God. Satan did not understand that you can never fight God and win. Therefore, that era of a tranquil existence was finished.

C:\Users\Ken2\Desktop\Download\fallen angel 3_0.jpg

Isaiah 14:12 - "How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world.

Revelation 12:7–9 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, ⁸ but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. ⁹ So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

By reading the previous verses, we come to understand that this war took place in Heaven. It is very important to understand that this war transcends both space and time. These distinctions (transcend both space and time) make this war unlike any other war. It is helpful to understand this war and its impact on humanity.  All wars have casualties and this war is not different in that respect. This is a war of ideologies and philosophies.

Good and evil are multifaceted. The dualism of good and evil is understood as follows, their origin was in the first eternal realm which is Heaven. Good and evil exist as opposites because Heaven was the genesis of the morality paradigm designed by God. By extension, the Biblical world view represents that morality paradigm.

So then according to Christian theology, Heaven is the eternal place of existence for those who God has deemed are Good (those who have chosen to be saved). Then Hell represents the eternal place of existence for those who God has deemed Evil (those who have chosen not to be saved).

Since this eternal realm is also external to the human physical experience, the second part of the dualism exists when the thoughts of a person become created in their mind. Then these thoughts become manifested by their subsequent actions.

So then the individual determines who they will become (choice or free will). This determination is based on their adaptation of a moral code that defines certain actions as Good and other actions as Evil. Therefore, subsequent actions then become an integral part of their self-identification. By extension, then a person can choose to believe that their actions are directly related to their success.  This is because our morality is part of who we are. As a direct result of this war, sinful acts are a now a part of the will of both heavenly and earthly beings. So then, by extension, sin and temptation influence our emotions. Some of these emotions or desires are pride, envy, jealousy, the desire for power, the need to possess what we currently do not possess. All wars have casualties and this war is not different.  Therefore, in order for people to survive this war and not become a casualty, God gave us His son.

¹⁶  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God. ¹⁹ Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil" (John 3:16-19)

So now, we come to understand the manifestations of the second part of the dualism as follows; Good and Evil are part of the human experience.

In this war there is not any neutral zone. So then where does that leave us? That leaves us with the understanding that God’s morality and sinful behavior affect all of humanity. 

Summary

Chess-World-2

Think of the black pieces as representing Evil and the white pieces as representing Good. This is a fine example of how the new game of chess is being played around the world. This game is based on the mode of behavior and is categorized as Micro aggression. In scenario #1 a person is speaking on a topic (Christianity) and some other people who are listening then feel offended by what the speaker is saying. Now that feeling of being offended triggers a micro aggression from the listener. This then brings up the new definition of intolerance.

If there is someone who says something you don’t agree with, then you can call them intolerant.

If there is someone you don’t like, because of what they said, then again you can call them intolerant.

If there is someone you disagree with,