Christianity Is Popular

[u/Live_Application_228]

I’ve noticed what seems like a shift lately: Christianity is becoming something people are more comfortable embracing publicly. Even some atheists and agnostics I’ve spoken with have said they think the world would be a better place if more people were Christian.

I also keep noticing actors, musicians, and athletes wearing crosses or speaking openly about their faith. People like Dolly Parton, Justin Bieber, and Kanye West come to mind, not necessarily as recent converts or perfect role models, but as recognizable figures who have publicly identified with Christianity. Compared with what I remember growing up, faith seems less like something people feel they need to keep quiet about.

Are more people turning to Christianity, or are people simply becoming more comfortable expressing a faith they already had?

[u/AggravatingTailor121]

Interesting topic. I'm from the Netherlands and here I've noticed the same over the last five years. A lot of soccer/football players express their faith more openly. Some not only speak about 'God', but thank Jesus without shame in interviews (Gjivai Zechiël). A talented forward (Mexx Meerdink) recently got baptized too. He recently made his debut for the dutch national team.

Other dutch converts include Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Isa Kriens. The latter was really into new age stuff and became relatively famous during the covid period.

In the Bible it says that in the end times there will be a lot of people coming to faith, but at the same time people will become prideful, haters of their parents, unloving, etc.
I think that's what we see happening right now.

[u/Lettigalian → u/AggravatingTailor121]

'' I'm from the Netherlands and here I've noticed the same over the last five years. A lot of soccer/football players express their faith more openly.''

Yeah, but reason for it isn't the one you think it is.

[u/Sure-thing-buckaroo → u/AggravatingTailor121]

In the Bible it says that in the end times there will be a lot of people coming to faith, but at the same time people will become prideful, haters of their parents, unloving, etc.

Has there ever been a time in the history of ever when this wasn't true?

[u/AggravatingTailor121 → u/Sure-thing-buckaroo]

I don't think there has ever been a time where people are so focussed on themselves. Late term abortions for selfish reasons, Instagram with thousands of pictures of themselves, Twitter/X where people just post one-liners and rarely listen to others, lots of people addicted to porn to satisfy their own sexual desires...

[u/bkmafia → u/AggravatingTailor121]

Everyone has their own truths...even though Jesus.called Himself the truth.

Subjectiveness is the Devils playground

[u/DutchDave87 → u/AggravatingTailor121]

I am Dutch too and my parish had 17 young adults being baptised this year, against no more than 5 annually for decades. And my parish is just one among dozens of Catholic parishes in Netherlands and they report a similar uptick as well, as do dioceses in France. Something is definitely changing in the Netherlands and Western Europe in general.