¿RELIGION + RECESSION = REVOLUTION?

Organized religion was already in trouble before the fall of 2008. Denominations were stagnating or shrinking, and congregations across faith groups were fretting about their finances. The Great Recession made things worse; and with so many of us feeling protective of our resources due to the lack of security about the economy today, religious life WON’T be the same. The financial resources of many congregations, seminaries and religious schools have disappeared. In areas hit hardest by the recession, worshipers have moved away to find jobs, leaving those who remain to minister to communities struggling with rising unemployment AND uncertainty. Religion has a long history of drawing hope out of suffering, but there's little good news emerging from the recession. Long after the economy improves, the changes made today will have a profound effect on how people practice their faith, where they turn for help in times of stress and how they pass their beliefs to their children. The meltdown has destroyed our financial buffer and though we are inclined to hold onto our various religious outlets to gain a greater sense of safety, how can one do that when the church is affected as well? I ALWAYS tell others that in ALL things in life, it is IMPORTANT to remember that the only thing we can be certain of is change. And because of this FACT, shouldn’t the church should serve as a reminder that change will always happen because it is a NATURAL part of life and use this time to revolutionize the world? If the church REALLY believes in their message, wouldn’t/shouldn’t they use this time as a way of starting from the ground up and I don’t know…maybe doing what they preach? Even I believe that @ some point the church will find itself overcome with the desire to become better @ its job…crazy huh? MAYBE NOT! They have all proven their unique capability of navigating this world, so as things get worse, can’t they get better? There is an innate need for evolution but the way forward is NOT clear because we need a REVOLUTION! SO AS WE ENDEAVOR TO CHANGE AS CHANGE TAKES PLACE, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT PLACES WHERE WE WORSHIP CULTIVATE THE HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS THAT WILL MAKE THIS WORLD A MUCH BETTER PLACE, SO WE COULD START TO EASE THE FRUSTRATING UNCERTAINTY OF THE WORLD & COME TOGETHER AS ONE…