My wife and I just spent 2 weeks in England with her family, for Christmas (?) celebrations, and family wedding and to be a tourist.  We went to church twice on our own......once in London at St. Martins at Trafalger Square and in a little town in Dorset.  At both services, the make-up of the church goers was the same: average age was 70;  almost NObody was there for the age group of 20-50; the turnout was meager; and the sermon was not deep, nor long.  At St Martin's the vicar said "I have talked to many people over the years about why they come to this church.  And almost all said it was for the feeling of community."  I thought to myself:  And nobody said it was to learn more about their Lord, about Christ, about the Bible?????  Well, sad to say, based on the meager turnout, nobody really cares about the community either.......how sad......how very, very sad.
 
Asking questions of family and others in passing at the wedding.....I think religion in England has become "letting everybody beleive whatever they want to beleive, and just being tolerant of everyone's views."  A family member, a daughter of a vicar.....now aged 70+)  told me she truly believes that wherever it is your religion tells you that you get to go when you die....THAT's where you go.     What??? !!!!!!!!  Oh my gosh..........
 
No wonder Prince Charles came over to see President Bush a couple months ago, to tell him  to be more tolerant of the muslims..........   whew......
 
It occurred to me that two views are now more often (maybe) just an American held belief, than European, or certainly worldwide:   1) A belief in the Bible, one God - OUR GOD; and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  THIS is what STILL seperates US from the rest of the world......it always has, and hope it always will......ONe nation, under God....and all that goes with this!!
 
And 2) ANY talk about a "soon return of Jesus Christ" and a rapture of the church, would make almost ANYONE outside of the U.S. look at us like we were from Pluto, or something.  NO, I mean it.  It would be a foreign concept.
 
I know we have posts from  people around the world..............but they really must be in a small, small minority of people in their countries looking for the soon return.  I mean, even in the U.S., we are in the minority....
 
I don't know.....this is just what struck me by this visit.  Can 2 church visits and a few discussions in England allow such an overgenaralization?  If Christianity in England is still strong and present, I certainly missed it......and I was looking for it!
 
May God bless the United States...still......and may God have mercy on the countries who have chosen to forget about Him............