[Darris McNeely] So guess what the largest religious group in America happens to be right now? I was surprised, it's atheists. Over 23% of those polled say that they are atheists and that's now become the dominant religion in the United States. While mainline religions have declined a great deal in recent years, and again, that's not big news, the rise of those who are agnostic, atheistic, not believing in God is increasing, becoming dominant in our culture today. 

Really, that should not be surprising because there's something else that's been happening and I've been reading a great deal about this lately and that is because of the stresses of life, because of a lot of the problems and disorders that are a part of our culture that have been on the increase, suicide rates increasing, health rates declining among certain segments of the American society. To see that atheism is becoming the dominant faith as we would call it, should not be surprising because what we're looking at is a cultural decline in America and other parts of the world but in America, particularly as this is being watched and this is creating a great deal of disorder and problems. When you have situations like this where one in six Americans take antidepressant drugs and nearly one in five American adults suffer from anxiety disorders then to see that atheism is the dominant faith, we shouldn't be surprised. 

Where might you fall on that? Where might someone that you know fall on that as well? We are living in a very interesting time, we're living in a period where materialism is producing a materialistic society and a focus away from God. We are watching a licentious society worship sex, a culture that doesn't worship God is going to slide in that direction and that's where we are at this particular time. 

What is really needed in our world at this time is what we see in 2 Timothy 1 where we see that the spirit of God produces a mindset and a faith and a confidence of power and love and a sound mind. When we can focus in on that, all these others can begin to be put aside but atheism that will not find itself in that direction. We're living in a very interesting period of time and the decline in health and other problems that certain parts of our society can be directly traced to this decline in faith.

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.