Why Christianity is losing people.

I firmly believe that religion or rigorous practice can't be applied with pressure and intimidation because that only brings force and violence, not wisdom so it must be fulfilled with reason, debate and intuition. When religion is left to the conviction and conscience of every person, then one can achieve a balance in this world between positive and negative, good and evil, and also between pleasure and pain. If religion brings fear, hatred, separation or anything that will frighten a child, it is probably not a true practice. Religion should bring reverence and respect for everyone and everything, and it should also not be bent for the rich and powerful because one will see wealth and worldly pleasure as worthless in the higher layers of the mind. The cloak of hypocrisy and self-interest has to be removed so praise and blame can be taken with a calm assurance unaffected by both honor and disgrace. There is no need to limit our possibilities as we open our consciousness to greater receptivity, to an enlarged concept of life as it takes on a fresh and extraordinary interpretation.
Religion should not be used to manipulate people in politics. It should be respected and used internally.

I am a Christian and feel Christianity is losing the cultural war because it is teaching opinions that annoy and not the stillness of the mind that leads to redemption. People who left or avoid churches today are looking for the Holy Spirit. The churches need to make God's presence in the here and now the priority.

http://thinkunity.com