I have been reading excerpts from the classic work "Spiritual Revival: The Want of the Church" by Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon is viewed as one of the pillars of the church in the mid-1800s. It is said that everything old is new again, or better yet, some things never change or go out of style. This is especially true in my view as I look at the world around me some 150 years after Spurgeon lived. Let me share what I read and let you judge for yourself how you see the world.Spurgeon stated that in his day there were many people in his country (England) that professed to be children of the most high God. But he asked the questions, "Are there any fewer cheats than there used to be?", "Are there less frauds committed?", "Do we find morality more extensive?", "Do we find vice coming to an end?". Of course the answer was no, no, no. He surmised that his age was as immoral and ungodly as any that preceded it. There was just as much sin as there always was, although perhaps one could say that it was more cloaked and hidden.
The general question is this. If the "population" of Christians and God-fearing individuals (or even followers of any mainstream religion for that matter) is increasing, or if the fraction of the Christians in the world population is increasing, shouldn't we expect some quantifiable level in improvement in the areas listed by Spurgeon?
(Part 1 of a 2 part series)