Paul Prather: It's not an auspicious time to be in the
Protestant religion trade  Contributing columnistAugust 24,
2013   One paradox about Protestant Christianity is that both
the mainline and evangelical ends of the theological spectrum
bear the seeds of their own decline.  Mainliners — comparatively
liberal denominations such as the Methodists, Presbyterians,
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Episcopalians — have
been hemorrhaging members and influence for five or six decades.
Conversely, a few years ago, the common wisdom said conservative
Protestants—such as the Southern Baptists, the Assemblies of
God, independent charismatic churches and so on — would surely
ascend to greater and greater prominence.  Now many of them,
too, are losing influence and numbers, particularly among
younger adults.  For instance, the conservative Southern Baptist
Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination, has
publicly acknowledged its struggle with significant declines in
conversions, baptisms and over