Or quite a kick. Different strokes.
As for the churches no longer being used as churches, perhaps their respective religions failed to keep up with the times? You snooze, you lose.
I'll say this one thing and anyone can continue the conversation in a private message, if they'd like to:
Ah, so change the whole foundation of the church to meet transient trends? If the word of God could be changed by men to fit political/fashion sentiments of a given time, then it what good would it be? What would it stand for? It would be useless. What exactly would Christians be following if the message was always in flux? The scriptures are unchanging, for all time. God's word is final. God doesn't need to meet
our expectations of what is right and wrong. It's unbelievable and shows tremendous arrogance for people to expect the church to change to be more in line with progressive views. If one doesn't like the church, then it is their right to ignore/reject it; but don't complain that it is "outdated" and ask for its teaching to be altered in a way that is more in line with your views. And more: don't threaten the livelihood of good people that merely see the world through a different lens than you.
The church is dwindling, not because of a case of "not keeping up with the times", but because the culture has been dominated by atheist, social liberals for the last 50 years. Over that course of time, people have been conditioned to view the church in a negative light through force-fed demagoguery via film (Hollywood), music, magazines, television, print, modern literature, etc. The notion that people are more educated now, thus they understand the bible as being contrived, is ridiculous. The general public has been dumbed down for decades (there is ample evidence everywhere that people have generally become less intelligent). If people are supposedly smarter than in the past, I wonder how many could pass the following 8th grade final exam from 1895. Most modern university students and grown adults would fail this test:
https://newrepublic.com/article/79470/1895-8th-grade-final-exam-i-couldnt-pass-it-could-you
Our education system is a joke compared to what it once was. It amazes me that people fall for the myth that the general public has a greater understanding of the world these days. If we're so sophisticated now, then how did we go from Beethoven and Mozart as the pinnacle of art/music, to the rubbish that is lionized today (The Weekend, Drake; seriously?)? Why are movies equally as bad? Why has television become so shallow and devoid of substance? If the culture were a game of limbo, 100 years ago the bar was set so high that we could walk underneath it, standing straight up. Now it is so low that to cross underneath it, one has to mirror Neo's (The Matrix) posture while dodging bullets.
I won't lump everyone together, but one has to be out of their mind to believe that people are generally smarter these days, and thus are better adapted to distinguish truth from myth. People have been taught what to believe and to accept things at face value, for decades. Critical thinking isn't taught in school/university anymore. The reason more people are becoming progressive in their views is because our society has shaped us to become this way and people have acquiesced because there basically is no alternative narrative for them to consider, that is present in the mainstream culture.
Christians are often called sheep by atheists (which isn't an insult, as Jesus referred to Himself as a shepherd), but I would say it is atheists (generally) that are the real sheep. They are the ones that have been pummeled into believing there is no God, via the aforementioned mediums above. Most people barely read theological/philosophical literature, so it's absurd to think most people are full of greater wisdom and understanding than in the past. Most people have an easier time to be told what to believe (because it is easier than learning things by yourself) and they don't want to break consensus. The church was successful for centuries, but we live in a much more global world now and it is easier to manipulate and persuade impressionable people in their formative years than ever before. This is why the church is becoming less important to people. And with that diminishing presence, our sense of community has been withered away, as we are no longer united with a common core of beliefs. We're more divided now than ever. I'm not sure how that is progress.
Forgive my rant. Back on topic.