America: Losing Our Religion?

[joeactor]

Here's an interesting set of statistics about the decline of religion in the USA:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2 ... ARIS_N.htm

FTA:

Among the key findings in the 2008 survey:

• So many Americans claim no religion at all (15%, up from 8% in 1990), that this category now outranks every other major U.S. religious group except Catholics and Baptists. In a nation that has long been mostly Christian, "the challenge to Christianity … does not come from other religions but from a rejection of all forms of organized religion," the report concludes.

• Catholic strongholds in New England and the Midwest have faded as immigrants, retirees and young job-seekers have moved to the Sun Belt. While bishops from the Midwest to Massachusetts close down or consolidate historic parishes, those in the South are scrambling to serve increasing numbers of worshipers.

• Baptists, 15.8% of those surveyed, are down from 19.3% in 1990. Mainline Protestant denominations, once socially dominant, have seen sharp declines: The percentage of Methodists, for example, dropped from 8% to 5%.

• The percentage of those who choose a generic label, calling themselves simply Christian, Protestant, non-denominational, evangelical or "born again," was 14.2%, about the same as in 1990.

• Jewish numbers showed a steady decline, from 1.8% in 1990 to 1.2% today. The percentage of Muslims, while still slim, has doubled, from 0.3% to 0.6%. Analysts within both groups suggest those numbers understate the groups' populations.

Magically Religious,
JoeActor

[LARA]

I just read this before getting here!   This was an interesting article.  Some of the hyperlinked side stories in the main article are good too, I especially liked the one surveying different opinions on cultural issues by religion.  The interactive graphic for it was really well done, too.

It's kind of reassuring to see that there are about 15% of people who have no religion.  And a pretty diverse mix of denominations too. Not too many Buddhists or Hindus, though.  We definitely have a dearth of the dharmic faiths in the U.S. and I was really surprised to see that only a small percentage is Jewish.  I guess I thought there were more Jewish people in the U.S.  I'd kind of like to see a more diverse mix of religions, along with a bit larger nonbeliever population.  Avoid all that group think stuff, keep stuff here culturally interesting and diverse with lots of different perspectives.

Interesting survey anyway.  Glad you posted the link.

[karadan]

I just read this before getting here!

[VanReal]

This is an interesting bit of information.  The catholic church has been taking a beating for year's so I'm not surprised to see it declining.  I was surprised at the number that say "christian" without claiming an allegiance.  This is probably a stupid qustion but when they say "born-again" is that the same as baptized? Does it belong to a certain affiliation of christians?  Isn't it strange that you'd be born again when you are born a sinner? Confusing.  Maybe the decline has a lot to do with how confusin it is to be a christian in the first place, you never know if you are in the right group.

[Hitsumei]

I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. I suspect that it is neither.

[liveyoungdiefast]

While I think an increase of irreligion in the US could produce a few positive social changes, I also believe places like the Middle East need secularism a hell of a lot more right now.

[Enoch Root]

This is probably a stupid qustion but when they say "born-again" is that the same as baptized? Does it belong to a certain affiliation of christians?  Isn't it strange that you'd be born again when you are born a sinner? Confusing.

It's not a sectarian name per se, but you could probably consider it roughly equivalent to "evangelical".  The born-again Christians (I was one) are the ones who think you need to get saved to avoid hell, and will try the hardest to convert people.  This is contrasted with Catholics, who are not strictly-speaking evangelical, and the more liberal churches (United Church of Canada, for example), who perhaps don't believe in hell or judgment.

Maybe the decline has a lot to do with how confusin it is to be a christian in the first place, you never know if you are in the right group.

Most Christians are pretty sure they're in the right group.  

[Dilj4Jesus]

Why veil what is really happening with deceptive wording? We are not losing our religion, instead we are adopting the "religion" (the false tenets) of atheism! This country was founded on the solid principles of Christianity, but man lusted after power and knowledge. What a joke!? We were tricked by a snake! May I remind you that the original sin was to try and be like God. America has thrown off the mantle of Christianity, and is putting on the mantle of godlessness.

What is godlessness? An atheist merely says to himself, "I am God."
Genesis 3:13 "Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD." !!!!!!

How vain! This is why America is becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah!  It's time to return to Christianity or suffer a divine judgment.
Genesis 19:24 "Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrahâ€"from the LORD out of the heavens."

Think about it... since that seems to be the atheist credo.

[curiosityandthecat]

An atheist merely says to himself, "I am God."

[Dilj4Jesus]

If there is no God, then that makes who the ultimate authority? Yourself... If you are the ultimate authority then you are God. Maybe you are not consciously thinking you are God, but life without God leaves "the self" as the supreme authority.

[curiosityandthecat]

If there is no God, then that makes who the ultimate authority? Yourself... If you are the ultimate authority then you are God. Maybe you are not consciously thinking you are God, but life without God leaves "the self" as the supreme authority.

Well, no, not "yourself". You are basing this on the assumption that there must be an ultimate authority. It's a faulty assumption.

[Dilj4Jesus]

I don't see how what I'm assuming changes the fact that: without God, each person is solely accountable to no one but himself. This is how post-modernism has come in and eroded society. You believe what you believe, and I believe what I believe. Everything is true, because we all need to find our own reality. What does that even mean? Science says, "There is only one truth and that is what can be proven by science!" and Philosophy says, "There is no ultimate truth, it's all relative." How crazy is this? We've used logic to run ourselves into a circle, and that is this whole "faulty assumption" logical nonsense. It's very simple!

[Hitsumei]

I don't see how what I'm assuming changes the fact that: without God, each person is solely accountable to no one but himself. This is how post-modernism has come in and eroded society. You believe what you believe, and I believe what I believe. Everything is true, because we all need to find our own reality. What does that even mean? Science says, "There is only one truth and that is what can be proven by science!" and Philosophy says, "There is no ultimate truth, it's all relative." How crazy is this? We've used logic to run ourselves into a circle, and that is this whole "faulty assumption" logical nonsense. It's very simple!

This is a jumble of nonsense.  

[Ihateyoumike]

You believe what you believe, and I believe what I believe.

Then go to a christian forum and preach where it's allowed. You can pray for each other and everything.  

Just try to keep the out of here.

[VanReal]

I don't see how what I'm assuming changes the fact that: without God, each person is solely accountable to no one but himself.

Correct, each person is responsible for himself/herself and accountable to the society he/she is a member of.  Those of you that get bogged down in serving a god have difficulty with this part.

We are not losing our religion, instead we are adopting the "religion" (the false tenets) of atheism!

There is no religion of atheism.  And no tenets of atheism either.  You won't sway atheists over to your side by using the "your religion is wrong" approach because we have none.