Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My buddy Leonard called me the other day. He was down in the dumps. Leonard said it seems he can't pick up a magazine at the doctor's office without reading an article about America rejecting God. He can't flip on the news without a story of yet another church scandal. Everywhere he looks there is moral decay. He told me the internet is full of stories that make religion out to be a fish flopping out of water fighting for life. How much is true? How much is research bias? How much is even research?
I told Leonard to calm down, take it down a notch or two. I'd do some checking and see what I could find to ease his troubled spirit. Well, turns out I found something that is going to make Leonard feel better, at least I think it will.
A study by the good folks over at Pew Research Center, a group that has no stake in getting the answer they want to get, did a study in 2012, which was just last year, not a decade or two ago like some things floating in cyberspace. So, what did they find?
1. 90% of all Americans believe in God. (Same as 25 years ago)
2. 75% who belong to no church believe in God.
3. 20% of those who do not go to church pray daily.
4. 76% think churches strengthen morality.
5. 60% think religion is very important.
6. 40% attend worship regularly, the same as 80 years ago.
Okay, this is good news. Depending on Leonard's frame of mind, it may be all I tell him. There is a downside.
The old Mainline Protestant, Catholic and Evangelical churches are either holding their own or declining. I've been to my in-laws Presbyterian Church. It's sad. Most of the people are senior citizens in their 80's. I'm sure it's that way in many churches across our land. Seems a lot of us baby boomers jumped ship years ago. They went nondenominational or belong to The NFL Sunday Game of The Week Church.
In the book, Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics the author finds America is not becoming more secular or less religious. So, what are we becoming? Glad you asked. We're becoming more individualistic and, here's a word for Leonard, heterodox. Hetero what? Fancy word that means not conforming to accepted or orthodox beliefs. Here in the Pacific Northwest where I was born, raised and still live, we're viewed as rugged individualists so I get the individualistic part.
So, is America more secular than religious? This study suggests not really. It may seem that way but for different reasons. More and more of those in running our colleges, magazines, newspapers, television and entertainment industries and institutions are no longer churched people. What we are taught, read, hear, and watch is secular. While only 6% of Americans said they were atheist or agnostic, most thought the number much higher.
Our churches overall are declining.
Our people still believe in God.
Our educational institutions and media industries are secularized.
Our people accept orthodox beliefs less than ever.
Where do churches go from here?
Barna Research has conducted highly regarded religious polls for years and discovered a huge disparity between what people 'call themselves' and what their lives and lifestyles reveal. For example, simply thinking 'religion is important' or 'believing in God' is a pretty minimal standard and doesn't mean much. (James said, "even the demons believe their is one God and tremble").
Even many claims of 'Christianity' fail to meet a Biblical standard of following Christ (Along these lines, Jesus said, "you honor me with your lips, but, your heart is far from me"). It's important to recognize that Christ's church on earth is really comprised of all 'true Christians' (regardless of denomination or religious affiliation).
Further, the Bible declares that there will be a 'great falling away from the church in the Last Days.' As a 30-year Bible teacher, I've personally witnessed this in the form of the tremendous secularization (growing worldliness) of many churches. Just a few examples include:
1). A growing ignorance of the Bible in/out of the churches ... and a growing focus on programs and entertainment, than on God's holiness and following Christ.
2). The secular notion that 'truth is relative' and that 'God has no absolute truths' has invaded churches ... many of which don't seem to be fighting this heresy.
3). Churches/Councils have increasingly embraced liberal, secular attitudes toward a wide range of practices ... and IMO, are quickly moving to a "no standards" mindset.
4). Today, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish between the church and the world. The lives of many 'professing Christians' are distinguished only by church attendance on Sunday morning!
5). The church is having less impact in the world, because the world is having a greater impact in the church. IMO, this is largely because incontrovertible, foundational Christian doctrines are being compromised, rather than upheld and defended. (We are living in a time "when many will no longer endure sound doctrine" ... and "each man will become his own god."
There are many other indicators that we are rapidly approaching the End Times, when, "if the days were not shortened, even the elect would be deceived."
All of this said, the 'CHRIST'S TRUE CHURCH ON EARTH' has nothing to fear! -- They will face increasing persecution, but, are safe and secure in the arms of the Savior. As always, God is not confused by compromise and wavering standards. He clearly sees and knows His own ... and those who are not His own. God's plan will be perfectly completed, in spite of a 'lost and dying (secular) world.'
That sounds like a pretty fair description of the United States today to some extent. There heterodox part sounds like a good description of things overall. But I have a hard time believing 90% of Americans believe in God. Or maybe that's influenced significantly by immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America?
Or maybe most born and raised Americans do believe in God but just that most of them regard God as some distant character not involved in this world at and not caring what any of us do. That's how most of them act and the attitude most of them seem to have if in fact they do believe in God.
I'm Generation X. And I'm ethnically Black-American. To my surprise some Southern people told me online just about everyone down South goes to church on Sunday. I would say in Milwaukee (which I bet is reflective of much of the Northern Midwestern big cities and Northeastern big cities) a small percentage of the city's population goes to church on Sunday, and of those who do the vast majority are women. I see this with the Catholic Church as well as with Black Protestants (most of the Black Protestants seem to be going into non-denominational churches--and there is a running joke in Black-America that most the men in black church choirs today are gay, which apparently, is based in some truth).
I don't know of too many black cats my age that go to church on Sunday or any day. Although, almost all black cats my age believe in God, can quote at least one part of the Bible, even if they'll kill you over $200 and set your corpse on fire in garbage dumpster.
Your friend is right, the number of genuine actual Christians is dropping at a very rapid rate. Here's some interesting facts I've heard.
Two Christian churches start every week, but in that same week seven will close.
50 years ago, 50% of the population attended some kind of worship service during the week. Today, I'm sure the number is somewhere below 10%
Divorce is as common among Christians as it is among the general population.
My own denomination, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, drops by 50,000 members each year. (Current membership 2.2 MIL.) 30 years ago it was almost 3 mil.
We do 1/2 the number of baptisms we did just 20 years ago.
Only about 10% of all children raised in America today get any kind of serious exposure to religion.
This is the same thing that happened in Europe. Today in Europe, most of the churches are attended my mostly little old ladies. This should surprise any Christian. This is the same pattern, repeated over and over again. Genuine Christianity will be hard to find in America in the not too distant future.
Used to attend a mainline church and the joke among the pastors was that our church was started during Lincoln's presidency and we still have half the original congregation sitting in the pews.
Your friend is right, the number of genuine actual Christians is dropping at a very rapid rate. Here's some interesting facts I've heard.
Two Christian churches start every week, but in that same week seven will close.
50 years ago, 50% of the population attended some kind of worship service during the week. Today, I'm sure the number is somewhere below 10%
Divorce is as common among Christians as it is among the general population.
My own denomination, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, drops by 50,000 members each year. (Current membership 2.2 MIL.) 30 years ago it was almost 3 mil.
We do 1/2 the number of baptisms we did just 20 years ago.
Only about 10% of all children raised in America today get any kind of serious exposure to religion.
This is the same thing that happened in Europe. Today in Europe, most of the churches are attended my mostly little old ladies. This should surprise any Christian. This is the same pattern, repeated over and over again. Genuine Christianity will be hard to find in America in the not too distant future.
Hopefully we won't follow the European "model." It's true church attendance is declining like I said, but people's views are not. The study suggests the numbers of Christians are constant, just they aren't going to church.
I think the posers are starting to get tired of posing. In the NT times, the church grew despite heavy persecution. That goes contrary to what you might think. But the real Christians--the ones that REALLY cared about why they went to church still went, and their numbers grew. In America for so many years it's been the accepted thing to go to church. I think in recent years the people that went just because it was a cultural thing have started to question it.
On one hand, the dechristianization of our culture may be viewed as a bad thing. On the other hand, I think it could be beneficial to get the posers out--then the ones that actually want to be there will be. God will still grow his church, and we will still preach his message to those that God wants to reach--but I'm ok with the church not being a social club just to hang out and sing a nice song and get a nice message.
But while the unaffiliated hold views similar to others in the general public about whether religion’s influence is waxing or waning, they are divided over whether this is a good or bad thing. Atheists and agnostics who see religion as losing influence on society mostly consider this a good thing; among all atheists and agnostics, more say the declining influence of religion on society is a good thing (43%) than a bad thing (10%). Those who have no particular religion are more inclined to see religion’s declining influence on society as a bad thing (32%) than a good thing (22%).
It truly bothers me that most of the unaffiliated / atheist/ agnostic are more left leaning than conservatives.
That just goes to show me the overwhelming impact that the Christian conservative religious groups have. I would much rather that conservatives like me to come to that philosophy by analysis of the political and economic situation as opposed to somebody for some pulpit telling me what to think.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
