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The focus of the survey was religiosity in America, not religiosity in other counties. Of course being a Christian in a country that has not historically been majority Christian, or one that persecutes Christians (China, the Middle East) is going to be a totally different experience than nations that remain majority Christian or are at least nominally culturally so.
That's the focus of the survey, but its reception by many people is as if it's an indication of Christianity worldwide.
When the organized religions can come up with something better than spouting off about who God tells us to hate (based upon the parts of the Old Law that they still want to belief while ignoring the rest), why we need to turn our backs on science and reason and idiotically replace metaphor with literalness, and why we need to keep giving money to fund their mansions and monuments, maybe people will consider coming back.
If I had a dollar for every time in recent years - especially since about 2008 and the rise of the Tea Party - I've seen some two-bit preacher spewing hatred and ignorance from the pulpit, I could fund my own faux Bible college and carefully teach people Scripture taken out of context just like they do, all while skipping over those inconvenient parts, like loving thy neighbor, not being a judgmental tool, not worshiping the wealthy and powerful, and so on.
True Christian belief these days is practically anathema to what passes for religion in the mind of the hard-liners, so it's no wonder that people are fleeing organized religion in droves while still maintaining a degree of spirituality or limited religions identity.
This.
I couldn't give you another rep, since I already gave you one, but this was pretty spot on.
A PRC survey today shows a marked decline in Americans' preference for Christianity over the past few years, and how Americans seem to be leaving that faith and calling themselves "religiously unaffliated," or living in a state of irreligion.
I'm personally torn on the issue. I think Christianity and a strong religious faith provide parameters in which people individually, and society collectively, lead productive, healthy lives. I think a loss of faith will somewhat unmoor society and lead to "anything goes" behavior. On the flip side of that, virtually every organized Christian group I've been to fails to be welcoming, intellectual, or even charitable. Religion does itself no favors in my eyes.
Actually this isn't really news, this has been a trend for the past several years, maybe even a decade. In regards to religious faith providing parameters that's exactly what people don't want. People to day are more independent and want to keep heading in that direction. Yes you are correct that virtually every organized Christian group fails to be welcoming. Well, they are welcoming IF you are exactly like the rest of them, but if you're not, bye bye welcome wagon
The neocon influence is waning and their propaganda is failing just like their pathetic dreams of a free market utopia.
Maybe the churches will get rid of their disgusting political agenda and rediscover actual spirituality... but chances are their reputations are too tarnished.
This is what happens when a religion associates itself too much with an ideology.
It is well deserved.
And that is what Roger Williams (an awesomely remarkable man) warned of 'way back in 1644.
That's why he coined the phrase "wall of separation between the garden of the Church and the wilderness of the World" just before establishing the first Baptist congregation in the US and then later the colony of Rhode Island as totally religious freedom colony (in his writings, he even specified freedom for atheists and Muslims).
Williams--writing not long after the Thirty Years War and during the throws of the English Civil War--saw how entanglement with government provided social advantages to the Church, and that would in turn guarantee that the pews would be packed with people seeking social advantage, not true believers.
Thomas Jefferson, later writing to Williams' ideological descendants, cribbed Williams' words to convince them to support Federalism.
It's ironic that the churches today, especially the fundamentalists, are afraid that outside forces are destroying them, when in fact the churches are destroying themselves by politicizing their members. I don't blame young people for turning their backs on churches that make membership in a particular political party a requirement to participate. The churches will have no one to blame but themselves for their demise.
It's ironic that the churches today, especially the fundamentalists, are afraid that outside forces are destroying them, when in fact the churches are destroying themselves by politicizing their members. I don't blame young people for turning their backs on churches that make membership in a particular political party a requirement to participate. The churches will have no one to blame but themselves for their demise.
And this is over cultural prejudice, not religious ideology. If the anti-abortion/anti-gay groups were really serious about religion, they'd be working as hard as possible for amnesty and citizenship for illegal Mexican immigrants. But those same people are the very ones opposing amnesty and citizenship for people who think as they do on the religious issues.
I very much agree with the bolded part. We are already seeing the "anything goes" behavior and it will only get worse as people reject faith.
The second part.. well sorry you had a bad experience. The Christian churches I have been to do so much for the community. Give food and water to those in need, hold fundraisers, build houses for disadvantaged people, help clean up from natural disasters, mission trips too. They do a lot.
You are kidding right?
You're so happy, huh? Glad that "evil" old book that guides you toward a better life won't be as important anyone, so now you can be as immoral and nasty as you want right?! I mean, why not? There will nobody telling you not to. And then the world becomes a free for all.
If the Bible is the only thing keeping Christians from otherwise raping babies, we're all screwed anyway.
Really? I guess that's why hate groups like the KKK that claim to represent certain "Christians" are an anathema to most Americans.
I could go around stomping on kittens while claiming to be a Democrat and even voting straight ticket Democrat, but is that a reflection on Democrats? Of course not.
70% of Americans claim to be Christians, but what percentage of Americans or Christians are KKK members? If Christians accepted the KKK, the number of KKK members would be huge.
Trying to link the KKK and Christianity just shows lunacy, desperation and hatred.
Are you also looking forward to the closure of all the soup kitchens, homeless shelters and community pantries they support?
You might as well be saying, "Hurrah for closure of the Star Of Hope Mission that serves thousands of homeless and hungry people a week in Houston. Those needy people need to find help elsewhere."
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