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Perhaps it because they actually took the time to unbiasedly and critically examine exactly what it was they were believing in. It's very difficult to continue believing a myth once you know it's a myth.
These surveys are always going to be subjected to a lot of scrutiny.
The first question is: do they deconvert to less faith, as it were, or to more - to a more satisfying religion?
"the most common reasons for leaving Christianity included life experiences, such as gaining new knowledge or education; feeling disillusioned with church and religion; feeling the church is hypocritical;
having negative experiences in churches; being in disagreement with Christianity about specific issues such as homosexuality, abortion or birth control; feeling the church is too authoritarian; wanting to
express their faith outside of church;" (less faith or religion, at least)
and
"searching for a new faith or wanting to experience other religions." (finding another faith)
So what is the breakdown?
"Overall, the Barna Group, based in Ventura, Calif. found that less than a quarter (23 percent) of respondents switched faith traditions – including those who switched between Catholicism and Protestantism but
not including those who changed from one Protestant denomination to another.
Twelve percent of adults shifted affiliations within the Protestant tradition."
so 35% (approx one third of the one out of eight) of the total stayed in some kind of Faith and two thirds went for 'less faith'.
Also "Meanwhile, those who switched from a non-Christian faith or non-belief (from their childhood) to Christianity as an adult represent three percent of the American population."
Out of those who turned to Christianity -
"The top motivations for becoming a Christian, meanwhile, were going through difficult life events; getting older and seeing life differently; wanting to connect with a church and grow spiritually; discovering Christ; or wanting to know what was in the Bible."
I think if there had been more of the atheist take on that available rather than the overwhelming Christian evangelical package, the percentage might have been a sight less even than three percent.
Can't say that I blame them one bit and there will probably be more. One just has to watch the actions of people who profess to be Christians. They are some of the mean-spirited, and hateful people you'll ever see.
Throw in the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church and people like Ted Haggard. Then combine it archaic views on issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, women’s rights, the fact it's the religion of choice for hard core conservative racists and anti-Semites and it's easy to see for many that Christianity is simply out of touch with the times.
Can't say that I blame them one bit and there will probably be more. One just has to watch the actions of people who profess to be Christians. They are some of the mean-spirited, and hateful people you'll ever see.
Throw in the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church and people like Ted Haggard. Then combine it archaic views on issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, women’s rights, the fact it's the religion of choice for hard core conservative racists and anti-Semites and it's easy to see for many that Christianity is simply out of touch with the times.
Well said what you discribe is most common amongst conservative evangelicals and fundamentalists but also amongst conervative Catholics.
Did you read your own link? It pretty much agrees with the Barna survey.
The biggest gains due to change in religious affiliation have been among those who say they are not affiliated with any particular faith. Overall, the 2007 "U.S. Religious Landscape Survey" found that 16% of the adult population is unaffiliated, with the vast majority of this group (79%) reporting that they were raised in a religion as children.
Yes. People join the unaffiliated, but those who start as unaffiliated tend to leave. As most people aren't raised unaffiliated those joining outnumber those leaving. So being unaffiliated might be much more appealing when it's new to you than otherwise. Perhaps I was not sufficiently clear.
Can't say that I blame them one bit and there will probably be more. One just has to watch the actions of people who profess to be Christians. They are some of the mean-spirited, and hateful people you'll ever see.
Throw in the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church and people like Ted Haggard. Then combine it archaic views on issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, women’s rights, the fact it's the religion of choice for hard core conservative racists and anti-Semites and it's easy to see for many that Christianity is simply out of touch with the times.
I think that is what finally threw me over the edge. I simply can't stand the hate and the hate and more hate. Sin and evil .......why can't we have a happy religion or something? I can't stand it when people quote the bible as if this explains it because nobody really understand the bible so everybody can just make up there own explanation to explain everything
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