The percentage of Americans who identify themselves as religious, particular Christians, has been declining for decades. The latest survey from Pew indicates that decline has either slowed or stopped completely. From the NYT Christianity’s Decline in U.S. Appears to Have Halted, Major Study Shows
Welcome to the age of the "cultural Christian" where you believe in all the supernatural nonsense superficially, don't go to Church or become part of a faith community, and practice none of that woke crap about loving thy neighbor.
Hard to get worked up about surveys like these. Way back in the 70’s Billy Graham described America as a pagan country in which many Christians reside.
Also I think the country is still "secularizing" - as Christian identity doesn't = "religious" / secularism doesnt = atheistic
I cited the example recently of a popular celeb who professes to be a Christian and who calls out to the universe and describes faith as acknowledging that 14 billion people have lived and died on the planet. Christianity in the US is a mile wide and an inch deep.
This part from the AP article posted above seems important - to not just look at the overall rate but how the age demographics play out: *** Young adults frequently move away from religion. “Then when you get married and have kids, this is a time where scholars have noted that religion is more likely to become important,” Margolis said. Margolis said one question going forward is whether the youngest American adults firmly reject organized religion, or if some of them will return to the religious fold as they age. Between 2007 and 2024, Pew religious landscape studies haven’t indicated that Americans are growing more religious as they get older.
This is called Joseph Smithing - get bored with family life, become super-religious, get all culty and get some concubines and eventually build a compound of some sort . Its an American tradition!
I go to church regularly, practice loving thy neighbor and try to treat everyone with dignity and respect. And damn, I never knew that was a bad thing.
During times of fear and uncertainty people have a tendency to turn to God for help. We are now in a time of tribulation with Trump and his cabinet of flying monkeys running things, so it’s logical to assume more people feeling hopeless would become more religious. As the saying goes, there’s no atheists in a foxhole.
Although the show is intentionally not overtly political, the Gemstones are the type of Evangelists likely to perform at MAGA rallies.
I think many people who have not been going to church and do not consider themselves personally religious have children and come to view church communities and/or religious teachings as being beneficial for the kids. That does not necessarily mean all those parents have had a major shift in their personal views about the religion-specific doctrines and claims.
The mass-derangement of 2020ff didn’t help church attendance. Churches sheepishly shut down and when they finally reopened, fewer attendees returned.
In the late 80’s/early 90’s I was employed as an associate pastor at the Crossroads Church of Christ in Gainesville. The church started small, grew to become probably the largest in Gainesville by average weekly attendance and birthed an international movement. Yes, the church was widely regarded as a cult. I still think that was a bit too strong, though there was some heavy-handedness at the top and some leader-exultation at the bottom. In any case, the church wasn’t political in any way, shape or form. Politics weren’t even discussed in private. We just weren’t interested. There was too much work to be done, work we considered more relevant.
My dogma is better than your dogma. And my social engineering is better than your social engineering. Simple minds. Simple concepts.
I say give it to them and watch as they turn on each other and rip each other apart! History doesn't lie. You "idol-worshiping" Catholics are first on the list. And you Mormons better keep your head on a swivel!
