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USA: Becoming More or Less Religious?

Tony

Penultimate Amazing
Tony
Joined
Mar 5, 2003
Messages
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I read an article this past weekend about Southern Baptists expanding their ministry in different parts of the country because church attendance has basically flat-lined. I guess they need to “seek out new sheep for their flock”. This got me thinking, is the USA becoming more or less religious?
 
I think the country is becoming less CHRISTIAN. When Orielly whiens about the "secularists" I dont think its atheists running the show, I think were getting to a point were you can please all so please none.
 
Tmy said:
I think the country is becoming less CHRISTIAN.
Click to expand...


Can we have numbers on that? I don't see how that could be the case, frankly, with all the christian immigrants (legal and illegal) that this country sees every year.
 
Here's an interesting survey. Not sure how unbiased it is, but big numbers of christians:


# 85% of Americans self-identify as Christians.
# 5% of US adults classify as evangelicals (see Evangelical archive for definition)
# 35% of US adults classify as born again, but not evangelical
# 37% are self-described Christians but are neither evangelical nor born again
# 8% of adults nationwide maintain self-identify as atheists or agnostics
# 9% of the US population identify with a faith other than Christianity

http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PageCategory.asp?CategoryID=2


So as far as America being less religious, there's the non-religious folks, taking that missing 8%.

Did America used to be much more religious than that? C-mon, we're talking single-digits of non-religious people. How much more religious could America have been?
 
Yaeh but are they hard core anymore? If you asked me Id say Im catholic, but I have big problems with the organized church. Im not as catholic as my grandma but we'd both be counted the same.
 
Silicon said:
Here's an interesting survey. Not sure how unbiased it is, but big numbers of christians:


# 85% of Americans self-identify as Christians.
# 5% of US adults classify as evangelicals (see Evangelical archive for definition)
# 35% of US adults classify as born again, but not evangelical
# 37% are self-described Christians but are neither evangelical nor born again
# 8% of adults nationwide maintain self-identify as atheists or agnostics
# 9% of the US population identify with a faith other than Christianity

http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PageCategory.asp?CategoryID=2


So as far as America being less religious, there's the non-religious folks, taking that missing 8%.

Did America used to be much more religious than that? C-mon, we're talking single-digits of non-religious people. How much more religious could America have been?
Click to expand...

Again, just because someone says they're a christian doesnt make them religious.
 
Now you're asking a different question. Your first post was asking about how many Christians are in the Church.

Now you're asking how much Church is in the Christians!


And who can be the judge of that one? Can you see into the hearts of the parishoners?

"No, that guy's CLEARLY not a REAL CHRISTIANtm".


Hehehe... gotta love religion. I have to laugh, or I'd be crying right now!
 
Silicon said:
Now you're asking a different question. Your first post was asking about how many Christians are in the Church.

Now you're asking how much Church is in the Christians!
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Not really, my original question was "Is the USA becoming more or less religious?".

You seem to think a self described christian=a religious person. I disagree. A religious person is someone who lives by the codes and morals of their religion and who's religious belief's play a part in their life.
 
It's not so much that there are less christians. It's more like less christians are going to church. The salad-buffet christian is becoming more prominent.. the type of christian that makes up his own way of worshipping. This way, they can do what they want and still go to heaven.
 
# 85% of Americans self-identify as Christians.
# 8% of adults nationwide maintain self-identify as atheists or agnostics
# 9% of the US population identify with a faith other than Christianity
Click to expand...

Am I missing something? That adds up to 102%. Unless those categories overlap (which I don't see how they can), something fishy is going on.

Edited to add: According to the pie chart on that page, the "other faiths" group is only 7% which makes the numbers add up.
 
Church is on TV. Sunday mornings, you can watch Lakewood and a whole host of others. The rest of the week also there is no shortage of church on TV. How many watch the 700 Club, believe that Pat Robertson is turning away hurricanes with a bit of mumbo-jumbo, hardly ever go to a brick-and-mortar church, and still can be called evangelical or born-again or whatever?
 
Tony said:
You seem to think a self described christian=a religious person. I disagree. A religious person is someone who lives by the codes and morals of their religion and who's religious belief's play a part in their life.
Click to expand...

Yes, but ACCORDING TO WHOM?

Isn't it by definition that everyone follows the codes and morals of their own religion, no matter what it is?

Know anyone who says "I'm a Christian, but I choose to live contrary to my own beliefs."

I have a hard time figureing out what you're getting at. Do you really believe there is a one true religion, and so everyone not in that church, while they may be in A church, or may have a personal relationship with God, and they follow what they see as God's plan for them, is somehow less religious than those in YOUR church?


If that's your argument, you're welcome to it, but I can't see much reason to discuss it here.

If it's not, and I'm guessing it's not, I really don't understand the measure by which you are gauging religiousness.

Is it devotion of daily time to worship? Is it degree of involvement with church functions?
 
Silicon said:

Know anyone who says "I'm a Christian, but I choose to live contrary to my own beliefs."
Click to expand...

Yeah I have, most of my friends in high school, myself included and a few friends I have now.

I have a hard time figureing out what you're getting at. Do you really believe there is a one true religion, and so everyone not in that church, while they may be in A church, or may have a personal relationship with God, and they follow what they see as God's plan for them, is somehow less religious than those in YOUR church?

If that's your argument, you're welcome to it, but I can't see much reason to discuss it here.

If it's not, and I'm guessing it's not, I really don't understand the measure by which you are gauging religiousness.

Is it devotion of daily time to worship? Is it degree of involvement with church functions?
Click to expand...

Huh? I dont have a church.

I am saying a person who describes themselves as "christian" and a religious person are different things.

What about this do you not understand?
 
Tony said:
I read an article this past weekend about Southern Baptists expanding their ministry in different parts of the country because church attendance has basically flat-lined. I guess they need to “seek out new sheep for their flock”. This got me thinking, is the USA becoming more or less religious?
Click to expand...

Yes.

What's happening is that the situation is polarizing. The numbers of religious extremists and secularists are both increasing, at the expense of the religious moderates.

So, churches see lower attendance even as the number of vocal fundamentalists goes through the roof. Likewise, secularists find increasing levels of resistance in government even as they get broader acceptance.

Kinda scary if you ask me.

Jeremy
 
Less religious? I think so. By that, I mean less fundamentalist.

My lineage is Catholic, and while my entire family is still Christian, they pay little attention to most of the silly rules. I see that happening quite a bit (although of course it's no proof to my answer).

What makes a rule "silly" is another thread for another day...
 
Re: Re: USA: Becoming More or Less Religious?

toddjh said:


Yes.

What's happening is that the situation is polarizing. The numbers of religious extremists and secularists are both increasing, at the expense of the religious moderates.
...
Click to expand...

My personal experience is similar. The people who I identify as the "devout" are even more so, and more strident. This has a tendency to force their "lukewarm" acquaintences into a decision.
 
Tony said:


I am saying a person who describes themselves as "christian" and a religious person are different things.

What about this do you not understand?
Click to expand...

I don't understand how a non-religious person can be Christian.

I also don't understand how a Christian can be non-religious.

Isn't Christianity a religion?
 
Silicon said:


I don't understand how a non-religious person can be Christian.

I also don't understand how a Christian can be non-religious.

Isn't Christianity a religion?
Click to expand...
Yes, but people who call themselves Christians will often tell you, "I'm not religious, I'm spiritual."

Translation: My critical thinking has taken me far enough not to follow all the silly man-made rules of my church, but I haven't allowed my critical thinking to take me all the way to rejecting Christ altogether."

OWTTE...
 
what is religion

A person can be religious and not Christian and can be Christian and not religious.

One can be Christian without ever attending church or even opening a Bible. All you have to do is believe that Jesus is your saviour and you are Christian.

Religion is entirely different. You cannot have a religion unless you practice it. Religions come with rules, protocols, rituals and practices. You have to engage in some of these to say you are part of that religion. I should say all of these must be engaged but the "religious" themselves have created a world of wishy washy truths so that you don'y know what is really necessary. I often wonder about my friends who say they are Catholic and yet never attend church, never partake in communion - nothing. However, their parent's were Catholic so they are.

This by the way is the primary reason Atheism is not a religion. Nothing to practice - no rituals - no rules

Bentspoon
 
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