careful - “…The one place it has been increasing is in the extreme right wing of evangelical Protestants, Trump supporters and all…”
Yeah, they finally (re)discovered a “version” of Christianity that lets them be assholes again.
😏
The Share of Religious Americans will continue to decline- New York Times. Why? New Pew Study
by Balaamsass2 19 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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Vidiot
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TonusOH
According to Pew Research, the breakdown is something like 62% Christian, 29% unaffiliated, and 7% other.
Atheists account for around 5% and agnostics 6%. The growth has been in those who seem uninterested in religion (19%). They don't identify as atheist or agnostic, but they no longer associate with any particular church. I assume that it just doesn't matter much in their lives anymore.
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Rivergang
The growth has been in those who seem uninterested in religion (19%). They don't identify as atheist or agnostic, but they no longer associate with any particular church.
Down in this part of the world, persons such as these were often described as "Bush Baptists". (That used to be my situation, until I met up with the Rev. Harley Davidson!)
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Sanchy
On July 24, 2013, CNS News reported: "Atheism is in decline worldwide, with the number of atheists falling from 4.5% of the world’s population in 1970 to 2.0% in 2010 and projected to drop to 1.8% by 2020, according to a new report by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass.
if you believe this paints an accurate picture, then i've got a bridge to sell ya
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Balaamsass2
I think the agnostics, and "spiritual but not religious", are growing just like the "no party preference" /independent voters. A lot of people are turned off by dogma...and the dogmatic in particular.. who claim to KNOW All with great conviction. :)
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careful
Vidiot:
careful - “…The one place it has been increasing is in the extreme right wing of evangelical Protestants, Trump supporters and all…”
Yeah, they finally (re)discovered a “version” of Christianity that lets them be assholes again.
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Balaamsass2
It looks like even some Atheists are turned off by dogma and the dogmatic. WSJ today-- :)
Losing My Nonreligion
I resigned from the Freedom From Religion Foundation when it turned into a gender fundamentalist organization.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/losing-my-nonreligion-transgender-ideology-essay-resign-b7e6d745?st=Sz6jBY&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
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Anony Mous
In regards the membership differences, it’s well known in religious leadership that more people are attending but fewer people become members or tie themselves to a particular church.
As far as the nature of increasing, more young people and Democrats have been attending church, many are indeed trying to get away from religious extremism on their side. Republicans on the other hand have been leaving the classic church, especially in blue districts as churches have in many cases betrayed their own standards in the hope of gaining followers in the last few decades.
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LongHairGal
ANONY MOUS:
I know what you mean about churches ‘betraying their own standards’ in the hope of gaining followers. People may have stopped going because they lost interest in an increasingly secular world.
I was raised Roman Catholic and I remember way back when they introduced folk masses in some places. I was shocked even though I was so young.. It did seem that they were betraying their own standards.. It did not appeal to me and I was not interested in holding hands with other congregants.
NOW we see today that the Jehovah’s Witnesses are doing a similar thing to retain their members.. I don’t think it will help as people didn’t just ‘lose interest’.. They fled from an intrusive toxic environment. That’s the crucial difference.
The Catholic Church at least didn’t try to intrude in my life - or try to get me to quit a job to pursue poverty like the Witnesses did! Thank God I never listened.. There is No forgiveness for the JWs, in my book. They deserve to have nobody there.
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Phizzy
" I assume that it just doesn't matter much in their lives anymore."
That has been the case for many decades here in Europe, with the result that the offspring of those who were not indoctrinated, are unaffected by, and uninterested in organised religion.
Organised religion is withering and dying here in the U.K and most of Europe, and the same will happen in the USA.