Christianity in Decline, U.S Becoming Less Religious

[Straight Shooter]

Christianity is on the decline in America, not just among younger generations or in certain regions of the country but across race, gender, education and geographic barriers. The percentage of adults who describe themselves as Christians dropped by nearly eight percentage points in just seven years to about 71 percent, according to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center.

“It’s remarkably widespread,” said Alan Cooperman, director of religion research for the Pew Research Center. “The country is becoming less religious as a whole, and it’s happening across the board.”

At the same time, the share of those who are not affiliated with a religion has jumped from 16 percent to about 23 percent in the same time period. The trend follows a pattern found earlier in the American Religious Identification Survey, which found that in 1990, 86 percent of American adults identified as Christians, compared with 76 percent in 2008.

Here are three key takeaways from Pew’s new survey.

1. Millennials are growing even less affiliated with religion as they get older

The older generation of millennials (those who were born from 1981 to 1989) are becoming even less affiliated with religion than they were about a decade ago, the survey suggests. In 2007, when the Pew Research Center did their last Religious Landscape Survey and these adults were just entering adulthood, 25 percent of them did not affiliate with a religion, but this grew to 34 percent in the latest survey.

The trends among the aging millennials is especially significant, said Greg Smith, associate director of research at the Pew Research Center. In 2010, 13 percent of baby boomers were religiously unaffiliated as they were entering retirement, the same percentage in 1972.

“Some have asked, ‘Might they become more religiously affiliated as they get older?’ There’s nothing in this data to suggest that’s what’s happening,” he said. Millennials get married later than older generations, but they are not necessarily more likely to become religiously affiliated, he said.

2. There are more religiously unaffiliated Americans than Catholic Americans or mainline Protestant Americans

The numbers of Catholics and Protestants have each shrunk between three and five percentage points since 2007. The evangelical share of the American population has dropped by one percentage point since 2007.

There are more religiously unaffiliated Americans (23 percent) than Catholics (21 percent) and mainline Protestants (15 percent). “That’s a striking and important note,” Smith said.

The groups experience their losses through what’s called “religious switching,” when someone switches from one faith to another. Thirteen percent of Americans were raised Catholic but are no longer Catholic, compared with just 2 percent of Americans who are converts to Catholicism.

“That means that there are more than six former Catholics for every convert to Catholicism,” Smith said. “There’s no other group in the survey that has that ratio of loss due to religious switching.”

There are 3 million fewer Catholics today than there were in 2007. While the percentage of Catholics in the United States has remained relatively steady, Smith said we might be observing the beginning of the decline of the Catholic share of the population.

Pew estimates there are about 5 million fewer mainline Protestants than there were in 2007. About 10 percent of the U.S. population say they were raised in the mainline Protestant tradition, while 6 percent have converted to mainline Protestantism.

Evangelical Protestants have experienced less decline, due to their net positive retention rate. For every person who has left evangelical Protestantism after growing up, 1.2 have switched to join an evangelical denomination.

3. Those who are unaffiliated are becoming more secular

The “nones,” or religiously unaffiliated, include atheists, agnostics and those who say they believe in “nothing in particular.” Of those who are unaffiliated, 31 percent describe themselves as atheists or agnostics, up six points from 2007.

“What we’re seeing now is that the share of people who say religion is important to them is declining,” Smith said. “The religiously unaffiliated are not just growing, but as they grow, they are becoming more secular.”

And people in older generations are increasingly disavowing organized religion. Among baby boomers, 17 percent identify as a religious “none,” up from 14 percent in 2007.

“There’s a continuing religious disaffiliation among older cohorts. That is really striking,” Smith said. “I continue to be struck by the pace at which the unaffiliated are growing.”

White Americans (24 percent) are more likely to say they have no religion, compared with 20 percent of Hispanic Americans and 18 percent of black Americans. The retention rates of the “nones” who say they were raised as religiously affiliated has grown by seven points since 2007 to 53 percent.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...-becoming-even-less-affiliated-with-religion/

For a long time I've thought that it would be difficult for an atheist to be elected POTUS but after seeing these numbers I'm beginning to rethink that

 

[Johan]

Great news. Religion is the worst human invention in History, especially deist religions.

 

[MMMariah]

Don't think anyone needs me to say how I feel about this. But Yipee none the less.

 

[Johan]

 

[BusterLoads]

Christianity in Decline, U.S Becoming Less Religious

And it only took a few thousand years for people to start figuring shit out.

 

[Will E Worm]

Lies. :yoda:

 

[Ulysses31]

It's not becoming less religious, Islam is on the rise!

 

[Will E Worm]

It's not becoming less religious, Islam is on the rise!

You will wish there were Christians if they ever get a foot hold.

It would be best to deport them all now.

 

[Ulysses31]

You will wish there were Christians if they ever get a foot hold.

It would be best to deport them all now.

Once Islam touches a country it never leaves, fact of history, yet in many Muslim countries you've seen all traces of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Paganism disappear through govt policy and violence and intimidation on lower levels.

 

[pool_hustler]

You will wish there were Christians if they ever get a foot hold.

It would be best to deport them all now.

Ah so you DO advocate deporting law abiding Muslim American citizens.
You never answered my question about that on another thread.
Now that that's been established, how do you reconcile that position with claiming to be a great defender of the Constitution?

 

[Johan]

Once Islam touches a country it never leaves, fact of history

In 711, Spain was conquered by muslims. From 718 to 1492, it was slowly reconquered by Christians. Still, today, 70%? of Spanish people claim to be catholics.

 

[MMMariah]

in many countries like Iran for example, christianity is growing. its an underground movement but its a growing minority. Iran was once very christian and very jewish but they left with the Shaw in the late 70s and came to Beverly Hills and destroyed the real estate market lol

 

[Jack Davenport]

in many countries like Iran for example, christianity is growing. its an underground movement but its a growing minority. Iran was once very christian and very jewish but they left with the Shaw in the late 70s and came to Beverly Hills and destroyed the real estate market lol

The "Shaw"? You been hanging out in Tallahassee?

It's "Shah" lol

 

[MMMariah]

you mean that area that 's full of shitkicking redneck hill billy republicans who cant read or write and get welfare? No, I have not.

spell check fucko

 

[Jack Davenport]

you mean that area that 's full of shitkicking redneck hill billy republicans who cant read or write and get welfare? No, I have not.

spell check fucko

Yes, what a horrid place

 

[MMMariah]

for everyone one of those there are 500 of these

 

[D-rock]

A lot of religious people have nobody to blame but themselves for this. They set a poor example with their conduct, and then wonder why people don't want to be like them. Maybe if more of them were much more loving and compassionate to fellow people as their religion actually dictates instead of hateful, manipulative, and controlling others would want to emulate them more and hold them in better esteem. When so many religious people treat others like dirt and that is what their religion gets associated with is it any wonder people would turn away from them?

 

[Jack Davenport]

you mean that area that 's full of shitkicking redneck hill billy republicans who cant read or write and get welfare? No, I have not.

spell check fucko

Hey Mariah! I decided to verify that spell check would try and correct Shah to Shaw or shah to Shaw... it didn't. Here are the screen shots of my test. I copied and pasted your post and used the correct spelling and it did not suggest the alternative of "Shaw". It did however correct some of your other words. I tried it both ways. You spelled it Shaw lol

 

[Will E Worm]

Once Islam touches a country it never leaves, fact of history, yet in many Muslim countries you've seen all traces of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Paganism disappear through govt policy and violence and intimidation on lower levels.

That's what the Crusades were about. They kicked the Muslim's butts. :yoda:

Ah so you DO advocate deporting law abiding Muslim American citizens.
You never answered my question about that on another thread.
Now that that's been established, how do you reconcile that position with claiming to be a great defender of the Constitution?

Only the ones who can follow American laws, and assimilate. They can stay.

A lot of religious people have nobody to blame but themselves for this. They set a poor example with their conduct, and then wonder why people don't want to be like them. Maybe if more of them were much more loving and compassionate to fellow people as their religion actually dictates instead of hateful, manipulative, and controlling others would want to emulate them more and hold them in better esteem. When so many religious people treat others like dirt and that is what their religion gets associated with is it any wonder people would turn away from them?

''If You Reject The Lord'' Written By Daryl Stout


1) If you reject The Lord, of your will and choice.
And refuse to hearken, to His Still, Small, Voice.
On Judgment Day, you'll have, just yourself to blame.
Because you would not call, on Jesus' Precious Name.

2) If you reject The Lord, the moment that you die.
The place you go won't be, Heaven in the sky.
Instead, the endless pain, and torment of Hell.
For you preferred to take, Satan's evil spell.

3) If you reject The Lord, because of sinful pride.
You'll believe too late, that for you, Christ died.
For damnation yours, your sin, yourself, will pay.
Terrified you'll be, there on Judgment Day.

4) If you reject The Lord, when your life's there shown.
All words, and thoughts, and deeds...infant through full grown.
In secret, and there open, the house of life you built.
All traced back to you, no question of your guilt.

5) If you reject The Lord, the moment you'll most dread,
When The Book Of Life, is opened...and, its pages read.
Your name will not be found, therein all its pages.
Death, damnation, yours...payment for sins wages.

6) If you reject The Lord, for your sinful desires.
You will burn forever, there in The Lake Of Fire.
With unrepentant souls, Satan, and his hordes.
All there who rejected, Jesus Christ as Lord.

7) If you reject The Lord, calling this, a lie.
That Jesus loves you so...and, for your sins, He'd die.
Your gamble is far greater, should your choice be wrong.
Eternal suffering yours, instead of Heaven's song.

8) If you reject The Lord, who wants to save your soul.
Friend, He won't force you, to give Him all control.
But, if you ignore, here, these words of warning;
You're gambling with your soul, and may not see the morning.

9) If you reject The Lord, it will break Christ's Heart.
Come To Jesus now, to give you a fresh start.
Repent of sin, be saved, there by grace through faith.
Accept Christ as your Lord, and the words He Saith.

10) If you reject The Lord, and words of these poems.
Torment, you'll endure, more than life has known.
For God has no pleasure, in those who die in sin;
Rather than repent, and come to faith in Him.

11) If you reject The Lord, instead of Him, accept.
His Precious Blood, there shed; you, it won't protect.
You'll hear His angry words, there from on His Throne;
''Depart from me, you cursed!! For you've I've never known''.

http://www.wx1der.com/s168.htm

 

[Little Red Wagon Repairman]

I think the Catholic Church has the ability to fix itself but it's gonna be a hard fix as they need to have the desire to change and enough balls to change. They can't blame the empty pews and donation baskets on their congregants. I went to Mass on Christmas Day and the priest mentioned how people gave up on God but he didn't embrace an ounce of accountability toward the organization he represents. I was trying to focus on the cross on the wall and the people I went to Mass with. I feel closer to God talking to Him through the inside of my windshield as I drive down the road. More intimate and honest. To me the Church is a barrier that gets in-between God to glorify itself. Feels more like a bank, museum, or costume party in a fetish house. Human filth cannot separate me from God though.