The Beginning Of The End For Religion In The USA?

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Miles
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The Beginning Of The End For Religion In The USA?

Post #1

Post by Miles »

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From The Washington Post

"Church membership in the U.S. has fallen below the majority for the first time since 1940



The proportion of Americans who consider themselves members of a church, synagogue or mosque has dropped below 50 percent, according to a poll from Gallup released Monday. It is the first time that has happened since Gallup first asked the question in 1937, when church membership was 73 percent.

In recent years, research data has shown a seismic shift in the U.S. population away from religious institutions and toward general disaffiliation, a trend that analysts say could have major implications for politics, business and how Americans group themselves. In 2020, 47 percent of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque. The polling firm also found that the number of people who said religion was very important to them has fallen to 48 percent, a new low point in the polling since 2000.

For some Americans, religious membership is seen as a relic of an older generation, said Ryan Burge, an assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and a pastor in the American Baptist Church. Gallup’s data finds that church membership is strongly correlated with age: 66 percent of American adults born before 1946 belong to a church, compared with 58 percent of baby boomers, 50 percent of those in Generation X and 36 percent of millennials.

. . . no matter how researchers measure people’s faith — such as attendance, giving, self-identification — Americans’ attachment to institutional religion is on the decline."




So, how should these religions go about turning things around and regain their previous following, or is it a lost cause?




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Re: The Beginning Of The End For Religion In The USA?

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Post by benchwarmer »

[Replying to Miles in post #1]
So, how should these religions go about turning things around and regain their previous following, or is it a lost cause?
I say good riddance. Perhaps these religious organizations can be replaced by social groups that don't attempt to peddle stories as 'the truth'. I have no problem if people want to gather and discuss whatever they like, but having organizations where someone stands at the front and proclaims 'truths' based on zero verifiable evidence should be left in the past where they belong. IMHO of course.

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Re: The Beginning Of The End For Religion In The USA?

Post #3

Post by OnceConvinced »

Christians will simply say this is a sign of the end times. People drifting away from churches.

Over here in New Zealand, Christianity has been dropping radically since the Internet became big. For the first time ever those who claim "no religion" on their census paper has become a larger percentage than those claiming to be Christian.

Image

And if we were to take the number of people claiming to be Christians, we also have to ask which ones are the true ones? How many are just saying they're Christian because traditionally that's what their family identified as.

Oh but then there are also those Christians who are in denial of being part of any religion. They think they're simply in a "relationship with God", so they refuse to answer or put "no religion" on their census paper. So that might take the numbers up a little.

But if you take away all the Christians that were accused by other Christians of not being true Christians, there would probably be none at all.
So, how should these religions go about turning things around and regain their previous following, or is it a lost cause?
I would say that the numbers will never pick up again. There is just too much education out there now. It would be like society going back to believing in magic when the majority of us know now it's simple trickery. There is a rational explanation for every magic trick ever done by a magician. Likewise, society is not going to go back to the stage where almost everyone believes in God. Not unless that God quit playing hide n seek and made himself known. But even then, that doesn't mean people are going to worship him.

Society and its morals evolve and will continue to evolve. The bible however remains the same and just requires more and more apologetics and claims of "metaphors" and "symbolism" to justify it.

Prayer is like rubbing an old bottle and hoping that a genie will pop out and grant you three wishes.

There is much about this world that is mind boggling and impressive, but I see no need whatsoever to put it down to magical super powered beings.


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Re: The Beginning Of The End For Religion In The USA?

Post #4

Post by Aetixintro »

[Replying to Miles in post #1]

I wonder if the graph is a description of evil. But the nature is fantastic and God is found by radio-astronomy. Telepathy is confirmed by the many and their priming of personal experiments. The impression of nature and the harmony felt by a lot of people is profound. Like in Shintoism, maybe the worshipping is diversifying and people feel the dogma of church teachings is more a matter of lying than of real importance, one that they can get themselves by the Bible and "being-in-the-World". Let's say a turning point? I believe in a bright future, also in terms of common morality.
I'm cool! :) - Stronger Religion every day! Also by "mathematical Religion", the eternal forms, God closing the door on corrupt humanity, possibly!

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Re: The Beginning Of The End For Religion In The USA?

Post #5

Post by Purple Knight »

benchwarmer wrote: Tue Mar 30, 2021 3:35 pmI say good riddance. Perhaps these religious organizations can be replaced by social groups that don't attempt to peddle stories as 'the truth'. I have no problem if people want to gather and discuss whatever they like, but having organizations where someone stands at the front and proclaims 'truths' based on zero verifiable evidence should be left in the past where they belong.
It's what people seem to want and need regardless of whether it's destructive or helpful. And I think it's the direction those areligious social groups will go, especially if they're filling a religion-shaped void.

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Re: The Beginning Of The End For Religion In The USA?

Post #6

Post by nobspeople »

Miles wrote: Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:09 pm .

From The Washington Post

"Church membership in the U.S. has fallen below the majority for the first time since 1940



The proportion of Americans who consider themselves members of a church, synagogue or mosque has dropped below 50 percent, according to a poll from Gallup released Monday. It is the first time that has happened since Gallup first asked the question in 1937, when church membership was 73 percent.

In recent years, research data has shown a seismic shift in the U.S. population away from religious institutions and toward general disaffiliation, a trend that analysts say could have major implications for politics, business and how Americans group themselves. In 2020, 47 percent of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque. The polling firm also found that the number of people who said religion was very important to them has fallen to 48 percent, a new low point in the polling since 2000.

For some Americans, religious membership is seen as a relic of an older generation, said Ryan Burge, an assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and a pastor in the American Baptist Church. Gallup’s data finds that church membership is strongly correlated with age: 66 percent of American adults born before 1946 belong to a church, compared with 58 percent of baby boomers, 50 percent of those in Generation X and 36 percent of millennials.

. . . no matter how researchers measure people’s faith — such as attendance, giving, self-identification — Americans’ attachment to institutional religion is on the decline."




So, how should these religions go about turning things around and regain their previous following, or is it a lost cause?




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Hopefully, it's a lost cause. Unless religion can 'get its act together', it deserves to die. Religion has down enough damage to the lives of those who don't want it. Bye bye!!
Have a great, potentially godless, day!

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Re: The Beginning Of The End For Religion In The USA?

Post #7

Post by Miles »

nobspeople wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 12:56 pm
Miles wrote: Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:09 pm .

From The Washington Post

"Church membership in the U.S. has fallen below the majority for the first time since 1940



The proportion of Americans who consider themselves members of a church, synagogue or mosque has dropped below 50 percent, according to a poll from Gallup released Monday. It is the first time that has happened since Gallup first asked the question in 1937, when church membership was 73 percent.

In recent years, research data has shown a seismic shift in the U.S. population away from religious institutions and toward general disaffiliation, a trend that analysts say could have major implications for politics, business and how Americans group themselves. In 2020, 47 percent of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque. The polling firm also found that the number of people who said religion was very important to them has fallen to 48 percent, a new low point in the polling since 2000.

For some Americans, religious membership is seen as a relic of an older generation, said Ryan Burge, an assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and a pastor in the American Baptist Church. Gallup’s data finds that church membership is strongly correlated with age: 66 percent of American adults born before 1946 belong to a church, compared with 58 percent of baby boomers, 50 percent of those in Generation X and 36 percent of millennials.

. . . no matter how researchers measure people’s faith — such as attendance, giving, self-identification — Americans’ attachment to institutional religion is on the decline."




So, how should these religions go about turning things around and regain their previous following, or is it a lost cause?
Hopefully, it's a lost cause. Unless religion can 'get its act together', it deserves to die. Religion has down enough damage to the lives of those who don't want it. Bye bye!!
As nice as that would be, I can see the psychological needs of some people leveling off the decline at a sustainable point. My guess would be around 20% or so. And considering the likely consequences of not having religion to get some people through life, maybe the option of religion is a good thing. Of course this would mean an automatic revocation of their voting rights.


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Re: The Beginning Of The End For Religion In The USA?

Post #8

Post by nobspeople »

Miles wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 4:12 pm
nobspeople wrote: Tue Apr 06, 2021 12:56 pm
Miles wrote: Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:09 pm .

From The Washington Post

"Church membership in the U.S. has fallen below the majority for the first time since 1940



The proportion of Americans who consider themselves members of a church, synagogue or mosque has dropped below 50 percent, according to a poll from Gallup released Monday. It is the first time that has happened since Gallup first asked the question in 1937, when church membership was 73 percent.

In recent years, research data has shown a seismic shift in the U.S. population away from religious institutions and toward general disaffiliation, a trend that analysts say could have major implications for politics, business and how Americans group themselves. In 2020, 47 percent of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque. The polling firm also found that the number of people who said religion was very important to them has fallen to 48 percent, a new low point in the polling since 2000.

For some Americans, religious membership is seen as a relic of an older generation, said Ryan Burge, an assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and a pastor in the American Baptist Church. Gallup’s data finds that church membership is strongly correlated with age: 66 percent of American adults born before 1946 belong to a church, compared with 58 percent of baby boomers, 50 percent of those in Generation X and 36 percent of millennials.

. . . no matter how researchers measure people’s faith — such as attendance, giving, self-identification — Americans’ attachment to institutional religion is on the decline."




So, how should these religions go about turning things around and regain their previous following, or is it a lost cause?
Hopefully, it's a lost cause. Unless religion can 'get its act together', it deserves to die. Religion has down enough damage to the lives of those who don't want it. Bye bye!!
As nice as that would be, I can see the psychological needs of some people leveling off the decline at a sustainable point. My guess would be around 20% or so. And considering the likely consequences of not having religion to get some people through life, maybe the option of religion is a good thing. Of course this would mean an automatic revocation of their voting rights.


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Theoretically, it would be nice to rid the world of religion - I think that would create less hate than we have currently. But you're right - it will never die totally. Until humanity stops being 'needy', or finds something else to occupy their time, looks like we're stuck with it in some fashion. Rather that's fortunate or not is debatable among some.
Have a great, potentially godless, day!

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Re: The Beginning Of The End For Religion In The USA?

Post #9

Post by The Kangaroo »

The appeal of religion is very strong, but, in the U.S., institutional religion is becoming an anachronism just as it has in other Western nations. Those who believe "America was founded as a Christian nation" are delusional. It was founded just like all migrations, for economic reasons. The several "Great Awakenings" were mostly cultural fads. What will be interesting is how cultural conflicts play out in the reddest states, especially Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Much of conspiracy talk is based on a need to feel "people like us" matter, but, generally people with real power could care less what some pharmacist in Springfield, Missouri thinks. I suspect much of the Religious Right movement will peter out as the Baby Boomers die off.

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Re: The Beginning Of The End For Religion In The USA?

Post #10

Post by historia »

nobspeople wrote: Wed Apr 07, 2021 8:49 am
Theoretically, it would be nice to rid the world of religion - I think that would create less hate than we have currently.
When people say things like this, I have to wonder: Are you just unfamiliar with the events of the 20th Century? Have you not seen the kind of hatred, destruction, and loss of life that has resulted from secular and even explicitly atheist political philosophies?

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