More Christian Americans are choosing to be unaffiliated with any particular religious group.
The percentage of “nones” in this country has absolutely skyrocketed over the past decade. Not all religions, in fact, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and various other New Age organizations have all experienced excellent growth in recent years. Oddly enough, almost all of the growth for the “nones” has come at the expense of Christianity. Many of our churches are less than half full on Sunday mornings.
Pew Research Center recent study entitled “Why America’s ‘nones’ left religion behind,“ states one thing that particularly stood out to me was the fact that most “nones” were once affiliated with a particular religion but have now discarded that label
78% Say they were raised with religion before shedding it in adulthood. Back in 2007, “nones” made up 16 %of the population, but now that number has risen to 23 %. The following is from a different Pew Research Center report that was published last year…Religious “nones” – a shorthand we use to refer to people who self-identify as atheists or agnostics, as well as those who say their religion is “nothing in particular” – now make up roughly 23% of the U.S. adult population. This is a stark increase from 2007, the last time a similar Pew Research study was conducted, when 16% of Americans were “nones.” (During this same time period, Christians have fallen from 78% to 71%.)
The 7% increase in the percentage of “nones” were matched exactly by a 7%t decrease in the percentage of Christians. It is time to face a very hard truth – Christianity is in rapid decline in America.
Pew Research Center, while conducting their new survey…49% indicate that a lack of belief led them to move away from religion. They cited science, common sense, logic or a lack of evidence – or simply say they do not believe in God.
In America today, 35 % of all millennials are “nones” and prefer the word spiritual. They express more of an open mind to possibilities and when referencing the term god, they prefer the word universe or source and not to be equated with the bible. While the Pew Center sees this as a tragic unfolding and in need of attention, they fail to see how religion often brings limited thinking.
Sources
Image 1 - Google image- Labeled for reuse - Saint Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Freedom Township, Michigan
Image 1 - Google image- Labeled for reuse - Toronto Falun Gong Exercises 12
References
Pew Research Center- http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/08/24/why-americas-nones-left-religion-behind/
There is another, opposite factor.
As more and more "churches" adopt secular values based on letting their members "vote" on what is true - they cease to become organizations worthy of membership.
So many people choose to study Biblical Christianity on their own or in small groups - as it was originally organized.
So we should be asking - are those leaving rejecting Christ or all the irrelevant trappings that have been layered on to the Good News?
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I think, IMHO they are walking away from limited thinking. The creator is so much more than the ideology of religion.
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True. But it throws out the baby (God's revealed truth) with the bathwater (how religions have tainted that truth).
Nevertheless, a great "falling away" was predicted by Paul just before Jesus returns. Looks like we are on the leading edge of it.
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Sounds good to me. I think the whole point of Christianity to begin with was to free people from the temple and Old Testament law. There were no requirement for church service in the teachings of Jesus. "Church" referred to the entire body of those following the teachings of Christ, not to a building where people gathered on Sunday.
Interestingly, Joseph P Farrell discusses this issue in several of his books including Yahweh: the Two-Faced God and Genes, Giants, Monsters and Men. And most of our Founding Fathers, contrary to what many believe, were not Christians, they were Deists.
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Happy hymn singing in church like good little street angels...
All until the abuse and fingers start flying in the car park after the service; yep gotta love the congregation : )
/ hugz ; )
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I am one of those "nones". I have never connected with the christian idea of church. There are so many different reasons as to why. I could go on and on for days about how the bible has been changed, about how the church has gotten rich off the poor, about how many people have been killed in the name of christianity, about how the church refuses to accept scientific fact, about how the church looks down on and ridicules others who hold different beliefs, about.... I could go on and on and on.
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Yes. And in the end, you will have gone on and on about nothing relevant.
All those things are what false Christians do and believe.
By looking at them you are missing the Truth - which is the very opposite of what you object to.
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Your entitled to your opinion, but Nothing Relevant........ Yeah OK most of the items I listed above where actions ordered or sanctioned by the different popes throughout history. Its views like that that push more and more people away from organized religion.
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Like I said. False Christians.
Why do you think they called them the Dark Ages?
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It's about time the peeps wake up!!! Pew Research ..... that's hell-arious!
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I am personally stoked to see the numbers decreasing for religiously oriented Americans. The history of Christians in the world over the last 2000 years is primarily one of control, victimization, war and fear. If you are not part of the Church, you are Other and less than. Not really a recipe for equity and justice for all. Glad to see their power base shrinking. Take care, oc
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Be careful what you wish for. :o)
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Me too!. When I originally read the Pew Center Study, it just stuck to me. It was totally spun to be tragic. I felt it needed a new spin put on the data- The kids are OK.
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you welcome
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I'm a "former" rather than a "none" for church affiliation - also a trend I'm seeing growing. For 22 years, I was a pastor's wife. Now, I am still a Christian - but I am not affiliated with a church.
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I like those types of Christians best
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Shit I was a none until the military. Then I adopted #wicca for fun! :-O LOVE to see them writh, just like I bet most none's do! Fuck the man! ;-) Not (the) (wo)man of course..... ;-) XO Still believe in god, the goddess, n my own personal higher self...that's at least 3 gods and counting (don't forget Ganesha)!
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