Protestants lose majority status in U.S.

[asu66]

Politics aside, this does not bode well for the future of our nation.

Protestants lose majority status in U.S.

By: RACHEL ZOLL | The Associated Press
Published: October 09, 2012 Updated: October 09, 2012 - 12:23 AM

NEW YORK --
For the first time in its history, the United States does not have a Protestant majority, according to a new study. One reason: The number of Americans with no religious affiliation is on the rise.

The percentage of Protestant adults in the country has reached a low of 48 percent, the first time that the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has reported with certainty that the number has fallen below 50 percent. The drop has long been anticipated and comes at a time when no Protestants are on the Supreme Court and the Republicans have their first presidential ticket with no Protestant nominees.

Among the reasons for the change are the growth of nondenominational Christians who can no longer be categorized as Protestant, plus a spike in the number of American adults who say they have no religion. The Pew study, released today, found that about 20 percent of Americans say they have no religious affiliation, an increase from 15 percent over the past five years.

Scholars have long debated whether people who say they no longer belong to a religious group should be considered secular. While the category as defined by Pew researchers includes atheists, it also encompasses majorities of people who say they believe in God, and a notable minority who pray daily or consider themselves "spiritual" but not "religious." Still, Pew found overall that most of the unaffiliated aren't actively seeking another religious home, indicating that their ties with organized religion are permanently broken.

Growth among those with no religion has been a major preoccupation of American faith leaders who worry that the United States, a highly religious country, would go the way of Western Europe, where church attendance has plummeted.

The trend also has political implications. American voters who describe themselves as having no religion vote overwhelmingly for Democrats. These "nones" are becoming as important a constituency to Democrats as evangelicals are to Republicans, Pew said.

The Pew analysis, conducted with PBS' "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly," is based on several surveys, including a poll of nearly 3,000 adults conducted June 28 to July 9. The finding on the Protestant majority is based on responses from a larger group of more than 17,000 people and has a margin of error of plus or minus 0.9 percentage point, Pew researchers said.

Religion scholars say the decreased religiosity could reflect a change in how Americans describe their religious lives. In 2007, 60 percent of people who said they seldom or never attend religious services still identified themselves as part of a particular religious tradition. In 2012, that statistic fell to 50 percent, according to Pew.

"Part of what's going on here is that the stigma associated with not being part of any religious community has declined," said John Green, a specialist in religion and politics at the University of Akron, who advised Pew on the survey.

More growth in "nones" is expected. One-third of adults younger than 30 have no religious affiliation, compared with 9 percent of those 65 and older.

[asu1978]

I'm not a member of any organized religion,I'm a Presbyterian,both PCA & PCUSA.

[WVAPPeer]

I grew up in the Methodist church but at this point in my life I an not involved with organized religion ---

[alabamapitts]

Haven't believed in the religious myths for years but am still considered a member of a protestant church.

[appdaze]

I see no problem with it.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Haven't believed in the religious myths for years but am still considered a member of a protestant church.

I think that is many of us. Some are more vocal and some are a bit back and forth on it. I assume I am still on the roles of the local Lutheran Church. Maybe I am not. That says something right there.

I don't like reacting to things, as I prefer to be in control of my own beliefs, etc. But the religious right (in a good many cases correctly called bigots) has not done anything to make me feel more embracing of organized religion.

Taking Old and New Testament religion at ASU did a lot to move me in this direction. That is my ASU tie-in.

[appstate77]

As a minister of 38 years, and an App State honor graduate, with a Masters degree from a Divinity School. I am glad to see that my fellow mountaineers are using their heads on matters of faith. From the reality of TWO creation stories in Genesis, to an understanding that stories like Jonah are most likely allegories it is good to see App grads THINK.

As to whether this is good or bad I land on the good side. In the 1600's Martin Luther stood up to the church to say they were moving away from the important to the absurd. Although I am an ordained minister and am active in ministry as a sports chaplain , I do not like the direction the church is headed. It is more concerned about itself and its dogmas than the people it serves-----hmmm sounds like the Pubs and Dems, but I digress.

(The talk of "myths" is a bit amusing to me as well, for Jesus told myths that the church calls parables.)

There is a phenomena called The Emergent Church, acting much like the Reformation, trying to move the church back to the important issues of faith such as relationship with God as opposed to how many angels sit on the head of a pin. (My minister dad called this crap "majoring on the minor")

Many "Protestents" and people of faith from different stripes are seeing through the junk of the church and the Religious Right and moving to places of worship and fellowship where the needs of the poor are more important than what some Fundamentalist dogmatic says about how to be saved..............I am glad to see this day come and pray for its health.

[TheGreatBolo]

Yet there are many churches throughout the land, like mine, that are wonderful in worship and keeping its people connected to Almighty God. If a man does a little searching, he can find one.

[TheGreatBolo]

Yet there are many churches throughout the land, like mine, that are wonderful in worship and keeping its people connected to Almighty God. If a man does a little searching, he can find one.

[asu66]

But the religious right (in a good many cases correctly called bigots) has not done anything to make me feel more embracing of organized religion.


Would be interested in learning your def of "the religious right."

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

But the religious right (in a good many cases correctly called bigots) has not done anything to make me feel more embracing of organized religion.


Would be interested in learning your def of "the religious right."

What most folks would, I think agree with, include the following. And I think most that self-identify as a rel-right would agree that they feel this way in their beliefs.
The religious folks that equate USA to some Godly promised land.
Were working for Amendment 1 here is this state and similar things in other states.
The same folks that equate Capitalism=Christianity (and forget about the verses in Acts or the Year of Jubilee in the Old Testament.)
The folks that are such supporters of Billy Graham that will support Romney, even though Graham was calling Mormonism a cult until a few days ago from what I read, then deleting it off his website. (Talk about not keeping to one's convictions. I call hypocrite on this one.) Google has the cached version from the BGEA.

Not everyone on the religious right fits all the descriptors above, but most fit at least one at some level, and I could have added a few more descriptors, but did not. I think that many that don't self-id as rel-right either oppose the above or don't have feelings that are so strong that it governs their entire belief system.

I have a virus on my computer so I could not get a great view of the cached Google file in total, but I was able to read enough to note that it appears Billy Graham seems to have had an epiphany as it relates to Mormonism all of a sudden. For the record I don't mind Mitt's religious views in the sense it will not stop me from voting for him. I realize that was not a question you had for me, but I started on that tangent and needed to finish it.

I am not planning to respond to any more comments on this. I was rather enjoying MMB without the politics. I am going to practice some self restraint - hopefully. See you in the other forums.

[WVAPPeer]

I will give you my definition of religious right radicals and I will use my own extended family as an example - - - I'll use quotes just to point it out not as an actual quote --- "Yes, just like God, I love every man and care for every man and every man can accept our way and go to heaven, well unless you are black, hispanic, gay, lesbian, poor and worthless and let's not leave out that god-less liberals" ---

Unfortunately I am not joking here ---

[TheGreatBolo]

I'll not be the one to judge Billy Graham. We are all hypocrites, every one.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I'll not be the one to judge Billy Graham. We are all hypocrites, every one.

OK this really is my last note on this. So much for self restraint.

True we are all humans, and in the Christian viewpoint we are all sinners. Some more than others. Some sins more hidden than others. Others more in the open for all to see. Maybe hypocrite was a bit hard, maybe not. I am not sure what to call someone that has rallied against something for so long and them turn and give support.There is something to be said about changing one's views, and BG may have been wrong to call it a cult to begin with (maybe not), but this sort of quick turn-around leaves a bad taste in my mouth, especially when the webpage was there and then just deleted. I think an explanation would have been more to my liking. Something such as "I used to call the Mormon religion a cult, but now...." would seem a bit more sincere to his old beliefs and his current feelings.

I have talked with and seen videos of ex- Neo-Nazis and other hate groupex-members. They acknowledge their current views and also acknowledge their past views and then talk about why they changed, etc. It seems sincere and heart-felt. What BG does not come across this way. Maybe that is not a hypocrite. Maybe it is just someone that is a political opportunist, that puts politics above personal convictions. That is still not someone I have an easy time getting behind with positive thoughts.

Really my last post (I hope) on this. I am even deselecting the notify me option for this thread.