Discussion for article #236255
No surprise here. I am careful to always call those on the right repub Christians. They are not true Christians. They do not follow the Prince of Peace. They do not follow the Sermon on the Mount. They are way too judgmental. How they think they are following Jesus is a joke. Although I strongly believe in separation of Church and State, repubs’ positions and proposed legislation are most un-Christ like. If there is a hell, repub Christians are going to be mighty surprised.
Just be ready: the level of Krischun freakout is (obviously) inversely proportional to the number identifying as Krischun.
So now we understand what the real freak out in the American Family Association and other religious groups (Fox News) is all about.
We’re on our way to a country where ¨unaffiliated¨ is the largest ¨religious¨ group. Imagine that 
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Is there any relevance to a number that represents those who identify as Christian? There would be an even sharper decline if we could eliminate the cultists who wrap in a flag and carry a bible. They exist only for the purpose of blaming and shaming. A good question may be are there any real Christians, who don’t use religion for their own gain rather than its purpose of lifting others out of suffering? The bar has been set so appallingly low.
What is interesting is where the ex-Christians went. The number of atheists in the country doubled (from 1.6 to 3.1%) the number of agnostics increased by ~60% (2.4 to 4.0%). But the bulk went to the nothing in particular category (12.1 to 15.8%). That says to me that these people haven’t lost their sense of spirituality, but rather their faith in religion. That means to me the fault for this conversion falls solely on church leaders who are currently defining their churches by excluding people, rather than including.
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Oh dear , the Presidential Repub runners will now have to choose another ’ religion ’ to go for to get more votes .
Or it could mean people are afraid of the repercussions for admitting to being atheists or agnostics, or haven’t been able to admit to themselves that’s what they are. Going from religious to non-religious isn’t generally a clean break, but more of a process.
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Thank God.
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So people are abandoning the traditional, boring sermons in favor of nothing in particular, or a new kind of amplified, commodified, power pointed evangelicotainment. With a strong, justifiable preference for nothing in particular.
So “hating in the name of the Lord” isn’t as popular as those practicing it assumed? Big surprise there.
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The more the Theocrats Thump their Bibles and try to rain Fire and Brimstone down on anyone “Not Them”, the more Americans will turn away from Religion.
Theocracies are one of the main reasons why America was created in the first place and why the Separation of Church and State was one of the most important Founding Principles.
Unfortunately, the quote: “When Fascism comes to America it will come wrapped in the Flag and carrying a Cross.”
is true and we see the beginnings of it in the current Republican Party.
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I’d be willing to wager that if the pollsters went beyond self-reporting and actually looked at real behavior, they’d find even less religiosity among the general public. For instance, how many self-described Catholics actually step inside a church aside from Easter, Christmas, and family events (weddings, funerals, etc.)? Here in the NYC suburbs I’ve seen several churches (and one synagogue) with For Sale signs popping up in the last year.
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Agreed, I see it as the folks who are nominally Christian, believe in god, but aren’t practicing, who would in the past self-identify becoming sickened by what the modern connotation of that label has come to mean and dropping the label.
Quite apart from the content of their beliefs, Evangelicals are relatively unburdened by the Catholic Priests’ masters-equivalent education, vow of celibacy, vow of poverty and willingness to serve where the Church deploys them. Anyone can set up shop and order their sermons and music pre-scripted, power pointed and copyright licensed for delivery. Anyone who can load and play a DVD has 2/3 of what they need to lead a small worship group. All they need to add is a variable mixture of faith, ambition and performance talent.
And the services, in my admittedly limited experience, are far more entertaining and even thought provoking than any mainstream Catholic or Protestant sermon I’ve ever heard. It’s no surprise to me at all, that evangelicals are still growing.
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Out here in rural Pennsyltucky, a Catholic stronghold, parishes are closing all over. The consolidation is causing a lot of strife between churches vying to be the one in an area that’s selected to survive. Old folks can’t be bothered to stage a protest for their own economic interest, but mess with their church and they’re holding a sit-in like a bunch of college students taking over the administration building.
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When I was a kid, I remember churches saying “Jesus Loves You”. But that changed when Robertson, Falwell and Anita Bryant and right wing Catholic and Mormon bishops whipped up the Religious Right in the 70s. Churches infected with the hate these demagogues generated began saying “Stop Abortion, We Hate Gays, We Hate the Poor. Vote Republican. We Hate Blacks, Latinos, etc.” I walked out of a church for the last time in 1986 when a Preacher demanded that the whole congregation pray for the death of liberal judges. That was the last straw for me and I will NEVER step foot in a church again.
Maybe a lot of people have to work second or third jobs and don’t have time any more. Maybe the shrinking middle class correlates with the decline. Maybe the obscene Christian backing of Republican policy has consequences.
Separation of church and state is requisite for the success of either or both.