Posted on 05/15/2015 8:02:25 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The decline in Americans who identify as Christian shown by a new Pew report is mostly due to those with weak church ties no longer identifying as Christian, Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, recently wrote. Was he correct? The Christian Post contacted Pew Research Center to find out.
The report, released Tuesday, found that Americans who identify as Christian fell from 78 percent to 71 percent of the U.S. population between 2007 and 2014. In the same period, the religiously unaffiliated increased six percentage points, from 16 to 22 percent.
(Note: the report found that the evangelical Protestant tradition, to which Moore belongs, did not see the same decline as Christians as a whole. The number of Evangelicals likely grew overall and declined by about 1 percentage point as a share of the population, which is within the 1.3 percentage point margin of error for Evangelicals in the sample.)
Moore said the report was good news, because it meant fewer people were identifying as Christian for cultural reasons, "fewer incognito atheists," rather than Christian-identifiers being those committed to their church.
"Bible Belt near-Christianity is teetering. I say let it fall. For much of the 20th century, especially in the South and parts of the Midwest, one had to at least claim to be a Christian to be "normal." During the Cold War, that meant distinguishing oneself from atheistic Communism. At other times, it has meant seeing churchgoing as a way to be seen as a good parent, a good neighbor, and a regular person. It took courage to be an atheist, because explicit unbelief meant social marginalization. Rising rates of secularization, along with individualism, means that those days are over — and good riddance to them," he wrote.
In an email interview with CP, Gregory Smith, associate director of research at Pew Research Center, said that the part of the report that would answer that question has not been published yet, but previous research conducted by Pew showed that the decline is indeed partly due to weak identifiers no longer calling themselves "Christian."
"In our 2012 report titled 'Nones' on the Rise, we showed that part of the reason that the ranks of the unaffiliated have grown in recent years is that Americans who are not particularly religious increasingly describe themselves as atheist, agnostic or 'nothing in particular,'" Smith said.
In same period, the 2012 report showed there was little change in attendance at religious services, suggesting that the number of those going to church did not change much. Simultaneously, the share of those who say they have no religious affiliation and rarely or never go to church saw a "huge growth," he explained.
Smith cautioned, however, that the decline in weak Christian-identifiers might not explain all of the overall decline in Christian identifiers, because "the religious 'nones' aren't just growing — they're also becoming more secular as they grow."
The next Pew report based upon the study will be published later this year. It will look closer at religious beliefs and practices and "will have much more to say on the subject," Smith added. The Christian Post will cover that report when it is released.
I’ve really followed this for years and the short answer I think is ... yes.
I am convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that most people who answer “yes” to being Christian or even religious are lying. The social pressure or even conditioning gets you that answer.
But for the mega church here and there (disclaimer - they are nothing but cash grabs) and some anecdotal instances, Church attendance is tanking and many are even older than I (a real trick lol).
“Faith” is in a steeper decline than the already bad poll results let on.
Must respectfully disagree on two counts:
1. Pew Research Center wants an outcome to their research that supports the liberal agenda.
2. IMO, in the current culture it takes more courage to tell a telepollster that one is a Christian, than for an atheist. Sorta like answering `yes’ to the poll question, “Do you own guns?”
Many more people belong to independent Christian congregations than to megachurches, also my opinion. And own guns.
It should be noted that there the MSM serves as a 24/7/365 propaganda machine to discredit and marginalize the Christian culture, just as was done via the propaganda in the Soviet Union. Their ultimate goal is to minimize the legacy political influence and unity. Maybe even turn us into an Arab spring.
It should also be noted that the free trade pacts are essentially a means by which global elites and interests wish to use as the means and work around of the USA Constitution. Our rights will be determined in muddy trade waters rather than in plain Constitutional words. They are kept hidden.
I don’t believe those who have been truly regenerated, born from above, are scared to confess Christ to pollsters. I agree with Russell, as we lose influence on the culture, it’s the cultural Christians we are losing.
“But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
It could also be a matter of population change. Old Christians are dying. Children are being born into single family households that have rejected God.
Used to be, the church was the center of social activity for large swaths of the population. Now they have more entertaining things to do, so many just stay home.
It is a mistake to believe that the decline of religion in America is due to any specific factor. It is the synergistic vector sum of numerous factors.
Would disagree as to count 2.
Over 70% of Americans identify as Christian, identification with a strong majority of a group is not an act of “courage” for most people.
I do not believe its declining. I believe it’s growing.
Might look at post #4. The common culture looks at Christianity with a gimlet eye. So, why does anyone outside the Census Bureau need to know my religion?
Not hard to imagine:
Pollster: “Just a single question, sir. What is your religious affiliation?”
Citizen: “I am a Christian.”
Pollster: “Thank you & have a nice day, you BIGOT!”
From an earthly perspective that’s certainly part of it.
From a biblical perspective, everything is as it has always been. Every single one of God’s elect, all of those chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the earth, will come to Christ and be saved.
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
—John 6:37
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
—Ephesians 1:3-6
Not all mega churches are cash grabs. Yes, for every Bible-believing megachurch, there are three Creepflo Dollahs, Benjie Hinnes and Jimmie Baykkars, but there are those that actually DO spread the Gospel.
The second largest church in Canada is Calgary’s Center Street Church. A number of years ago, one of the Christian TV networks approached the Church concerning producing a television broadcast ministry. The proposal was rejected unanimously by the Pastor and Board, as it was not part of the church’s vision and some on the Board had experience with the ‘politics’ of Christian broadcasting in Ontario.
The church focuses on assisting other churches in the area, various ministries across the country and the world, and helping other local churches worldwide by, for example, providing bicycles to pastors in India and parts of Asia, assisting with the building of churches throughout Asia and translating Bibles into local languages, among the many missions it is involved in.
No private jet, no fancy limos, no fancy suburban mansion, and for employees, salaries that are 20-30% lower than their secular counterparts. A church that has reached that level, HAS to focus outwardly and has to be on guard for any ‘yeast’ within its organisation. The more successful at spreading the Word, the more likely, and sustained the attacks will be from the Accuser.
While I think that Rick Warren is a Christian, I think that he has been blinded in several areas. That said, who can reflect Christ perfectly in thought and action? Certainly not I. To those on FR who feel they can, I have but one question. How many angels actually can dance on the head of a pin?
Hollywood pornographers and the NY elite media mock Christian values. So?
People recognize if for what it is, the same old grudge.
Using this to infer that Pew is calling Christians and harassing them is not believable.
"Faith" in God, or "Faith" in man-made religious institutions?
The great falling away + separating the wheat from the chaff in these last days.
I couldn't find if the questions in the poll were specific to a denomination or a determination of what they meant by non-affiliated. Would I be a non-affiliated Christian and thus muddle the poll results?
There are MANY evangelical churches that have started that are not affiliated with any mainline denomination at all. Yet, if you looked at their statement of faith, they adhere to all the historic creeds and doctrines of the historical Christian church.
Here is just one example — THE SHELTER ROCK CHURCH in Manhasset, NY
This church is not affiliated with any major denomination, yet, it has grown from one church to having several branches in Long Island, NY. The main branch has 3 Sunday services every week that are packed.
Look at their Statement of Faith here:
http://www.shelterrockchurch.com/whatwebelieve/
Totally orthodox.
I bet if the folks who go to this church were asked, they would be the un-affiliated ones too.
Matthew 21:28-32New International Version (NIV)
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
My take on this is that it is not enough to SAY you are “religious”.
Not totally orthodox at all.
Two examples:
1. The Holy Spirit does not come forth from God, the Holy Spirit IS God.
2. The Orthodox Christian Faith is baptism is for the forgiveness of sins. No mention of that at all.
One more problem with the “totally orthodox” statement of Faith.
The Orthodox faith believes in the divinity of Jesus Christ, that He is fully God and fully man.
This omits his divinity totally, and any Jehovah Witness could say amen to it.
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