Posted on 09/29/2014 1:32:54 AM PDT by Kaslin
A new Pew Research Center survey of opinion about the importance of religion in American life shows an interesting picture.
Over the last 12 years, the percentage of Americans that think religion is losing influence in American life has increased dramatically. In 2002, 52 percent of those surveyed said religion is losing influence. In 2014, 72 percent of Americans said religion is losing influence.
However, while increasing numbers of Americans feel religion is losing influence, most feel this is a bad thing.
Fifty-six percent say that the waning influence of religion is a bad thing compared to 12 percent that say it is a good thing.
In a survey done by Pew in 2012, 58 percent of Americans said religion is “very important” and only 18 percent said it is not “too important” or “not important at all.”
This raises some interesting questions.
One clear one is why, when Americans think religion is very important, has the percentage of Americans who think religion is losing influence in American life increased almost 40 percent over the last 14 years?
Another one is what are the political implications? Certainly, in the Republican Party, there is an increasingly vocal libertarian leaning faction that sees religion as costly political baggage.
I attribute why almost three fourths of Americans feel that religion is losing influence in American life, while most feel this is a bad thing, to the law of unintended consequences.
Many Americans have been unwittingly supporting policies for more than a half-century that they thought were good ideas and consistent with their values which have been neither. Now more Americans are beginning to appreciate the damage that has been done and how far the nation has strayed from their own sense of right and wrong.
Take the example of welfare.
When Aid to Families with Dependent Children program was dramatically expanded in the 1960s, it seemed morally correct for government to get more aggressive in the lives of the poor, particularly poor black women.
Who appreciated that the program would undermine the very religious, traditional values that keep families intact, essential for the work ethic that leads people out poverty? Massive increases of government in the lives of low-income black families were accompanied by a tripling of single parent households and out-of wedlock births, laying the groundwork for intergenerational poverty.
Now it’s happening in the whole country. As we’ve gotten more government telling Americans how to save for retirement, how to deal with their health care, how to educate their children – American families have been damaged and out-of-wedlock births have increased six-fold from 1960 to 42 percent today. Government has displaced family.
Some say today we have competing views about the role of government.
I would say we have competing views about what life is about.
One view -- a decidedly secular, materialistic view – sees no mystery in life. The left wing version, which dominates the Democratic Party, says government can solve all of life’s problems. The hard-core libertarian version, found among some Republicans -- says just leave everybody alone -- you don’t bother me and I won’t bother you -- and everything will work out for the best.
The other view maintains that you can’t have a free society that is not also a virtuous society. It was what George Washington meant when he said in his farewell address that “of all the dispensations and habits that lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”
It is my sense that more Americans are beginning to wake up to the unintended, damaging consequences of the often well-intended government policies they have been supporting for many years.
More Americans are beginning to appreciate that we can’t separate our fiscal and economic problems from our moral problems and that if we want to recapture our freedom and prosperity, we must recapture our virtue.
Religion’s influence isn’t declining, just that of Christianity and Judiasm.
The unspoken truth, is that a certain “Religion of Peace” is gaining influence far beyond its’ actual numbers. . .
Every once in a while I read the preamble to our Constitution. No, there are no enumerated powers listed there, just a beautiful mission statement.
Instead of promoting the general welfare, i.e. a virtuous society, our masters in Rome-on-the-Potomac strive to destroy it, along with our republic.
It’s always darkest just before the storm and before sunrise begins. Just follow the Light.
I was very surprised at the few people who attend church services throughout Europe. When I traveled and attended services, the churches were empty.
I went to a Sunday morning worship service at the Coventry Cathedral and there were more in the service than the approximately dozen people in the pews. The cathedral was huge, but empty.
While I can't question her stats, and agree with the fact(s) that Americans believe "religion" is important in/to American life and that we cannot separate our political from our "moral" consciousness .. what she could have and should have said was that we needed to name names ... Jesus, as the focus of our "religion.
My understanding of early American history is that we were not a "religious" people as much as we were a people that carried God with us through our everyday life.
Jesus is the focus and focal point of that "carrying God with us" and I believe before the early 1930's or so, most pulpits actually preached salvation by grace through faith and there was little conflict between the denominations concerning who our Lord was and and what He had done for us
I'm not saying that most Americans were born again, but that it was not a subject for derision, and people .. even non religious people .. had an awesome fear of The Good Book and of "religion"
We as a nation, used to to emanate goodness, a quality DeToqueville readily felt and attributed to the American psyche.
We are no longer good and THAT's the result of the goodness has left us (Ichabod ?)
I look on our young kids and I see a generally good generation .. but the "good" is a false display sans Jesus within via the Holy Spirit.
There is NO phrase more important in the Scriptures than "Ye must be born again", for without that .. you are "religious" and missing the personal relationship God wants to have with us.
Kind'a like the GI in a foxhole looking at the picture of his girl while bullets whiz over his head and he "talks" to her ... THAT'S what God wants from us ... a personal relationship where we actually talk to Him
Call on me and I will answer thee and show you great and mighty things of which you know not.
God have mercy on me, a sinner
Just wait for the next big war or the Next Big Terrorist attack, wait for the next epdemic or depression. Then the Churches will be full once again. If you think there will not be a big war remember the words of Socrates, the wisest of the Ancient Greeks: “Only the dead have seen the end of war.”
That is good news. Obama may have 36% unquestioning support, but only 12% are hard core enemies of all that is good.
You’re right about churches in Europe. Churches in Italy have few worshipers. The better known historic cathedrals have enough pews for maybe 30-50 people. These churches stay afloat by functioning as museums.
Yet the mosques are full.
This should not be surprising - not with all the scandals going on in the traditional church systems. They do not need brick and mortar for their other needs and wants, so why would they be expected to be going to traditional churches? The pollsters make the same mistake (logical fallacy?) as others assuming Church membership is the same as believing in Jesus.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/dgreenfield/have-gay-marriage-attacks-on-religious-freedom-backfired/
If parents don’t teach it to the children, then who, really, is to blame?
Public Sees Religions Influence Waning
The subtitle of the report is "Growing Appetite for Religion in Politics"
Those for whom the influence of religion is not waning, want to see more religion in politics
The government is killing religion....abortion, homosexuality, removal of monuments even crosses for vets...
News Flash
Townhall.com did not write the article, it only printed the article written by Star Parker. So blame her for not providing a link to the report. *rme*
The problem is freedom to NOT speak of religion has now become the new norm, unless your Muslim.
Churches are religion. Christianity is a way of life.
Note: our gummint is doing it’s damndest to stamp out all aspects of religion in our society.
Whilst..........
Our ‘religious leaders’ have turned our churches into nothing but a bunch of wimps.
So, whatdya expect??
‘Religion’s influence isn’t declining, just that of Christianity and Judiasm.’
I agree with this. Yes, the ‘religion of peace’ may be gaining influence’ but there are many others too. Even the religion of seculare humanism. Man will worship something. Humanity is in trouble at the present time for bypassing the God of the Bible.
Unfortunately, even those taught and reared in the Scriptures move away after gaining independence. ..
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