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America’s Favorite Religion?
Pastor Brett ^ | January 14, 2009 | Brett Maragni

Posted on 01/18/2012 3:37:45 PM PST by Gamecock

Christianity? Nope. Maybe in days gone by, but not these days.

Islam? Growing fast, but not America’s favorite.

Hinduism? No.

Judaism? No.

Mormonism? No.

Sheilaism? Yes.

Sheilaism is America’s favorite religion. Hands down.

You say, “I’ve never heard of Sheliaism. What is it?”

Sheilaism is the religion of making up your own religion. It was founded by Sheila Larson. Well, not really. Sheilaism was coined by sociologist Robert Bellah based upon an encounter he had with a woman who typified for Bellah how the average American viewed religion. Bellah explains:

Sheila Larson is a young nurse who has received a good deal of therapy and describes her faith as “Sheilaism.” This suggests the logical possibility of more than 235 million American religions, one for each of us. “I believe in God,” Sheila says. “I am not a religious fanatic. [Notice at once that in our culture any strong statement of belief seems to imply fanaticism so you have to offset that.] I can’t remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It’s Sheilaism. Just my own little voice.” Sheila’s faith has some tenets beyond belief in God, though not many. In defining what she calls “my own Sheilaism,” she said: “It’s just try to love yourself and be gentle with yourself. You know, I guess, take care of each other. I think God would want us to take care of each other.” Like many others, Sheila would be willing to endorse few more specific points.

What is both refereshingly honest and frighteningly dangerous is the fact that Sheila named her own religion after herself, thus fashioning a god in her own image.

Should this surprise us? No, it really should not. In a society that has eagerly shoved the true God to the margins and has been waging an all-out assault on authority and absolute truth, why should we be surprised?

People are increasingly spiritual and decreasingly convictional. As David F. Wells has so eloquently expressed, a previous generation focused on “virtues” (fixed, permanent, transcendent qualities); this generation focuses on “values” (shifting, personal, cultural qualities).

Throw in the reality that we Americans have grown not just accustomed to, but expectant and demanding of, variety and choice and the result is a smorgasbord phenomena in religion. No two people will end up with the exact same combination of food (beliefs) when they sit down at the table to eat (worship).

Recent Barna research reveals that…

By a three to one margin (71% to 26%) adults noted that they are personally more likely to develop their own set of religious beliefs than to accept a comprehensive set of beliefs taught by a particular church.

So is this a new phenomena? A natural step in man’s evolutionary progression?

Hardly. More like depraved humans falling for the same old lies after rejecting the one true God as revealed in God’s Word. At the heart of Sheilaism is the desire to do life on one’s own terms, to be the captain of one’s own soul. It is the sin of Adam in the garden. It is the same sinful cycle the nation of Israel fell into time and again through the Old Testament: Reject the King of Kings and do your own thing.

Same old stuff:

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. - Judges 21.25

May God Bless America in spite of herself. Amen.


TOPICS: Current Events; General Discusssion
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1 posted on 01/18/2012 3:37:50 PM PST by Gamecock
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To: drstevej; OrthodoxPresbyterian; CCWoody; Wrigley; Gamecock; Jean Chauvin; jboot; AZhardliner; ...
GRPL Ping (and a few others)


2 posted on 01/18/2012 3:41:15 PM PST by Gamecock (I am so thankful for [the] active obedience of Christ. No hope without it. JGM)
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To: Gamecock

Bookmarked.


3 posted on 01/18/2012 3:45:59 PM PST by Inyo-Mono (My greatest fear is that when I'm gone my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them)
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To: Gamecock

With so many whinies today, I would have said the Religion of Meeeeeeee!!!


4 posted on 01/18/2012 3:47:34 PM PST by bgill (The Obama administration is staging a coup. Wake up, America, before it's too late.)
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To: Gamecock

I am a Jenovah’s Witness, I believe in the all mighty Altana and her blessings in the form of the one winged angel.

/sarc


5 posted on 01/18/2012 3:49:30 PM PST by GraceG
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To: bgill

Like this?

6 posted on 01/18/2012 3:53:24 PM PST by GraceG
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To: Gamecock
John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, the life. No man comes to the father but by me.

Religion is an anodyne to spiritual growth.

7 posted on 01/18/2012 4:10:43 PM PST by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: Gamecock

Well, I guess we’d better throw that freedom of religion nonsense out the window. Can’t trust those darn people, can we?


8 posted on 01/18/2012 4:36:11 PM PST by Boogieman
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To: Boogieman

At the same time as freedom of speech I suppose.


9 posted on 01/18/2012 4:49:37 PM PST by Gamecock (I am so thankful for [the] active obedience of Christ. No hope without it. JGM)
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To: metmom
John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, the life. No man comes to the father but by me.

Any Catholics or Protestants want to point out where Jesus says it's really The Church?

10 posted on 01/18/2012 5:26:06 PM PST by rawcatslyentist (It is necessary that a person be born of a father who is a citizen; ~Vattel's Law of Nations)
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To: rawcatslyentist

They’re out there, that’s for sure.

It’s gotten to the point where Jesus is just a window dressing in a bid to give His stamp of approval to whatever religious system that person is promoting.


11 posted on 01/18/2012 5:39:28 PM PST by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: Gamecock

Funny, I thought is was the Church of Oprah Winfrey.


12 posted on 01/18/2012 5:49:37 PM PST by Fred Hayek (FUBO, the No Talent Pop Star pResident.)
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To: rawcatslyentist
That's like trying to incite an argument over whether the carpenter or the hammer strikes the nail.

The Church does nothing apart from Jesus (he said so, with absolute clarity); Jesus chooses to save through His Church.

13 posted on 01/18/2012 5:51:23 PM PST by Campion ("It is in the religion of ignorance that tyranny begins." -- Franklin)
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To: rawcatslyentist

You mean other than the church being the place where Christians gather?


14 posted on 01/18/2012 5:55:26 PM PST by Gamecock (I am so thankful for [the] active obedience of Christ. No hope without it. JGM)
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To: Gamecock

15 posted on 01/18/2012 6:15:49 PM PST by Mycroft Holmes (Returned for regrooving...)
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To: Gamecock
Hardly. More like depraved humans falling for the same old lies after rejecting the one true God as revealed in God’s Word. At the heart of Sheilaism is the desire to do life on one’s own terms, to be the captain of one’s own soul. It is the sin of Adam in the garden. It is the same sinful cycle the nation of Israel fell into time and again through the Old Testament: Reject the King of Kings and do your own thing.

Same old stuff: In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. - Judges 21.25

May God Bless America in spite of herself. Amen.

May God succor the whole world. Thank you for posting this.

16 posted on 01/18/2012 6:26:47 PM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel, if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so.)
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To: Mycroft Holmes

Pure Pastafarian.

17 posted on 01/18/2012 6:33:21 PM PST by Mycroft Holmes (Returned for regrooving...)
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To: Gamecock

Seems Hudson and Landry had this idea a long time ago, but their “religion” was Frederickism. Who’s Frederick? That’s me, Freddie Schultz! Do you have any commandments? 26. We get you coming and going. I looked for a video on YouTube, but it’s not there.


18 posted on 01/18/2012 7:16:26 PM PST by smalltownslick
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To: Gamecock
Sheilaism = relative morality
It's a sin of arrogance/pride: I know better than God what to believe and how to live.

Or

If it feels good, do it.

Or

Mmemememememememe.

19 posted on 01/18/2012 7:19:36 PM PST by cloudmountain
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To: Gamecock

hedonism


20 posted on 01/18/2012 7:48:42 PM PST by WPaCon
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