Posted on 05/22/2023 6:16:16 PM PDT by marshmallow
(OSV News) -- After traveling the United States for 10 months during 1831-32, French diplomat and political philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville declared in his classic work "Democracy in America" that "there is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America."
But almost 200 years later, a new report from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) titled "Religion and Congregations in a Time of Social and Political Upheaval" casts a shadow of doubt on the fervor of Americans, only 16% of whom reported to PRRI that religion is the most important thing in their lives.
In PRRI's study, those with no religious affiliation represented 27% of the population. Likewise a majority of Americans either seldom (28%) or never (29%) attend religious services; and more than one-third (37%) of those who exited a religion identified themselves as "former" Catholics.
"One of the meta trends in the American religious landscape over the last 20 -- even 30 -- years has been the precipitous decline in religious affiliation and a decline in other indications of religiosity," said David Campbell, the Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. While there is some debate about underlying reasons, "research that I and others have done has demonstrated that America does seem to be secularizing in a way that it had not previously," Campbell explained.
For context, Campbell said almost since "the beginning of public opinion polling -- going back many, many decades up until roughly 1990 -- no more than 5% of Americans ever said they had no religious affiliation. And then in the last 30 or so years, you've seen this dramatic rise in religious non-affiliation that's now been accompanied by other indications.......
(Excerpt) Read more at news.diocesetucson.org ...
Ho hum. It’s just about time for another crackdown on the Latin Mass people who still show up.
Maybe...because so many have gone WOKE???!!!
It is the responsibility of man to find the remnant that has always existed. Woke religious organizations calling themselves churches is not excuse for not attending. That lame excuse will fall to the floor in front of The Judgment.
Never saw a church on Star Trek. I wonder the more educated the less religious. Of course God knew this would happen. He’s not shocked.
Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin
The statistical evidence confirms that pepple who attend Church regularly have longer, happier lives.
1 church actually had a pastor who was around during the week.
2 19th century churchs under renovation.
Some friends who gather, where you can actually talk openly - it is a very old traditional way. They simply have what they call, a gathering.
A church in Chicago land:
Chicago pastor: ‘I live on a roof to raise cash for black youths - but BLM won’t help’ [He is a Republican.]
https://nypost.com/2022/05/28/chicago-pastor-lives-on-roof-raises-cash-for-black-youthbut-blm-wont-help/
Nobody saw that coming, eh?
Messianic Congregations continue to grow.
I’ve been searching for a new home church for the last year. Have settled on a small Building now believing Reformed-leaning Baptist Church. Not glitz or glammer, but Jesus.
It's the house of bondage because the last thing a corrupt institution [of any type] wants anyone to do is to get up and walk. Away. The premise out of this church perspective is that unreligious and unaffiliated = secular, uninterested, rebellious, and unrighteous.
It's an easy (lazy) conclusion to form, because there are always anti-God characters who despise what it good, right, and decent. But the finger-pointing at least serves to deflect from the rot within and the associated reasons people of integrity dust off their feet, knowing full well that they'll get "the treatment", scorned and lumped in with the hedonists and anti-social types.
As far as a remnant within the system, somebody's got to take one for the team. That's how week after week, the Messiah could sit in a pew -- well, even a humble folding chair in one of those simple, "just Jesus" kind of places -- and nobody's gonna recognize. He's just 'some regular guy' of good reputation who could be taken advantage of for his kindness, generosity, and selflessness.
Let *that* institution explain itself..
BINGO.! Most of the Churches have gone completely off the rails..
I wonder the more educated the less religious.
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For those who think they’re too smart to believe in God..
For the wise guys.. They WILL be amazed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ3hESj__M8&list=PLRj8AJuzeJRwHdeFua3pzmwPB_JCS0mIq
It is easier to find a preacher online who reflects their values. Even my Protestant grandfather rarely attended church, he listened to a preacher on the radio as far back as the 1940’s.
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