Posted on 08/28/2016 2:41:41 PM PDT by Salvation
The Surprising Reason Why More Americans Are Not Going To Church
The standard narrative of American religious decline goes something like this: A few hundred years ago, European and American intellectuals began doubting the validity of God as an explanatory mechanism for natural life. As science became a more widely accepted method for investigating and understanding the physical world, religion became a less viable way of thinking—not just about medicine and mechanics, but also culture and politics and economics and every other sphere of public life. As the United States became more secular, people slowly began drifting away from faith.
Of course, this tale is not just reductive—it’s arguably inaccurate, in that it seems to capture neither the reasons nor the reality behind contemporary American belief. For one thing, the U.S. is still overwhelmingly religious, despite years of predictions about religion’s demise. A significant number of people who don’t identify with any particular faith group still say they believe in God, and roughly 40 percent pray daily or weekly. While there have been changes in this kind of private belief and practice, the most significant shift has been in the way people publicly practice their faith: Americans, and particularly young Americans, are less likely to attend services or identify with a religious group than they have at any time in recent memory.
If most people haven’t just logicked their way out of believing in God, what’s behind this shift in public religious practice, and what does the shift look like in detail? That’s a big question, one less in search of a straightforward answer than a series of data points and arguments constellated over time. Here’s one: Pew has a new survey out about the way people choose their congregations and attend services. While Americans on the whole are still going to church and other worship services less than they used to, many people are actually going more—and those who are skipping out aren’t necessarily doing it for reasons of belief.
There were at least three fascinating tidbits tucked into the results of the survey. First, people who report going to worship services less frequently now than they used to overwhelmingly say the logistics of getting there are the biggest obstacle.Second, a significant number of people who said they’re not part of any particular religion expressed mistrust of religious institutions, suggesting these organizations’ reputations have something to do with why people are dropping out of public religious participation.
Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, the country seems to be split in half in terms of how often people get to services. Roughly 51 percent of Americans say they go to church or another worship service somewhere between once a month and multiple times per week, while 49 percent said they go rarely or never. But within that 51 percent, more than half of people said they go more often than they used to—in other words, about quarter of Americans have gotten more active in their religious communities in recent years, not less.
On the other hand, fewer than half of the people who rarely or never go to church said this has been a new decline in the last few years; a greater portion of that group said they’ve always stayed home on Sundays. All of this is a way of saying that, comparatively speaking, there’s more activity happening on the devout side of the spectrum than the drop-out side; this study suggests that even in a time of religion’s public decline, some people are experiencing religious revival.
According to the survey, about one-fifth of Americans now go to religious services a few times a year, but say they used to go a lot more. Roughly half of this group stopped going as often because of what the researchers called “practical issues”: They are too busy, have a crazy work schedule, or describe themselves as “too lazy” to go. Others said they just don’t care about attending services as much as doing other things.
While it’s easy to empathize with the hassle of trying to wake up and rally kids to go sit still for several hours every Sunday morning, this explanation is interesting for a slightly different reason: It suggests that many people view religious services as optional in a way they might not have in the past. Fifty or 60 years ago, churches, in particular, were a center of social and cultural life in America. For many people, that’s still the case, but the survey suggests that many people may be creating their social lives outside of a religious context—or perhaps forgoing that kind of social connection altogether.
The experience of those who are losing their religion shouldn’t obscure those who are finding it.
The sidelining of services may connect to another factor indicated in the survey: Among people who were raised religiously and who fell away from religion in adult life, roughly one-fifth said their dislike of organized religion was the reason. Another 50 percent said they stopped believing in the particular tenets of the faith they were raised in. Insofar as the decline in U.S. religious affiliation is an intellectual or philosophical story, it seems to be this: Fewer people are willing to sign on with the rules and reputations of institutions that promote faith. That doesn’t mean people don’t care about religious ideas or questions—many of those who are unaffiliated with a particular group still consider themselves “religious” or “seeking”—but they might not be as sold on the religious institutions themselves.
The experience of those who are losing their religion shouldn’t obscure the experience of those who are finding it, though. Twenty-seven percent of people in the survey say they’re attending services more often than they did in the past, cutting against the country’s overall decline in religious practice. This was most common among evangelical Protestants, three-quarters of whom say they go to church at least once or twice a month. Half of the people who said they’re going to services more often explained the change in terms of their beliefs: They’ve become more religious; they found that they need God in their life; they’ve gotten more mature as they’ve aged. By contrast, relatively few said they started going to church more often for practical reasons. Belief brings people to worship, it seems, while logistics keep people way.
The survey offers evidence that at least some Americans find worship services less relevant than other things they could be doing with their time, or perhaps they’re too hard to make time for. But the biggest takeaway is the variety of religious experience in America. Just as some people are drifting away from religion, others are moving toward it—and no matter what they might do on Sunday mornings, many people seem to find religious thinking still relevant to their lives.
To love God and each other is the basis for the Ten Commandments. Not a contradiction. HMMmmmm . . .
So you're using the "It's all Gods fault" defense at Judgement Day?
. But there is nothing in the New Testament that indicates I am bound by the Old Covenant.
#1 The Ten Commandments are not a covenant. They are Gods Law not subject to debate. See my post #183 for verses indicating the permanence of His Law which will stand throughout eternity. Jesus had a custom which was to worship on the Sabbath day and keep it holy(Luke 4:16). He did this throughout His lifetime (and even unto death). He is our Example. From Adam and Eve until the present day, man has kept the Sabbath. It is the only Commandment that starts with the word "REMEMBER". Why is that?
Belief includes repentance:
Luk 13:3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
Act 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
Act 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Repent of what? Sin:
2Co_12:21 lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.
Repentance of sin, genuine repentance, is absolutely required in order to belief AND be saved.
Mere belief without repentance is empty. It's meaningless. When we don't repent of sin we're practicing lawlessness, iniquity. Repentance includes obedience to the law of God. Not obeying the law of God is lawlessness.
Mat_7:23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
I might add, what is sin? It is transgression of the law. Those who wish to do away with the law wish to eradicate the very standard which defines sin. The magical thinking of let’s do away with the law and live by faith forget the law will always be valid. If one follows Gods law and lives by faith then all is well. They go hand in hand. They are both properties of God.
“So you’re using the “It’s all Gods fault” defense at Judgement Day?”
Nope. I’m using “The Blood of Jesus” defense. I suggest you consider it.
“They are Gods Law not subject to debate.” - Bipolar Bob
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” - Jesus Christ, quoted in Mark 2
“Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day — things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” - Apostle Paul, Col. 2:16-17
“I might add, what is sin? It is transgression of the law.”
Do those who have not heard the Law sin? Was there sin before the Law was given?
“The magical thinking of let’s do away with the law and live by faith forget the law will always be valid.” - Bipolar Bob
“3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” - Apostle Paul
“23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” - Apostle Paul, also in Galatians 3
To repeat for emphasis:
“But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian [The Law], for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”
Let's put this into context. Paul was addressing an issue in which people wanted a clarification. There was a continuous efforts to commemorate different events. With each new emperor brought in new "holy days" for feasting. There were ceremonial sabbaths which are not to be confused with the weekly Sabbath. Each priesthood change wanted to make another change to differentiate from the previous. Paul says it is all a mere shadow. And it is. He certainly was not addressing a change to the Ten Commandments and would be horrified to think others would take it so.
It is no contradiction to anything I have said. The believer who follows the law in his heart (see New Covenant) and has faith is no longer under (the condemnation of) the law.
Did Jesus not say "Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me"?
There are obligations to discipleship. And man always has been rebellious. His inward self may chafe at the idea of a yoke but without Gods Law there is chaos.
“ROME taught you this ‘fact’!”
Yep. By “Rome” i’d mean the Magisterium passing down the New Testament and the teaching of every single person of Christian faith before, say, 1300-1400.
I’m sure you understand what I meant when I said “know” - it’s faith. You have it too, seems like very strongly, and valid, just differently, as in where “2 or 3 are gathered”. We’re all on the same side here.
Peace,
RG
I think it’s because a lot of churches are straying from biblical teachings and saying a lot of sins are ok.
That doesn't work for willful transgressors or deniers. Without the law there is no standard or definition for sin.
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."
We are to enter into a rest with God. Away from work and worries to meditate upon Him. Will just any old day do? God designated the seventh day for He said six days we are to labor but rest the seventh. Who argues with God about which day? If He wanted it to be the first day He would have said so. Instead He wrote it in stone so that it cannot be blotted out (see Col 2:14). It is permanent.
You feel free to argue with the Apostle Paul. Or Jesus. I’m wasting time and breath on someone who wants to live under the Law - and who will be condemned by it.
I don't argue with Paul I agree with him. I understand him in ways that you may not.
Thank you.
>>The church exists to provide jobs for the clergy, who are otherwise useless.
Things were different when the schools were flourishing and empowering the lay folks with discerning knowledge to keep the pulpit in check.
B.I.N.G.O!
It’s supposed to be a local gathering of the body of Christ for mutual edification — Not a country club.
What changes specifically?
If they go to Mass they hear the Bible read to them, OT, Psalms, NT and Gospels.
Read my post. I wrote the latest change I hate there.
All the prayers I used to say now must be sung to a difficult song. I don’t like singing prayers so that change makes me mad and less want to go to church. I certainly doing get to say these prayers anymore.
Even my mother hates this change and she LIKES to sing in church, but she finds she can’t sing these difficult songs. She said her church is now like mine. The songs are so difficult to sing that only her choir is singing them, along with a few diehards like her.
How about all the hand holding and hand gesturing. Sorry, we didn’t do that back in the 1970s and mass was just fine then.
All these chances piss me off and make me not want to go to mass because I can’t participate fully as I used to because I REFUSE to embrace these asinine changes.
What do you mean “what changes”. You know what changes the Catholic mass as made the past 20 years.
God Bless You. Peace be with you. May God teach you love and to love others and to lose your bitterness and pettiness.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.