Religion on a Decline
1. Religion on a Decline
America is still predominantly a Christian nation, but it's becoming both less Christian and less religious. In one of the most dramatic shifts, a good percentage of Americans now say they have no religion, which is a figure that's almost doubled in the last couple years. Americans with no religious preference are now larger than all other major religious groups, with the exception for Catholics which have been at the forefront of religion since the dawn of timety. What to me seems to be happening is a decline in what I might call traditional brand loyalty to the old denominations. In the last couple years, despite population growth and immigration, almost all religious denominations have lost major ground. Methodists, for example, have gone from 8 to 5 percent. Baptists are down from 19.3 to 15.8. And Jews are down from 1.8 to 1.2 percent. Meanwhile, the number of atheists, while still minoot, has nearly doubled. But just because people are dropping out of organized religion, doesn't mean that they're abandoning faith in its entirety. I personally think that in America more people are exploring spiritual frontiers then having a solid and constant religious belief. Some 2 million Americans now say they are identifying with new religious movements like Wicca, paganism or spiritualists. This is America so hey, whatever floats their boats right? Who are we to say what each of us can and cannot practice. None of us are in any position to judge what others do let alone believe in. Who are we to judge when each and every one of us have our own problems and secrets.
2.
I myself have noticed a severe decline in just my family as a unit alone in the religion department. I can remember when I was younger we would go to church every Sunday and only miss if there was a snow storm and CCD was cancelled. My parents were adamant about catechism, we were to go every Sunday and
America is still predominantly a Christian nation, but it's becoming both less Christian and less religious. In one of the most dramatic shifts, a good percentage of Americans now say they have no religion, which is a figure that's almost doubled in the last couple years. Americans with no religious preference are now larger than all other major religious groups, with the exception for Catholics which have been at the forefront of religion since the dawn of timety. What to me seems to be happening is a decline in what I might call traditional brand loyalty to the old denominations. In the last couple years, despite population growth and immigration, almost all religious denominations have lost major ground. Methodists, for example, have gone from 8 to 5 percent. Baptists are down from 19.3 to 15.8. And Jews are down from 1.8 to 1.2 percent. Meanwhile, the number of atheists, while still minoot, has nearly doubled. But just because people are dropping out of organized religion, doesn't mean that they're abandoning faith in its entirety. I personally think that in America more people are exploring spiritual frontiers then having a solid and constant religious belief. Some 2 million Americans now say they are identifying with new religious movements like Wicca, paganism or spiritualists. This is America so hey, whatever floats their boats right? Who are we to say what each of us can and cannot practice. None of us are in any position to judge what others do let alone believe in. Who are we to judge when each and every one of us have our own problems and secrets.
2.
I myself have noticed a severe decline in just my family as a unit alone in the religion department. I can remember when I was younger we would go to church every Sunday and only miss if there was a snow storm and CCD was cancelled. My parents were adamant about catechism, we were to go every Sunday and