We Must Change
Did you know the phrase “under god” in the pledge of allegiance has not always been in the pledge. It was put in during the Eisenhower administration (1953-61) to help distinguish the United States from the “godless” communists in the USSR. Did you also know Christian churches have consistently decreased since the 1950s, but since 2001 there has been a significant fall in numbers?
America is drifting away from religion according to a recent study by Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. According to the American Religious Self-Identification Survey (ARIS) Christianity’s hold on many Americans is slipping, losing out not to other faiths but to “no faith.” “Americans are slowly becoming less Christian…The challenge to Christianity does not come from other world religions or new religious movements, but rather from a rejection of all organized religions,” said the ARIS.
Catholics remained the largest religious group nationwide, thanks largely to immigration from Latin America into Texas and California. But mainline Protestants lost the most ground dropping from 18.7% in 1990 to 13% today. The “no religion” group gained 20 million adults since 1990 and is the only group to have grown in every state. Only 10% of that group explicitly identifies as atheist or agnostic.
The survey is clear that adults are leaving denominational religions and not returning to church and claiming no religion, or going to nondenominational or evangelical churches, although they too have seen a decline.
The Northeast now surpasses the Pacific Northwest as the least religious part of the country. And that is not the end. For the first time, the ARIS 2008 survey included a question on belief about God, and the findings suggest some Americans may not share fully the theology of the groups with which they identify.
A little less than 70% believe “definitely in a personal God,” with 12% believing “in a higher power but no personal God.” Some 2.3% say there is no God, while 10% either don’t know or don’t think there is a way to know. So 30% or more people wouldn’t fit the definition of a disciple of Jesus.
These numbers bring up a good question. People normally remain with the faith they grow up with. And now that a good fraction of the population is being raised outside the religious influence, what does it mean for religious institutions? Can Christianity change it’s methods enough to reach those leaving the church and/or be positioned to reach the growing future generations who will be “no religion,” agnostic or atheist.