Monday, March 3, 2008

Schism

"Amherst, New York (March 3, 2008)—The most detailed estimates to date of Americans' religious affiliations reports that a significant portion of U.S. citizens claim "none of the above," placing the unaffiliated second only to Roman Catholics in number. Monday's release of the 35,000-respondent U.S. Religious Landscape Survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that 16.1 percent of Americans have no particular religion at all, while 23.9 percent identify themselves as Catholic. The next largest "belief group" is Evangelical Baptist at 10.8 percent. All other denominational groupings show in the single digits or less."

Here's my question to anyone that might be reading this, and I'm not trying to spark a debate on this topic, just want to see what your reaction is. I won't even respond to any comments left unless you ask me to. But what do you think of this result? Is is surprising? Where do you think the country is going and what do you think about that? Is America really a Christian nation? Are faith and religiosity necessary for a moral or free society, as Mitt Romney would have us believe?

Full article here.

2 comments:

Amy T Schubert said...

I also read ... in a similar article, that Catholicism is the religion that has seen the MOST people leave it (for another religion/denomination/none at all) ...

interesting

Anonymous said...

Kevun,

Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog.

As for this, I would say this shouldn't surprise anyone. Polls like this are taken all the time and basically don't really tell us anything we don't already know. As far as America being a Christian nation, I don't think there's any such thing.

I also don't think that "faith and religiosity" are "necessary for a moral or free society." However, I do believe that Christians can affect the world for good. In Matthew 5, Jesus talks about Christians being "salt and light". As I live out my life, the hope will be that I will be a part of showing others how to live and be an example to them. In a dark and decaying world, myself and other Christians act as a purifying agent.

Good questions--thanks.