Less Than Half of Americans

This is somewhat sad and somewhat comical. When a super liberal paper tries to explain why church attendance is plummeting, you just shake your head.  The first example is a lady who used to be Catholic but left the church because she didn’t know many people there or felt connected to it. She says it’s important to have faith but you don’t really need a church to have faith. That comment fits right in there with all the folks who believe they are going to heaven because “I’m a pretty good person.”

Then check out the drivel pointed out by some learned prof at Luther Seminary who says people don’t need churches anymore to do volunteer work...as if volunteer work at a food shelf or Surly Gives a Dam is going to qualify you for salvation. The pathetic ELCA being quoted again in the pathetic Star Tribune. So disappointing.

Then be sure to see the young ladies comment on what they “feel” and what they “think” about church attendance or anti-gay feelings that churches may have.  Awesome ladies!  What you think and feel is so, so valid, so relevant, so wise, so woke, so insightful and just so important!

John Adams warned us that the Constitution was given to govern a “religious and moral” people and would not work for anyone else. As morality collapses in America and Bible reading and faith in Christ alone plummets, what do you think is going to happen to America?  Can’t we all see the writing on the wall?

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Claire Forbes recently enjoyed a day in the park with her daughter and granddaughter, a picture of generational bonding. The family didn't know it, but they represent one of the nation's most significant religious trends: None of them belongs to a church.

Just 47% of Americans are members of a church, synagogue or mosque, according to a recent Gallup poll, a record low since Gallup began tracking the number in 1937 — and the first time the figure has dropped below 50%. The decline in members, at 70% as recently as the 1990s, spans all ages and all parts of the nation.

Forbes, a former Catholic, said she drifted from the church her family joined years ago largely because she never knew many people there or felt connected to it. Her daughter, Anne Vaske, was baptized and occasionally went to church growing up, but said she "was just never interested in religion." The baby she rocked in a stroller is likely to have even fewer ties to church.

"Having faith is important, but I don't think you need a church to have faith," said Forbes, a former Twin Cities resident who now lives on the East Coast.

The record low reflects both the growing ranks of Americans who don't identify with any religion and individuals who do identify with a specific faith but have chosen not to become formal members. It has created enormous challenges for faith leaders trying to navigate the new religious landscape.

Religious membership in the United States had hovered around 70% for the past eight decades, when Gallup first began asking whether people belonged to a house of worship. But it began tumbling 20 years ago.

The trend is fueled by available alternatives for people to engage in activities traditionally led by churches, such as exploring spiritual direction, volunteer opportunities and places to "make a difference,'' said the Rev. Dwight Zscheile, vice president for innovation at Luther Seminary in St. Paul.

"For many years, church was the primary cultural and social space in people's lives," said Zscheile. "Now the church isn't that primary container for this work. People might go to SoulCycle, or volunteer at Surly Gives a Dam. Or find something online."

"I feel like you can have a spiritual relationship with God without the rules and structures of a church, of an institution," said Brooks, of Edina.

Dane Hannum, 26, said she has fond memories of attending church with her grandmother when she was young and appreciated the rituals. But she's not showing up on Sundays these days, explaining that many young people mistrust what churches stand for.

"I think there's a loss of faith in institutions in general," said Hannum, of Minneapolis. "I know a lot of people who had bad experiences [with a church]. Maybe the church teaching is anti-gay. Or maybe I'm in a category the church objects to. You don't know."

Another issue, said Hannum, was that she "never had a real religious experience that people describe."

 https://www.startribune.com/fewer-than-half-of-americans-belong-to-a-church-gallup-finds/600060214/