A lot of fundagelicals thought the knucklehead whom Joe Biden beat last November was doing the Lord’s work in the White House. But it appears that guy did nothing to reverse the decline of Christian faith and religious commitment in general in the United States. According to Gallup, the percentage of Americans who say they belong to a church, synagogue, or other house of worship dropped below 50% last year:
Americans’ membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup’s eight-decade trend. In 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.
U.S. church membership was 73% when Gallup first measured it in 1937 and remained near 70% for the next six decades, before beginning a steady decline around the turn of the 21st century [Jeffrey M. Jones, “U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time,” Gallup, 2021.03.29].
One could argue that the previous White House occupant provoked disbelief in more ways than one. Not all churches and churchgoers drank the GOP Kool-Aid that derailed the Executive Branch for four years, but as many Christians recognized, having a contemptible, lying narcissist as the political figurehead of the evangelical movement gave religion in general a bad reputation. Even among believers, belonging to a house of worship is losing its luster: Gallup says that 60% of Americans professing some religious belief say they are members of some temple, compared to 73% twenty years ago.
Church membership has declined in every demographic subgroup Gallup slices:
Over the last two decades, Protestants Baby Boomers are the only subgroup who have managed to keep their church membership decline in the single digits. Church membership among unmarried Americans, folks who haven’t finished college, Democrats, non-conservatives, and folks from back East declined more than 20%. The groups least inclined to belong to houses of worship are liberals (35%), millennials (36%), and political independents (41%). (Gallup also notes that Hispanic American church membership is 37%, but Gallup changed its methodology in 2011 and thus can’t make the same historical comparisons as it does for other demographic groups listed above.)
American believerhood and temple membership were on the decline before a stunning majority of white evangelicals choose an adulterous Manhattan Mammonite as their chief of marketing and salvation. But four years of a literal anti-Christ in the White House didn’t help faith leaders reverse America’s trend away from religion. “What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds.”
Not that I’m celebrating. The better half of my household still puts food on the table by bringing coherent Christianity to the dwindling faithful. And if the number of Americans claiming no religious preference keeps climbing (now at a record 21%) keeps rising, my contrarian resistance to being part of a crowd may force me to abandon my Christian atheism and adopt a less popular worldview.
So, the black mask wearing totalitarians are NOT anti-Christ-like?
So, the guy who wants to get rid of the Fed is .. anti-Christ-like?
Hey Fonzie, look out for them sharks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahxG3iPeVcU
Wow .. this is some PHAT logic!
:D
Also, for your consideration:
Some churches are not actually very Christ-like.
Therefore, leaving the Church becomes Christ-like.
Here is an example:
https://plainstribune.com/podcast/?service=podcast.PodCastDetail&streamId=e7d9971fc63e6dd47d47b4b1de81910e
The kids at the border were invited there by Biden as we let Central/South American fascists weaponize these poor people against the nation on Earth with the most human-focused principles.
JDale, your hole is waiting-crawl back into it, ok?
Noem is fashioning the government as an escape hole for White Protestants to rule over everyone who is nonprotestant-noncatholic and nonwhite.
The whole purpose of this country which was to be for any person of any faith or no faith and for all National origins is being defeated by this corruptocracy and kleptocracy.
America is not about any religion. It is about any or no faith, our choice.
The economy is being held back and slowed down by Noem and her right wing “us only” cabal.
Remember her spiritual “father” Trump hounded Obama for years until he showed his Hawaii birth certificate.
What Noem and her buddies are doing to our 50 states is absolutely filthy.
All of us can defeat this WASP monstrosity. Buddhists, Hindu, Moslem, Native Americans, Jews, Sikhs, patriotic Catholics and Protestants, and agnostics, atheists, and New Age religions.
This land is your Land. The people rule.
Church membership is declining for many reasons. Many of those who support Noem’s goose stepping probably are church members who advertise their church membership every time they run for office.
The SD constitution is not about capitalism or churches. It is about the freedom of us to fashion our self government that serves everyone.
Let
Under God the people rule. Has been transformed over the last 42 years into Under us, the Republicans rule.
One party kleptocracy keeps wages lower.
The economy truly would thrive if we had a multi party Democracy. Democratics, Greens, Center Left Progressives and Libertarians.
John Dale, I have to agree; not taking in refugees is very non-Christian.
On a related side note: Atheists are FAR underrepresented in prison populations. It appears our jail and prison cells are filled with the religious types. Maybe there is a point to those who hold their decency accountable to themselves – not to others – not to higher posers.
Perhaps America and Americans are growing up – growing out of their infantile belief in superstitious gods. Now Zeus, there was a god.
Yet, I’m puzzled by the 2 minute “Jesus commercial” streamed on KBHU this afternoon. KBHU is the college radio station for Black Hills State University.
Call the ACLU. Apparently the state of South Dakota and Board of Regents are sponsoring religion. The ad had no disclaimer or sponsorship. The knucleheads also appear to use the integrity-free Murdock Faux News feed.
Instead of sounding like college rock, it now sounds like Glenn f@@#ing Miller.
Is this crap occurring at SDSU, USD, et al.?
Gee John Dale, Biden invited border crossers and trumpie didn’t invite the capitol riots? You should try sleeping on your left side for a change.
I think membership in churches has declined because people like myself finally got tired of the hypocrisy of many of the members, and the higher ups who can endorse someone like Trump.
As a woman and feminist, I run when I hear anyone mention men being created first because it doesn’t make sense. Remember how God created everything in twos. Why would he just create one human who doesn’t reproduce? Na, doesn’t make sense. And blaming sin on Eve transfers to blaming sin on women. You know, she got raped because of what she wore or because she was already drunk and incapacitated. This is all religious hypocrisy influencing social behaviors thus changing taboos. She got pregnant from the rape, her fault, no abortion available and who walks off without any responsibility?
Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in Yahweh as we have a very personal relationship and I am a non church attending Christian. I don’t know anyone who acts like Jesus although I know a few who try.
If churches were egalitarian and practiced feminism, like Christ, I would attend.