Study finds Americans fluid in their religious affiliation
Print Friendly VersionBy ADELLE M. BANKS Religion News Service
A new study of more than 35,000 adult Americans by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life captures the depth and breadth of religious America -- 78.4 percent Christian, 4.7 percent members of other faiths and 16.1 percent unaffiliated.
Believing but not belonging
Why are young people dropping out of organized religion? Why do a third of cradle Catholics leave the church? Does marriage affect one's religion? Researchers from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life examine these questions. Listen.
The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, released Feb. 25, estimates the religious makeup of the country’s 225 million adults in groups as large as evangelical Protestants (26.3 percent) and as small as Unitarians (0.3 percent).
The study also paints a picture of people who often move from one faith to another, as well as the religious landscape of various parts of the country. Read more
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Yes, AnnieO. As parents of
Yes, AnnieO. As parents of six daughters (now adult and four with families of their own) we taught them that Christians reach out to one another in love, understanding, and mutual support, regardless what Christian denomination they belong to. When we attend Lutheran mass liturgy we receive communion with the congregation in witness of our acceptance and support of their good faith. Our children are comfortable with Christians of all denominations (perhaps least comfortable with Catholics, and that makes me sad).
It seems to me that Communion is where faith reinforcement begins; and it is the people who are community and who need to witness to each other in love and acceptance. In the communion of people there is hope that separated Christians can come to a renewed holism.
Six daughters! How rich a
Six daughters! How rich a life, Sylvester!(sorry for the aside, but can't help myself!). Yes, you would understand much of community. I have never joined communion in another church, have always felt shy of stepping forward that way, and always sorry that I couldn't take the step. I know much of it is just the catholic proscription, and yet, I also wonder if those of that church would see it as catholic presumption. My own grown kids are sometimes more cautious around catholics than those of other religions also. They tell me that they don't like to get too close to the judgmentalism and boundary-crossing that some catholics do toward others, seemingly more focused on the supposed sinfulness of other catholics than on their own spiritual work. I don't blame them for that, although I also wish it otherwise. Triumphalism seems so not at all like Christ that I wonder how we get there on purpose as a church so much of the time.
I think one of the most
I think one of the most interesting features of this discussion is the apparent desire on many people's part to just 'start over' in a faith direction. I think we've talked before about how people seem to have gotten generally tired of the 'old fights' over doctinal definitions and boundaries between faith traditions--many of them experienced these days as historical or esoteric--and are more often seeking renewal, charism and spirit, some form of community life, and ecumenical sharing. It's an interesting phenomenon although certainly not the first of its kind and it will be fascinating to watch. Marie R. has talked of opening communion, and I find myself wondering if that were suddenly done by the catholic church (even for an open season of some kind) if the church tradition differences would fade. Would later re-emerge? There's been no comment on this thread and I'm really curious what people think about the future of religious traditions.