Religion is losing influence in public life

[Jazzy]

In a new survey released by the Pew Research Center, 80 percent of respondents said religion’s role in public life is shrinking in America. That’s the highest proportion in two decades of asking the question. John Yang speaks with Gregory Smith, Pew’s associate director of research who helps coordinate domestic polling on religion, to learn more about what the results say.

Do you think religion’s role in public life is shrinking in America? (Why/Why Not)

 

[Lamb]

The reason for this is that sin has infiltrated the country and Satan is their father. There have been surveys showing that the US is no longer a Christian country, so of course the influence on the country is going to be sin.

 

[Albion]

Do you think religion’s role in public life is shrinking in America? (Why/Why Not)

Sad to say, it does appear to be declining. Why that is the fact owes to a variety of developments, from the government's lockdowns of churches during the Covid era to the campaigning of far-left politicians, schools, and the media against religion (other than Islam).

One particular political party is well known for pushing both of these innovations, so there you have the main reason for the "shrinking" that you asked about.

 

[Josiah]

80% saying that it IS decreasing doesn't mean that 80% think it SHOULD be.

The only thing I find surprising is that it's only 80%. I suspect a LOT of those asked were very young and so don't have much reference.



Many speak of an increasingly "Post-Christian" age. Some date this to around 1900 or so in Europe, coming to the USA perhaps in the 1960's - and growing in the West. The percentage of people in the West who regard themselves as "Christian" has been in decline since this (It's REALLY low in some European areas), fewer are church members, nearly all American denominations record declining church attendance. All this is balanced - a bit - by the Third World where Christianity is growing, but it's certainly in decline in the West. Lots of Christian churches in the US have closed (as have a lot of Christian colleges), others simply with fewer people. We find ourselves in a situation more like before AD 380 than in the 1500 years after that, the "Christian Age." In the West, we now have more in common with the PRE-Christian era.

In my parish, there's a member who has been a part of the church for like 50 years - nearly the entire history of the church. He mentioned that church attendance is about HALF what it once was at that peak about 30 years ago, but THEN most members attended church inconsistently, perhaps half of the Sundays (some only attended at Christmas and Easter), and our offerings were much less than today (adjusted for the economy) and we had fewer people in Bible Study and fewer people actually involved than now. SO.... we had a LOT more members, TWICE the average church attendance - but FEWER active, dedicated members. Offerings, ministry, Bible study are all at record high levels today. MAYBE this "Post Christian" society isn't altogether bad???


Blessings on your Easter Season....


- Josiah



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[tango]

It's also worth considering the transition from an expectation that people would go to church, to that expectation fading.

The people who have no particular faith but who go to church on a Sunday because that's what you do on a Sunday, or because that's what they've always done, increasingly don't feel the pressure to follow expectations and so don't go to church. So although church attendance may be down it doesn't necessarily mean that the influence of the faith has diminshed.

The people who have no particular faith but answer "Christian" when asked their religion because, you know, that's just the standard answer, now feel more empowered to say "none" or "atheist". Which is maybe what they were all along, but now they aren't pretending to be Christian. So the statistics shift while the reality may not actually shift.

 

[Lees]

I agree with all the reasons given here, and would add that they coincide with what must be during the end times. (Luke 18:8) "...Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" And, (Matt. 24:37), "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." The end result of that time period leading up to the flood was only eight souls were saved and Noah in particular having faith and declared righteous. (Gen. 7:1) "...for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation."

Lees