No Excuses Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 http://guff.com/glt-americans-organized-religion/20?ts_pid=2 Some call them “nones”: agnostics, atheists, deists, secular humanists, general humanists, and people who just don’t care to identify with any religious group. It’s not exactly correct to call them nonbelievers, because some still have faith and spirituality in some sense or another. A 2012 Pew study noted that 30 percent of these people believe in "God or universal spirit" and around 20 percent even pray every day. But according to the latest research, Americans checking the “none of the above” box will make up an increasingly important force in the country. Other groups, like born-again evangelicals, have grown more percentage-wise, but the nones have them beat in absolute numbers. The nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute has documented this sea change in its American Values Atlas, which it released last Wednesday. The fascinating study provides demographic, religious and political data based on surveys conducted throughout 2014. According to PRRI director of research Dan Cox, "The U.S. religious landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation that is fundamentally reshaping American politics and culture." Last year, for the very first time, Protestants lost their majority status in the Institute’s annual report, making up only 47 percent of those surveyed. The religiously unaffiliated, who come in at 22 percent, boast numbers on par with major religious groups like American Catholics. All told, the unaffiliated is the second-largest group in the country. It was also the most common group chosen by residents in 13 states, with the largest share (a third or more) in Washington, Oregon and New Hampshire. In Ohio and Virginia, this group was tied for first place. The unaffiliated don’t find too many like-minded folks down in Mississippi, however, where they make up only 10 percent of the population. The study also found that there are 15 states where the unaffiliated constitute the second-largest group. *The full article goes into some mud slinging aimed at the religious right and is full of opinionated bias. But I find the take home message from the research it cites to be quite interesting about where we are headed long term in terms of religious affiliations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 In related news: Overcrowding in Hell to reach an all time high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 All I did was read the headline and think "progress." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 hardly news people want to believe as they wish....ya see it more and more everyday. the Truthers,doomsday cults,anti-vaccine and science deniers need the company obviously Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 So long as they all find their way back to the Catholic Church I'm fine with it. Country's got entirely too many Protestants and Atheists for my liking. Getting to be that you can't fall down drunk without landing on some smug **** wanting to tell you all about how self serving humanism is the best way or why God is really a republican. If this keeps up I'll have to relocate to Maryland, a state with a name like that can't be too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Excuses Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 The numbers from Virginia are interesting. It almost has to be exclusively driven by Northern Virginia. I hardly know anyone in my age group here who is actively religious. More incentive for a separation between NoVA and the rest of the state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Can't say I blame them, the most vocal faction of my fellow Christians also seem to be the most intolerant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 The numbers are the same, they just now have labels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Excuses Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 The numbers are the same, they just now have labels. Feel free to back that up with something other than your opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Feel free to back that up with something other than your opinion.It is what it is. 20 years ago no one had heard of a pastafarian, agnostic, or secular humanist. They simply didn't go to church or went because their parents went and they didn't know anything different.The world has been retreating from organzied religion for over 500 years. It needs to move faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexey Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Things are moving pretty quickly, considering that it took us thousands of years to invent and refine organized religions... As far as God goes - the whole concept seems unsustainable. At this point it's just a social construct for most people. Who really believes this stuff nowadays? Plus, Vaccines are much better at helping kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sacks 'n' Stuff Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I have posted the ultimate truth about God in ninja text below and I am offering it for free and without trial. DO NOT click this if you are not ready. I'm serious. This is it... Ok, you've been warned... There is no God I warned you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I have posted the ultimate truth about God in ninja text below and I am offering it for free and without trial. DO NOT click this if you are not ready. I'm serious. This is it... Ok, you've been warned... There is no God I warned you. Disagree. It is there. It is just an asshole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s0crates Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Things are moving pretty quickly, considering that it took us thousands of years to invent and refine organized religions... As far as God goes - the whole concept seems unsustainable. At this point it's just a social construct for most people. Who really believes this stuff nowadays? Well it depends what you mean by "this stuff."I'm "unaffiliated," but like many mentioned in the article, I do believe in something, and I don't call myself an "atheist." I don't believe in a magic bearded man who sees me when I'm sleeping and knows when I'm awake, knows if I'm naughty or nice, works magic and miracles, rewards and punishes, etc. That mythology exists, and has value, but most of us stopped believing in Santa long ago. However I do believe that the universe is rationally ordered and operates according to natural laws. I also believe that people have (God-given?) rights, and thus duties too. I even believe in love, and it's been said that God is love. I guess I'm just thinking you and some others are being a tad dismissive here. Be careful not to throw out the baby with the bath water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Sinister Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Its a tad something, alright. Wouldn't call it dismissive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFromYellowstone Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I wish I was around for the day it disappeared completely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexey Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 .... I guess I'm just thinking you and some others are being a tad dismissive here. Be careful not to throw out the baby with the bath water. I hear you. I am only dismissive of the stuff that causes demonstrable harm.Science denialism, discrimination, limiting educational opportunities of kids, discouraging rational decision making in the political process - all this stuff could be severely undercut if our society moved towards a naturalistic worldview and took on the responsibility of making this world a better place for current and future humans. Now I am not saying that religion necessarily prevents this from happening - it does not. There are plenty of awesome religious folks that demonstrate this every day. Fundamentally, I believe that good decisions require good information.... And religious texts are not a good source of information. Literature, yes. History, maybe inspiration even.... But religious texts are not a good source of information for building a model of the modern world and dealing with its problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I'm a PK, dad was on the mission before I was born, I was the first baby baptized in the church he was building back then. If I see the inside of a church now, it's either a wedding or funeral. The God I believe in is not short on cash, never has been. Churches, for some reason, always seem to be. I've seen miracles, I truly have. None of them were "money". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sacks 'n' Stuff Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Minister Creflo Dollar asks for $60 million in donations for a new jet http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/13/living/creflo-dollar-jet-feat/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 12th Commandment Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Polytheism rocks. The same religion and choose your favorite god instead of the same God and choosing your favorite religion. I'm leaning towards a revival of the Germanic gods. Vikings has opened my eyes (plus I'm named after the best one). I'd listen to a wise looking old guy like that. And he has a cool hat. Pope's got nothing on him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sacks 'n' Stuff Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innocenzo_Ciocchi_Del_Monte http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadaver_Synod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endzone_dave Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Christianity is about loving God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and loving your neighbor as yourself. Churches too often can't follow this simple path. From demanding for more money from their parishioners, molesting kids, hating homosexuals, having disdain for the poor, ministers living in mansions... it's no wonder people are turned off by religion. We live in an information age and people can see the hypocrisy. But maybe this is a good eye opener. I think when church leaders learn how to walk the walk, people will be attracted back to Christianity. It is a religion of love, people just can't realize it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike42 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 According to Jesus, religion was never to be organized like it has for last 1,500 years. He was against the idea of having churches. Emperor Constantine erased very important parts of the bible (like science, equal womens rights) and cherry picked what stays in the book. Times are changing, religion may become a thing or trend of the past or we will enter another dark age causing hopeless people to empower religion that will regain control over laws and lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 According to Jesus, religion was never to be organized like it has for last 1,500 years. He was against the idea of having churches. Emperor Constantine erased very important parts of the bible (like science, equal womens rights) and cherry picked what stays in the book. Times are changing, religion may become a thing or trend of the past or we will enter another dark age causing hopeless people to empower religion that will regain control over laws and lives. Very well said. And your avatar is close to what I think God looks like, LOL...gonna have to binge-watch this season, I've been busy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I have posted the ultimate truth about God in ninja text below and I am offering it for free and without trial. DO NOT click this if you are not ready. I'm serious. This is it... Ok, you've been warned... There is no God I warned you. I have also posted the truth behind God below. The meaning of all religion. DO NO OPEN if you can't handle it!!!You've been warned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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