Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Gallup: U.S. church membership dips below 50% for first time

axios.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

101–110 of 1001 posts

Re: Gallup: U.S. church membership dips below 50% for first time

#101

Post by ubermonkey »

I suspect one factor in the declining membership is shared with other mid-century social groups that have also dwindled (e.g., men's lodges): it's easier to find community elsewhere.

For my parents -- born in 1940 -- church and men's service clubs/lodges were the primary areas of social interaction outside work. Dad ran his own veterinary practice, so his social interaction there was limited (I mean, everybody worked for him). Mom stayed at home until the late 70s. Church was the center of their social life.

Now, nobody wanted to say that out loud; it was all about the faith. But that's what it was.

In my life I've had no need for that, because people of my generation (b 1970) have generally found other communities of support/friendship/connection. None of my friends are Masons, either.

Re: Gallup: U.S. church membership dips below 50% for first time

#102

Post by AuthorizedCust »

So many of the comments here are affirming what I have long observed: much anti-religious sentiment (“much”, not “all”!) is actually a reaction to fundamentalism, which is the bad theology of scriptural literalism, which brings heresies like hating LGBT, insisting the Bible is also a science textbook, superstitious views of certain Middle Eastern lands, and more.

Growing up as a mainline Protestant, I thankfully didn’t have much of this to react against in my own churches. But we saw the bad fundamentalist theology in Southern Baptist or too many independent churches (those two mentioned because they were dominant where I grew up). I can appreciate the difference.

I’m still happily a mainline Protestant. I’m not instructed to hate anyone, I’m not told to vote a particular way. I’m not going to church to check in my brain to a charlatan who saves me from an angry (false) god. I’m going to be better and to grow my relationship with God.

Re: Gallup: U.S. church membership dips below 50% for first time

#103

Post by SketchySeaBeast »

sarabad2021 wrote: post #66
cmrdporcupine wrote: post #46

Having the Church community while growing up was great. But the fact that admission to this community required total philosophical adherence is just bizarre. Frankly, growing up in the church left me with a broken moral code. It was only once I left it in my teens and had to work things out for myself that I feel like I could properly ground myself ethically. Having a moral system imposed on you can do that.

> But the fact that admission to this community required total philosophical adherence is just bizarre. I don't think it's bizarre at all. With the church removed from western society something will fill the vacuum. And truly it already has. Our society requires complete unquestioning philosophical adherence to its new religion. What happened during the French revolution? They turned the churches into "Temples of Rea…

> And truly it already has.

I don't think you're arguing that it's the same motivation as the French revolution, so it would help to elucidate your point if you said what you think that new thing is. It would also help to explain how you think that enforced philosophical adherence by all of western society applies as there are still 47% of Americans who DO belong to a religious institution.

Re: Gallup: U.S. church membership dips below 50% for first time

#105

Post by psychometry »

CedarMills wrote: post #93

As a believer and someone who attends church regularly, this is sad but not unexpected. From my own personal experience - if the church cannot answer questions clearly, their members will look for answers somewhere else. A lot of churches unfortunately are so elementary in their teaching or turn to "feel good preaching" (see Elevation Church). The longterm effect is that a person ends up being tired of getting the sa…

The most "solid" theology is just shaky philosophy, though.

Re: Gallup: U.S. church membership dips below 50% for first time

#106

Post by lettergram »

I’d like to see a comparison between synagogue membership over time.

My wife and I are not actively religious but think it’s definitely a great framework and moral code. Particularly, it creates a community one can choose to leave or join of good people, working together for the common good of each other.

I grew up Lutheran and don’t necessarily believe in god, but I believe in the value code. Which is really what’s important. I think that’s what’s lacking these days, tbh.

Re: Gallup: U.S. church membership dips below 50% for first time

#107

Post by gpderetta »

thinkingemote wrote: post #91
nly wrote: post #35

For comparison, UK church membership is Numbers for those claiming to be of "No religion" range from from 50 to 60% depending on region. 38% don't believe in God or any higher spiritual power. The interesting thing is people will identify as Christian on the census while also not claiming to subscribe to any particular religion in other surveys. 2021 census (just completed this month) results will be interesting http…

It's Holy Week this week (the week before Easter starts) and every day there is a service in each parish. UK, Roman Catholic churches. You have to book online to reserve a place. A quick look at a few parishes in an area for big and small churches shows that all the services for each day of the week and weekend are booked out in advance. Obviously the numbers able to fit in the churches are capped because of Coronavi…

I might take my kids there. Then again I also took them to see Santa.

Unfunny quip aside, it is a social gathering and it is undeniably positive for the community.

Re: Gallup: U.S. church membership dips below 50% for first time

#108

Post by fennecfoxen »

ccn0p wrote: post #77

The Christian church has gone through an interesting time in 2020. Many churches have lost attendance as pastors closed their doors or tried to stay out of politics, while other stronger pastors who have kept their doors open despite lockdowns and are speaking up against the US government with respect to threats against religious freedom (eg see H.R. 5) -- those churches are stronger and more vibrant than ever.

I'm not 100% sure who and what you're referring to (having followed only my own church of late), but it's worth vaguely agreeing with the sentiment that successful religious establishments have some meaning — and moreover, a meaning that's materially different than what the secular world around them has to offer. If they're just an extension of whatever is popular these days, people will simply cut out the middleman.

Re: Gallup: U.S. church membership dips below 50% for first time

#110

Post by rbanffy »

cmrdporcupine wrote: post #46

Having the Church community while growing up was great. But the fact that admission to this community required total philosophical adherence is just bizarre. Frankly, growing up in the church left me with a broken moral code. It was only once I left it in my teens and had to work things out for myself that I feel like I could properly ground myself ethically. Having a moral system imposed on you can do that.

> But the fact that admission to this community required total philosophical adherence is just bizarre.

My grandpa's best friend was a catholic priest. I remember him saying that you really don't need to go to the church if you don't want to, but, if you did good deeds selflessly, always tried to make things right (in the sense of least global damage possible) and to avoid wronging others, you'd be a good enough catolic to pass any reasonable judgement day test.

Which is something I would suspect my idealized Jesus would stand behind.

The only time I saw him actually working as a priest, was when my grandpa died and he delivered his eulogy.

Post reply on HN