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

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

#61

Post by Loughla »

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.

100% that second paragraph. Growing up with morals imposed on my, via the threat of fire and brimstone was weird. I did what I had to do, because I was told to do it or else.

Being an adult and doing the right thing, simply because it's the right thing, and developing my own moral and ethical code of conduct has greatly reduced my stress and anxiety.

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

#62

Post by ryneandal »

gabythenerd wrote: post #4

I am impressed that numbers are that high, looking from the outside the US doesn't look particularly religious. It might be lower still, I don't think young people answer cellphone surveys all that much.

Much of the heartland is _very_ religious. Drive across the country and in the flyover states you'll see A LOT of anti-abortion/sin billboards.

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

#63

Post by whalesalad »

symfoniq wrote: post #38
whalesalad wrote: post #28

I had a unique experience growing up in a religious family (that is very tolerant and respectful of all world religions) while simultaneously being immersed in Scientology via a private school experience. The thing that underscores all of my experiences has been hypocrisy. So many people just want to belong to a group, or were raised in it and know nothing better. They don’t practice what they preach. I can’t help bu…

The world will be better off when we abolish freedom of belief? That doesn't sound like a world I'd want to live in.

When I say abolish big religion I mean the way it’s integrated so tightly in society. The war on drugs, abortion, non profit tax avoidance, so many fucked up things stem from the belief that my religion is better than yours and you need to believe what I believe.

You can believe whatever the hell you want - but it’s not for you or society or anyone else to decide how I can live my life.

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

#64

Post by gruez »

rdtwo wrote: post #27
987yghj wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They have chosen new religions and a new elite priesthood, they just have different names.

Wokeism is the new thing in elite west coast culture. It’s just not officially classified as a religion because it’s less organized

scott alexander sort of covered that.

https://slatestarcodex.com/2019/10/30/new-atheism-the-godles...

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

#65

Post by da_big_ghey »

WJW wrote: post #51
liaukovv wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As you said yourself, people do it to belong to a social circle. What are you replacing this extremely important function with? Vacuum?

Sports, online forums, student fraternities, social clubs of every variety, etc. There are many ways to get active in society that don't involve beliefs in higher beings.

in theories these are perhaps able to replace a religions activities. in reality we are notice large decreasing in socialisation in young people and so this replacement is maybe not working so well as in theories. even social clubs you have mention are on declining also. one go to rotary or others and it is all old persons. have a shared value system is making for great connecting between persons.

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

#66

Post by sarabad2021 »

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 Reason" all the while lopping off the head of anyone that did not wholly and totally adhere to their new moral code. Even in the end the god of this new moral code met his fate by the monster he created. Believe me what is happening is not what anyone here should want. For all of you who are thinking and reasonable. Read the history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dechristianization_of_France_d...

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

#67

Post by calvinmorrison »

dbatten wrote: post #36
hprotagonist wrote: post #13

first time in 80 years, anyway. for rather more of the 19th century than we think, regular church attendance was more like 35% of the country.

Thanks for pointing this out. There's a big difference between church attendance and church membership... Unfortunately, the original linked article glosses over the difference, while the original Gallup study digs into it. According to Gallup, approximately half of the recent reduction in church membership can be attributed to people becoming less religious, while the other half is explained by people who still atte…

> while the other half is explained by people who still attend church regularly, but avoid formal "membership" in a congregation.

I wonder if this can be explained by an increase in people moving around compared to a hundred years ago. I am a member of the church I was raised in, but I am not local enough attend. I do visit when I am with my parents but otherwise it doesn't make sense. I wouldn't go join another church though - even though I do attend other services in my city, I am not a member at those churches

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

#68

Post by bryanlarsen »

saddestcatever wrote: post #26
CountDrewku wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ehhh Christian churches are some of the largest charitable donators in the world. Unless those taxes are going to the same places to help people I'd vote no. The government isn't going to spend it on things that help people and we know that.

Wouldn't it be similar to corporate tax? Tax profits, so that any existing donations would be tax deductible?

If we started taxing churches, what would kill them would be the property taxes. Some churches are sitting on immensely valuable property.

In my opinion we shouldn't be taxing church graveyards, we should give the buildings an exemption if they use the buildings for non-denominational community events like so many churches do, and we should definitely be taxing their paved parking lots.

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

#70

Post by fennecfoxen »

danbruc wrote: post #15
datavirtue wrote: post #5

The spread of information has allowed people to form their own moralistic code and spiritual journey that doesn't rely on having an institutional infrastructure. They are choosing religions that reject elite priesthoods, a trend now going back for thousands of years starting with Zarathustra. I consider this progress.

They are choosing religions that reject elite priesthoods [...] They choose no religion.

They choose politics.

https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/03/27/religious...

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