The shifting religious landscape

Okay, by the time I received a heads-up here at The Daily Detour from at least three different readers (who sent this from three different sources), I figured it was past time to bring it to your attention.

According to a Pew Forum study which was released yesterday, there is a shifting religious landscape across the United States as many people today have rejected the faith traditions of their upbringing. This shift highlights many current cultural trends. For example, as CNN.com reports,

The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey estimates the United States is 78 percent Christian and about to lose its status as a majority Protestant nation, at 51 percent and slipping.

More than one-quarter of American adults have left the faith of their childhood for another religion or no religion at all, the survey found. Factoring in moves from one stream or denomination of Protestantism to another, the number rises to 44 percent.

One in four adults ages 18 to 29 claim no affiliation with a religious institution.

To illustrate this reality, one need only look at the local level here in Indy. In Sunday's Indianapolis Star, there was a biopic article highlighting the similarities and differences between Andre Carson and John Elrod. They are campaigning in a special election as the Democratic and Republican nominees respectively to fill the recently-vacated congressional seat of Rep. Julia Carson, D-Ind. Here is what The Star had to say about Andre Carson in the "Faith" category of the comparative article:

When he was little, his mother made him read Bible stories and report on them each night before bed. He was baptized in a Baptist church. Through seventh grade he attended St. Rita's, a Catholic school, and considered the priesthood until he hit puberty. As a teen, he read the Talmud, ancient Jewish teachings, and the Bhagavad-Gita, the Hindu scripture. In high school, he became drawn to Islam by the sight of crisply dressed Nation of Islam members in his neighborhood...Carson converted to traditional Islam in the mid-1990s.

It's difficult to know what the implications might be concerning such religious affiliations. On the one hand, it may appear that Andre Carson is a man open to all faiths. On the other hand, it could very well indicate that he is a man who actually has no real religious convictions. After all, as the saying goes, "He who believes in everything, stands for nothing."

Regardless, from my own experience, this trend toward a more eclectic approach to faith cannot be overlooked. This is especially true for those of us whose lives are dedicated to connecting with people at a spiritual level. Just as I've been teaching in the evangelism class on Thursdays nights, it is important that we become cultural anthropologists who, like the apostle Paul in Acts 17, study the culture in order to know how to connect with the people in the culture more effectively.

Comments

[Resident Atheist]

Sounds to me like he actually spent some time while growing up finding a belief system that suited him well. He put thought into it, unlike many religious lemmings who unthinkingly follow the beliefs of their parents. A good belief system should withstand some scrutiny. Good for him.

Thinking back to your discrimination post; I have a feeling that 150 years from now, when they are no longer the majority, Christians are going to find the discrimination of today quite quaint compared to what is going on then.

[John]

Tragically, we don't have to wait 150 years to recognize that resistance against Christianity has already surpassed discrimination to outright persecution--not so much here in the States, but throughout the world. In fact, in her 1997 book, "In the Lion's Den", Nina Shea reported that there were more Christians persecuted in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centuries combined. "Foxe's Book of Martyrs" shares some of those riveting stories.

That Christians over the centuries have faced such significant injury and death because of their faith, and on the whole have not abandoned that faith, is revealing. What is it about one's faith that would cause one to give up his/her life rather than turn from one's most sacred beliefs? As someone once said, many people will die for what they believe is true, but no one will die for what they know to be false.

[andy]

you're a lemming! - (spoken in classic chris farley voice.)

sorry, i couldn't resist. :)

Anyway, back to more serious posts...