Pew study suggests: RW pulpit politics may be behind the sharp drop in Protestants

[KurtNYC]

The study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that Protestants now make up 48% of Americans, compared with nearly two-thirds in the 1970s. The decline, concentrated among white members of both mainline and evangelical denominations, is amplified by an absence of Protestants on the U.S. Supreme Court and the Republican presidential ticket for the first time.
...
Two-thirds of the religiously unaffiliated still say they believe in God, she said. But they overwhelmingly expressed disenchantment with religious organizations for being too concerned with money, power, rules and politics.

The study did not give reasons fewer Americans now identify with any religion. But it presented theories that included political backlash against the religious right,...

In a counterweight to evangelical Christians who tend to back Republicans, the vast majority of religiously unaffiliated Americans — who number 46 million — vote Democratic and are politically liberal, the study found. Two-thirds support President Obama, compared with 27% for Republican nominee Mitt Romney. A majority of the unaffiliated support legal abortion and same-sex marriage.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/09/local/la-me-protestants-20121010

The trend is strongest at the younger end of the range with 33% of young adults having no religious affiliation comapred with just 9% of Americans over 65 years of age.

[Arugula Latte]

1. This makes me so happy:

"A third of adults under 30 have no religious affiliation, compared with just 9% among those 65 and older."

Hopefully that trend will continue and accelerate.

I dream of a day when religion is tossed on the dustbin of history ... *sigh*

[Whiskeytide]

6. George Carlen...

... go to 1:16 re Sex criminals

"You could outlaw religion and most of these sex crimes would disappear in a couple of generations, but we don't have time for rational solutions".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=OmJ2snsLxWw

[LongTomH]

2. Why am I not surprised?

Actually, this trend has been going on for years. I was seeing articles on the decline of religious affiliation among young people since Y2K.

[KurtNYC]

3. I think demanding that church goers vote for Ayn Rand's guy

bring this into sharp focus.

[patrice]

4. MORE tax deductible M&Ms, pizza parties, and vaca . . . . I mean, uh, mission trips. nt

[BlueCaliDem]

5. I'm part of the 2/3rd religiously unaffiliated.

And I agree 100% with the reasons why I refuse to attend church anymore although I'm still Protestant.

[Dawson Leery]

7. I am part of this group. I consider myself "anti-theist"

meaning I do NOT believe in the scriptures of organized religions.

Yes, the right wing politics of the church have to do with why I am no longer religious.

[KurtNYC]

8. did you mean "do NOT believe in the scriptures..." ?

or are you saying that as a believer, of for example scriptures like the Beatitudes, you can't find a church that upholds them?

[Dawson Leery]

9. I do NOT believe in them at all.

We have the ability to make laws without the restrictions of religious ignorance, i.e Dogma.

[snooper2]

10. couple hundred years we should have religiousity all but wiped out

Here's to progress

[Wednesdays]

12. "We" aren't wiping them out.

As the article suggests, they are simply doing it to themselves.

[OldDem2012]

11. When you see the huge amount of money some religions have poured into their churches,....

....and the mansions in which some of the top pastors live, it's no wonder people have become disenchanted. They no longer practice what they preach, and haven't for quite some time. Just think how many more people could be helped if all of that money was redirected.

[mick063]

13. Ya think?

Mr. Obvious.

Further, Mitt is damaging the Mormon faith more than they could ever know.

Religion has become synonymous with politics. This puts a defined ceiling on
potential converts, which in turn, restricts potential revenue. The religions that sustain will be those that abandon an active role in politics.

[KurtNYC]

14. Hey! I didn't work my way up the obvious ranks for nothing...

It's CAPTAIN Obvious now, sir.

[KurtNYC]

15. when was the last time either ticket had no Protestants?

[Freedomofspeech]

16. I quit going to church when Bush became president.

Biggest and best wake-up call of my life.

[xchrom]

17. People want to gather around the Beatitudes.

They know it - the churches know it.

The churches just aren't giving it to them.

Clothe the naked

Feed the hungry

Comfort the widow

Etc.

It's not that it's entirely absent - but everybody knows it could be more.

We used to Socialize more - much more - around that stuff - we did during & after Katrina - so the people walk away now.

[marions ghost]

19. The hypocrisy...

How many right-wing "Christians" who spout hate and intolerance does it take to turn people OFF?

My Dad used to say, "I hate what they've done in the name of Jesus" (He was a lifelong mainstream Christian who felt that the core beliefs had become irrevocably twisted by the rise of the Fundamentalists).

[KurtNYC]

20. One version of the response to this study mentioned some of that.

Basically that there are people who have an affiliation with a mainstream church but don't attend services. They come out strictly for the 'help your neighbor' stuff. But it seems few churches champion the beatitudes these days.

[xchrom]

22. Christians - the most casual Christian - Knows

They are fairly narrowly commanded.

It's what made the church pretty successful - and gain even more during the Ecumenical & Vatican II phase.

The church starts getting restrictive & too deeply into peoples private business - takes it's eye off the ball for why we get together on Wednesday nights for supper & fund raising - and Voila - quietly people have less of a reason to go.

In the Modern Age - All are Welcome at Gods Table & real emphasis on the Beatitudes gives people a positive message & something positive to do - with all people.

[shanti]

18. i wasn't raised with religion

mom and dad did not attend any church, so we kids didn't either. it was only after i became an young adult, that i was "born again". however, i quickly became disenchanted with the whole shebang, and left a couple of years later. i've no desire to return to any kind of organized religion, although i believe in a higher power. as with many nowadays, my belief system is a hodgepodge of several different religions, "spiritual, not religious". works for me...

[Whovian]

21. Not a surprise other than it is a pleasant surprise to hear of people thinking for themselves.