The Rise Of The Religious Left: Religious Progressives Will Soon Outnumber Conservatives

[ProSense]

The Rise Of The Religious Left: Religious Progressives Will Soon Outnumber Conservatives

By Jack Jenkins

One-in-five Americans are religious progressives, according to a new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute. Using a religious orientation scale that “combines theological, economic, and social outlooks,” researchers argue that while the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans continues to rise, a growing coalition of young, diverse, and politically-active Americans are connecting their faith with progressive values.

“Our new research shows a complex religious landscape, with religious conservatives holding an advantage over religious progressives in terms of size and homogeneity,” Dr. Robert P. Jones, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute, said in a press release. “However, the percentage of religious conservatives shrinks in each successive generation, with religious progressives outnumbering religious conservatives in the Millennial generation.”

According to the survey, 23 percent of people aged 18 to 33 are religious progressives, while 22 percent are nonreligious and 17 percent are religious conservatives. By contrast, only 12 percent of those aged 66 to 88 are religious progressives, whereas 47 percent are said to be religious conservatives.

Religion has long been co-opted by religious conservatives as a vehicle for political gain, but this study hints that the future of faith-based political advocacy could rest with the left-leaning faithful. Religious progressives already make up 28 percent of the Democratic party—this in addition to 42 percent that are religious moderates—a number that only stands to grow as Millennials age and begin to vote in greater numbers.

- more -

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/07/19/2324411/the-rise-of-the-religious-left-religious-progressives-will-soon-outnumber-conservatives/

Hence the sound and fury, the last gasp of the hate-filled RW.

[leftstreet]

1. Conservative or progressive, religion has no place in politics n/t

[ProSense]

2. The piece

"Conservative or progressive, religion has no place in politics"

...isn't about the rise of religious progressives in politics. It's that a growing number of religious people identify with progressive values.

From the OP:

"Religion has long been co-opted by religious conservatives as a vehicle for political gain"

The shrinking religious right will do more to end that phenomenon.

[leftstreet]

3. The article says it 'bodes well for the Democratic party'

I was going by the article you posted

[ProSense]

4. What

"The article says it 'bodes well for the Democratic party'"

...does that have to do with religion in politics?

It's a simple statement about demographics across the board.

Religious progressives are also more ethnically diverse than religious conservatives, a fact that bodes well for the Democratic party as the country becomes more racially varied.

The piece also states that unlike the RW.

The emergence of this new group might raise the hackles of some more secular-minded progressives, but the study found that although religious liberals are passionate about progressive causes, they aren’t interested in imposing their beliefs on others: only 29 percent of religious progressives think a person has to believe in God to live a moral life, as compared to 74 percent of religious conservatives.

[curlyred]

8. It is called walking the talk, living what Jesus spoke

Thank goodness people of faith are waking up and speaking up. Right wing nutbaggery and the words of Christ are total opposites.

[Iliyah]

9. oops

Some people on the left have religion.

[Boomerproud]

5. I'll believe it when I see it.

Progressives will never been the majority in institutionalized religion. It's not how the game is played.

[Iliyah]

10. JC was one

[Fumesucker]

15. How did that work out for Him?

[Scurrilous]

6. K & R

[ZombieHorde]

7. Bwahahaha! nt

[Hekate]

11. KnR. This sounds like a course-correction of sorts.

Religious fanatics used to stay home, out of politics and the sinful world, with their eye on the world to come. The way the political Right drew them into politics and kept them there with promises and rhetoric about God, guns, and gays, has been very harmful to politics and government in this country. They never were a majority, but by God they are motivated and busy. The demographic shift taking place must make the whole bunch feel like the earth has turned to shifting sands beneath their feet.

Main-stream Protestantism has been hurt by the wingnut infiltration and prominence, and that group was in the majority and -- before Ralph Reed and his ilk -- always middle of the road socially and politically. Think Eisenhower and Truman both.

The demographics of the country are shifting dramatically -- and for that I say thank God. I have more hope for the future. It's not that I see any dramatic swing to the Left, but rather a kind of course correction that will lead the majority back to Left-of-Center. And with any luck at all, religious fanatics will go back home and pray for their own souls, leaving the rest of us alone while their numbers dwindle through the aging process.

[Cha]

12. Interesting.. I never would have thought.. Christians who

are in tune with Jesus.

More power to them.

[LostOne4Ever]

13. left wing religion

So long as they don't try and force their beliefs on me and respect my right not to believe I will support any group (religious or not) that helps put an end to the scourge of conservatism.

As far as this non-believer is concerned anything that promotes liberalism, tolerance and acceptance is a good thing!

[Jamaal510]

14. Thank you for shining a light on those of us on the Left

who are religious. It really makes me sick how these fake Christians on the Right such as Santorum and Bachmann have co-opted the religion and tweaked the teachings of our Lord and Savior to what they want them to be. They always want to paint themselves as wholesome, while liberals and everyone else are God-hating heathens. Apparently to them, it is impossible to be both a liberal AND a Christian. But Christ would've never approved of them opposing things such as health care, gay rights, voting rights, stricter gun laws, or women's rights.
Their ideology is antithesis to what he was all about, and they make all Christians look bad. I've seen Atheists who are closer to following the teachings of Christ than those self-described conservative Christians.