American Confidence In Organized Religion At All Time Low

[cbayer]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/12/us-confidence-in-organized-religion-at-low-point_n_1669100.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

Posted: 07/12/2012 4:43 pm Updated: 07/13/2012 7:45 am



According to a recent Gallup poll, the number of Americans who have faith in organized religion is at an all-time low.

Only 44 percent of Americans today have a lot of confidence in organized religion, compared to 66 percent in 1973 when organized religion or church was the highest rated institution in Gallup's "confidence in institutions measure."

Organized religion and the Church "continued to rank first in most years through 1985, outranking the military and the U.S. Supreme Court, among others," as reported by the Gallup study.

?4

-snip-


When divided by religious preference, the poll showed that Protestants were more confident in organized religion than Catholics. 56 percent of Protestants had a lot of confidence in organized religion/church compared to 46 percent of Catholics.


?4


more at link, including a state by state breakdown

[Manifestor_of_Light]

1. Christianity has no answers for modern times.

The primitive morality of a bunch of nomadic illiterate goatherders is not adequate for the 21st century. It wasn't adequate for the 19th or 20th centuries either.

I am not surprised. The bloodthirstiness and symbolic cannibalism of Christianity (including the NT) is not sophisticated enough to deal with life in the 21st century and concepts like the Enlightenment (all men/women are created equal).

[cbayer]

2. I watched a great documentary last night called "The Street Stops Here"

In this inspiring cinematic portrait, filmmaker Kevin Shaw profiles high school basketball coach Bob Hurley Sr., a man who's racked up a staggering 900-victory record for his inner-city Catholic school -- and changed the lives of countless students. With six seniors destined for Division I play, this season is thick with promise. But for the first time under Hurley's leadership, the school might not win the state championship.

This is but a small example of christianity done right. While I agree that there is much to move away from, I do not agree at all that there is nothing in christianity that provides answer in these times.

[skepticscott]

4. The question is whether

there is anything in Christianity that provides answers that nothing else possibly can, and that would justify all of the negative baggage that Christianity has always carried with it?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

5. There is nothing original in Christianity.

It's a syncretic religion. It is made up of previous religions put together from mystery cults. Many other gods are exactly the same as jesus. Born of a virgin on Dec. 25th, etc. Mithra, Apollo, Osiris, etc.

I liked Christopher Hitchens' question: Name me one thing that can be done by a Christian that cannot be done by an atheist.

He has not gotten an answer yet.

[cbayer]

6. Why is originality an issue at all?

And while I would agree that there is nothing than can be done by a christian that cannot be done by an atheist, I think there are things being done by christians (and other religious groups) that aren't being done, or not being done at the same level, by atheist groups.

Like this school.

[skepticscott]

8. So you're saying there are no

coaches at inner city non-religious schools that are winning a lot of games and making a big impact on the lives of their players?

Please tell us you're not saying that.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

13. I don't think sports are a magic solution.

People in the U.S. attribute magical properties to sports such as teaching morals, values and teamwork.

Many other group activities can teach teamwork without trying to beat other people up and hurt them and maim them (as in football).

I was in orchestra in high school and college, and not sports. I hated P.E. and hated the teachers and the participants.

We learned teamwork extremely quickly in orchestra. Our society has much less respect for musicians and artists than it does for football players.

[skepticscott]

15. No one has claimed they are

The issue is whether Xstianity is some kind of magic wand, or has some kind of exclusivity in the area of improving people's lives.

The poster has claimed: "I think there are things being done by christians (and other religious groups) that aren't being done, or not being done at the same level, by atheist groups." But when asked to back that or similar assertions up with facts (as she has been on multiple occasions), she fails utterly and completely.

[rexcat]

9. I am willing to say that the school is the exception...

there are always exceptions to any given rule!

The issue about originality is a small group of people decided to form a religion and call it christianity so they could control some larger group of people. There were many religions out there at the time of the formation of christianity and this small "group" of people picked what sounded like something plausible (given the era) from all the other religions of the time so they could control the larger group. That is also why the Roman Empire finally embraced christianity toward its end plus the empiror who made it the offical religion was a bit off in the head or just a cynic or both (IMO). Lead does less than wonderful things to brain function, which if I remember correctly was one of the many reasons for the fall of the empire.

[cbayer]

11. It may have been a small group, but it sure has had staying power.

Whether true or fabricated, I'm not sure what difference it makes.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

12. It was all about Emperor Constantine and control of his empire.

You are absolutely right.

Christian holidays are stolen from pagan mystery cults.
Easter bunnies are pagan. Christmas trees are pagan.
Lots of people in history had the same characteristics as Jesus.
Also there is no evidence that a person named Jesus actually lived.
The census was bullshit.

[Starboard Tack]

7. I liked Hitchens, but there are a few things

Getting elected Pope comes to mind. Christianity is not the problem. The problem is taking it too seriously.

[rexcat]

10. "The problem is taking it too seriously."...

no, taking it seriously at all is the problem!

[skepticscott]

3. Well, there's certainly a general downward trend

but the question is so vague and poorly conceived that it's hard to know what to draw from it:

"Please tell me how much confidence you, yourself, have in the church or organized religion...a great deal, quite a lot, some, or very little"

What does "the church" even mean (since presumably they aren't just talking about the Roman Cathollc church)? And what does it mean to have "confidence" in it?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

14. Confidence that your priest is not a child molester, for example.

Or your football coach, Joe Paterno, is not hiding and protecting child molesters.

We put football coaches on a pedestal with the same moral authority that priests used to have. Football coaches can do no wrong, and when they are found out to be human, we feel betrayed.

The problem is thinking that any other person is an authority figure and should tell us how to live our lives. That is the first problem.

No one should have any moral authority to tell me how to live. I won't let a preacher tell me I am a worthless bucket of shit, for example.