U.S. Church Membership Falls Below Majority for First Time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in U.S. history, more than 50% of Americans is Agnostic, Atheist, or Non-practicing.

Americans' membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup's eight-decade trend. In 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx

I do not think you are correct. Being a member of a church is different than attending church, you can attend church and not be a member. Also lots of religious ppl do not attend a traditional worship service weekly.

NP. Agreed. I think there's three things kind of being conflated here: membership in a church, regular attendance at a church, and religious belief. Obviously they overlap to some degree. Membership is an interesting thing to single out, because membership in civic organizations overall has been declining for years. It's not surprising to see church membership go the way of the Elk's Club, but I'm not sure you can draw any conclusions about religious belief from that.

Yeah, a lot of people who wouldn't dream of joining a church still pray when something terrible befalls them and all other attempts to fix it have failed.

When your options run out, might as well reach out to an invisible supernatural being, right?

Still better than mocking other people in need and pain while you sit at home and do absolutely nothing for your fellow man. As noted above, at least churches put their money and time where their mouth is and help their members. Meanwhile, the mockers and atheists wait for the government to force/mandate people to help people. So ridiculous.

Agree with the point about some atheists’ nastiness, as demonstrated every day on DCUM. But there is a role for government, houses of worship can’t do it alone.

Yes, but attacking churches and religious people but then wanting to have what they do replicated by government is hypocritical.

So what. Everyone is guilty of some hypocrisy. I’m sure you are, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at what the American evangelical and right wing Catholic taliban are doing to the US. No one wants to be a part of that, so younger people are giving up religion entirely.

That’s not what the link says. And please don’t share more surveys about attendance because we’ll just come back again about religiosity.

Why are DCUM’s atheists so poor at logic, besides being mean?

IDK, but they aren’t the big brains they think themselves to be. Also, I don’t think the “atheists” posting here are atheists. I think they are anti-theists using atheism as a cover. They are very nasty and mean and bitter people. I can’t imagine them doing a single thing for their fellow man/woman/child voluntarily; they seem to despise people. And I know some very nice and kind and caring atheists IRL.

I know a self-proclaimed (to me) anti-theist who asked me to keep her position a secret because she felt it would impede her many charitable activities if any of her religious beneficiaries found out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in U.S. history, more than 50% of Americans is Agnostic, Atheist, or Non-practicing.

Americans' membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup's eight-decade trend. In 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx

I do not think you are correct. Being a member of a church is different than attending church, you can attend church and not be a member. Also lots of religious ppl do not attend a traditional worship service weekly.

NP. Agreed. I think there's three things kind of being conflated here: membership in a church, regular attendance at a church, and religious belief. Obviously they overlap to some degree. Membership is an interesting thing to single out, because membership in civic organizations overall has been declining for years. It's not surprising to see church membership go the way of the Elk's Club, but I'm not sure you can draw any conclusions about religious belief from that.

Yeah, a lot of people who wouldn't dream of joining a church still pray when something terrible befalls them and all other attempts to fix it have failed.

When your options run out, might as well reach out to an invisible supernatural being, right?

Still better than mocking other people in need and pain while you sit at home and do absolutely nothing for your fellow man. As noted above, at least churches put their money and time where their mouth is and help their members. Meanwhile, the mockers and atheists wait for the government to force/mandate people to help people. So ridiculous.

Agree with the point about some atheists’ nastiness, as demonstrated every day on DCUM. But there is a role for government, houses of worship can’t do it alone.

Yes, but attacking churches and religious people but then wanting to have what they do replicated by government is hypocritical.

Government already replicates what religion (sometimes) does via programs like social security and food stamps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in U.S. history, more than 50% of Americans is Agnostic, Atheist, or Non-practicing.

Americans' membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup's eight-decade trend. In 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx

I do not think you are correct. Being a member of a church is different than attending church, you can attend church and not be a member. Also lots of religious ppl do not attend a traditional worship service weekly.

This! The phrasing of the question matters. I went to church every week but was not a member. I am a divorce catholic who remarried and had kids. We never registered except to baptize and then move away abd just didn't register. Now post-covid, I have had a chance to reflect and we will return to church but I think we will be attending an episcopal church that aligns more with my beliefs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in U.S. history, more than 50% of Americans is Agnostic, Atheist, or Non-practicing.

Americans' membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup's eight-decade trend. In 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx

I do not think you are correct. Being a member of a church is different than attending church, you can attend church and not be a member. Also lots of religious ppl do not attend a traditional worship service weekly.

NP. Agreed. I think there's three things kind of being conflated here: membership in a church, regular attendance at a church, and religious belief. Obviously they overlap to some degree. Membership is an interesting thing to single out, because membership in civic organizations overall has been declining for years. It's not surprising to see church membership go the way of the Elk's Club, but I'm not sure you can draw any conclusions about religious belief from that.

Yeah, a lot of people who wouldn't dream of joining a church still pray when something terrible befalls them and all other attempts to fix it have failed.

When your options run out, might as well reach out to an invisible supernatural being, right?

Still better than mocking other people in need and pain while you sit at home and do absolutely nothing for your fellow man. As noted above, at least churches put their money and time where their mouth is and help their members. Meanwhile, the mockers and atheists wait for the government to force/mandate people to help people. So ridiculous.

Agree with the point about some atheists’ nastiness, as demonstrated every day on DCUM. But there is a role for government, houses of worship can’t do it alone.

Yes, but attacking churches and religious people but then wanting to have what they do replicated by government is hypocritical.

Government already replicates what religion (sometimes) does via programs like social security and food stamps.

Yes, the government of the United States uses Christian principles in its social programs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first time in U.S. history, more than 50% of Americans is Agnostic, Atheist, or Non-practicing.

Americans' membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup's eight-decade trend. In 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx

I do not think you are correct. Being a member of a church is different than attending church, you can attend church and not be a member. Also lots of religious ppl do not attend a traditional worship service weekly.

This! The phrasing of the question matters. I went to church every week but was not a member. I am a divorce catholic who remarried and had kids. We never registered except to baptize and then move away abd just didn't register. Now post-covid, I have had a chance to reflect and we will return to church but I think we will be attending an episcopal church that aligns more with my beliefs.

Good -- sounds like Covid restrictions had a positive effect on your thinking about religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the government of the United States uses Christian principles in its social programs

Oh, bullshit. Concern for fellow man is not an exclusively Christian principle. In fact it has existed in every society in history, and also among Chimps, Dogs, and other primates. You don't get to claim it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Makes sense!

I attended church for my entire life, had Billy Graham over for dinner, considered being a missing doc, etc., until an employee of a large United Methodist church in NoVa taught my preschool kids how sex works. Pastor supported the employee so we had no choice but to leave so that nothing else happened.

Never going to look at a church the same again.

I’m so glad to hear that church attendance is dropping!

Try the Catholics. They will never evee talk about how sex works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the government of the United States uses Christian principles in its social programs

Oh, bullshit. Concern for fellow man is not an exclusively Christian principle. In fact it has existed in every society in history, and also among Chimps, Dogs, and other primates. You don't get to claim it.

Then why the grousing here about how the government needs to raise taxes and do what churches do? Because people don’t do what churches do on the regular, without being paid to do so. You know it and I know it. So yeah I am going to claim it.

Doing something kind and caring for your fellow human is different than just talking about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Makes sense!

I attended church for my entire life, had Billy Graham over for dinner, considered being a missing doc, etc., until an employee of a large United Methodist church in NoVa taught my preschool kids how sex works. Pastor supported the employee so we had no choice but to leave so that nothing else happened.

Never going to look at a church the same again.

I’m so glad to hear that church attendance is dropping!

Try the Catholics. They will never evee talk about how sex works.

Oh no. Whatever will internet raised children do to find out about sex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the government of the United States uses Christian principles in its social programs

Oh, bullshit. Concern for fellow man is not an exclusively Christian principle. In fact it has existed in every society in history, and also among Chimps, Dogs, and other primates. You don't get to claim it.

Then why the grousing here about how the government needs to raise taxes and do what churches do? Because people don’t do what churches do on the regular, without being paid to do so. You know it and I know it. So yeah I am going to claim it.

Doing something kind and caring for your fellow human is different than just talking about it.

Where are the atheist charities (as opposed to just secular charities), anyway?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are the atheist charities (as opposed to just secular charities), anyway?

This may be the dumbest question I have heard in a long time - although I suspect it is simply a troll. You disprove your own argument in the same sentence you make it by admitting there are many secular charities. Nice! But more importantly: Atheism is not a belief but rather a lack of a belief. You might as well ask where the bald charities are. Or the people who don't play golf charities.

Really, really dumb if you genuinely meant it. Nice troll tho if you didn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are the atheist charities (as opposed to just secular charities), anyway?

This may be the dumbest question I have heard in a long time - although I suspect it is simply a troll. You disprove your own argument in the same sentence you make it by admitting there are many secular charities. Nice! But more importantly: Atheism is not a belief but rather a lack of a belief. You might as well ask where the bald charities are. Or the people who don't play golf charities.

Really, really dumb if you genuinely meant it. Nice troll tho if you didn't.

The fact that atheism has no belief system is totally irrelevant, not sure why you’re leaning into that. Secular charities are supported by both atheists and people of faith, so you don’t get to claim them as your own. You guys have organizations to support each other and where you get (often really ignorant) talking points about religion—so why aren’t these atheist organizations doing charitable work?

Pro tip: repeating the word “dumb” over and over doesn’t make it so. It just makes you look childish, which isn’t helped by your many logic errors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at what the American evangelical and right wing Catholic taliban are doing to the US. No one wants to be a part of that, so younger people are giving up religion entirely.

I think you have it backwards. It's the mainline Protestant churches that "no one wants to be a part of" -- at least, in the sense that those churches are plummeting in attendance and membership at crazy high speed. Evangelical churches are remaining fairly stable in terms of numbers. Catholics are declining, yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are the atheist charities (as opposed to just secular charities), anyway?

This may be the dumbest question I have heard in a long time - although I suspect it is simply a troll. You disprove your own argument in the same sentence you make it by admitting there are many secular charities. Nice! But more importantly: Atheism is not a belief but rather a lack of a belief. You might as well ask where the bald charities are. Or the people who don't play golf charities.

Really, really dumb if you genuinely meant it. Nice troll tho if you didn't.

The fact that atheism has no belief system is totally irrelevant, not sure why you’re leaning into that. Secular charities are supported by both atheists and people of faith, so you don’t get to claim them as your own. You guys have organizations to support each other and where you get (often really ignorant) talking points about religion—so why aren’t these atheist organizations doing charitable work?

Pro tip: repeating the word “dumb” over and over doesn’t make it so. It just makes you look childish, which isn’t helped by your many logic errors.

I'll repeat "dumb" over when dumb statements are made, thank you. Like asking where the atheist charities are. Let's take this new batch one by one:

The fact that atheism has no belief system is totally irrelevant

Uhhh.... no, it is exactly the most important point.

Secular charities are supported by both atheists and people of faith, so you don’t get to claim them as your own.

I didn't "claim them for atheists". I pointed out that the majority of charities have no religious affiliation, just like...

You guys have organizations to support each other and where you get (often really ignorant) talking points about religion—so why aren’t these atheist organizations doing charitable work?

We do? I guess my newsletter is lost in the mail. I know of one, the Atheist Community of Austin, TX, which is 1500 miles from where I live. I'm sure there are others, but no, that is not a thing. (The Austin group claims they do plenty of charity work but I am not a member). And I know this will make you unhappy, but that is another dumb claim.