About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated
That is up from 16% in 2007
Self-identified Christians make up 63% of U.S. population in 2021, down from 75% a decade ago, and from 78% in 2007
The recent declines within Christianity are concentrated among Protestants. Today, 40% of U.S. adults are Protestants, a group that is broadly defined to include nondenominational Christians and people who describe themselves as “just Christian” along with Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians and members of many other denominational families. The Protestant share of the population is down 4 percentage points over the last five years and has dropped 10 points in 10 years.
By comparison, the Catholic share of the population, which had ticked downward between 2007 and 2014, has held relatively steady in recent years. As of 2021, 21% of U.S. adults describe themselves as Catholic, identical to the Catholic share of the population in 2014.
Overall, both evangelical and non-evangelical Protestants have seen their shares of the population decline as the percentage of U.S. adults who identity with Protestantism has dropped. Today, 24% of U.S. adults describe themselves as born-again or evangelical Protestants, down 6 percentage points since 2007. During the same period, there also has been a 6-point decline in the share of adults who are Protestant but not born-again or evangelical (from 22% to 16%).
MY INTERPRETATION
If you read the whole article, you will discover that PEW, like other researchers, have had to change the way they go about doing surveys. NPORS is an annual survey (first done in 2020) conducted online and on paper (by mail) among a nationally representative group of respondents selected using address-based sampling from the U.S. Postal Service’s delivery sequence file. This is very different from Random Digit Dialing, once the standard for survey research. I have large questions about whether we can compare the data, and about the quality of both types of data.
Historically, much research suggests that the exit of people from Christianity has to do with its association with undesirable behavior. First hypocritical behavior among its leaders including adult sexual and financial misbehavior among Protestant clergy and child sexual abuse among Catholic clergy. Secondly the increasing association of Christianity with political and cultural issues among followers as well as their Christian leaders.
The present data which shows that the decline among Catholics has plateaued may be due to the overwhelming association of Evangelicals and their leaders with Trump. While about half of Catholics supported Trump and some bishops strongly supported him, that has not attracted media attention as much as the overwhelming support of Evangelicals. The reality is that the Catholic vote has historically been divided evenly between Democrats and Republicans. Often the swing Catholic vote has been the swing vote in national elections. When media, including Catholic media, target certain bishops for their political behavior that is because it is atypical of Catholics in general. The desire of some bishops to lead Catholics into the cultural wars and partisanship may not be working since it does not seem to be producing an exit of Catholics from the Church.
Pope Francis may also be having an effect on Catholics not leaving the Church since he certainly does not endorse the cultural wars and partisanship. On the contrary he has made an official home in the Church for those who are concerned about the environment, the poor, and unhealthy capitalism. In the last few days, I have begun to read Cozzens last non-fiction book Notes from the Underground which was published in 2013 but largely written before Francis. With Francis the 'underground" can feel that they have support from the top, and that the progressiveness experienced under John XXIII and the Vatican Council has returned under Francis.
The decline of Catholics (24% to 21%) over the period of 2007-2021 had never been as sharp as that of Protestants (78% to 63%). Some social scientists have considered Catholicism to function more like a ethnicity such as Judaism. Typically, in the past when Catholics ceased to attend Church or be associated with a parish, they still considered themselves Catholics. Protestants who ceased to attend Church or have membership in congregation more easily became Nones. Unfortunately, many of our Catholic leaders have begun to question the Catholicity of people who do not attend church regularly. In the PEW data there is a slight upswing for the last two data points using the new methodology. That might just be the new methodology. However, I suspect that at least some cradle Catholics who don't regularly attend Church may have found it easier to identify as Catholics because of Francis.
I am always suspicious of religion and sex surveys. I think people often answer to reassure themselves that they fall within some perceived norm. Jack might be able to shed light on how much accuracy we can place on these things.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to see how the Nones shake out by region of the country. My guess is that 30 percent is lower or higher depending on where you live.
I do have doubts about the extent to which a pope retains the faithful or attracts converts; I think local parishes and the bishop still have more influence over that.
Not to say that parishes don't react to the messages coming out of the Vatican. Some of the parishes in the Lansing diocese are identifying themselves as "authentically Catholic." Others are talking about becoming more "mission based." I don't know what these buzzwords mean exactly, but they do seem to be some sort of positioning language.
I am always suspicious of religion and sex surveys.
DeletePEW has a good overview of the differences between phone surveys and on-line surveys which I will probably post since we encounter a lot of surveys.
One of the problems with phone surveys was people trying to present themselves in a good light. For example, replying that they went to church every Sunday when that was a norm they
they tried to observe. Time diaries were used to get around all this "norm reply" problem. That seems to occur less in on-line surveys.
Online surveys, of course, only give you a cross section of people who have some tech ability and enough $$ to afford a computer or smart phone.
DeleteI wonder if having online only respondents might skew the results somewhat in favor of Nones, who tend to be younger, less fearful of inputting info online, and might prioritize having internet connectivity more than older people.
Their sample is not limited to online people; they use the postal service to do their sampling and also contact by mail. They recruit people to survey again and again on different topics. Sounds like they give or loan them a computer. I haven't read up on all the details.
DeleteThey have been and continue to do phone surveys for comparison purposes in areas where they are not yet confident of the differences between the two methodologies.
Because they are doing panel surveys that pay a lot of attention to the demographics of their panel.
DeleteWell I guess it's good to know that we're not hemorrhaging people quite as badly as we could be.
ReplyDeleteAbout sampling methods, one thing all of them have to have is people willing to be surveyed, who have time for it. I never answer phone surveys. Once in a while I'll do an online one if I trust the source. An example is one by America Magazine, which I subscribe to. A random SurveyMonkey thing, probably not. The only ones that show up in the mail are from either political party, and they're always using it to troll for money. They skew the questions to get the answers they want.
At the risk of provoking the Wrath of Anne :-) I continue to think it's bad news that more and more Americans are becoming religiously unaffiliated. It's bad for the individuals not to be attached to a faith community; personally, I don't think discipleship is possible unless one is embedded in a community of disciples). And it's bad for the country when the institutions' ability to influence morality and impart wisdom wanes. I agree with the notion that to ask people to figure out morality and moral norms all by themselves is to lay a tremendous burden upon them.
ReplyDeleteI might submit the incredible stupidity and toxicity which characterizes our politics as one example of the waning influence of religious institutions and their ability to influence social norms.
It's bad for the individuals not to be attached to a faith community; personally, I don't think discipleship is possible unless one is embedded in a community of disciples)
ReplyDeleteThe existence and value given to the solitary life in early Christianity challenges our present notions of community. Some of those solitaries, notably Mary of Egypt lived alone for decades. Other solitaries spent months or years alone in the desert. Of course, hospitality was a great virtue in desert spirituality. Solitaries visited one another and passed their wisdom from one another. And beginners were advised to apprentice themselves to a spiritual guide before going out into the deep desert alone. Nevertheless, these people lived far from parochial and congregation life that has become our norm.
Even Benedict, who like others promoted communal life, was a solitary before he was chosen as abbot, and he recognized the superiority of the solitary life in his rule (although he did not promote it).
There is a diversity of spiritualities within Catholicism as modeled by religious orders. Parish life is more like Benedictine life, centered around liturgy, education and community. However, we have huge numbers of Catholics who live alone for substantial portions of their lives. The spiritualities of the desert solitaries have much for them. And there are many people who spend most of their lives serving others but not within religious institutions. The other centered rather than community centered lives of missionary orders have much to offer them, e.g. Ignatius notion of finding God in all things.
"The existence and value given to the solitary life in early Christianity challenges our present notions of community."
DeleteTrue enough. And there are people living an eremitic spirituality even today.
But...
My understanding of solitary spirituality is that it is mostly or wholly continent (i.e. no sex or marriage) and one of its aims is to isolate oneself from the sinfulness of urban life.
I don't think that's an accurate picture of the Nones. I don't think, by and large, they're living solitary lifestyles - at least not intentionally. (I do think the alienation, isolation and lack of sexual intimacy plague many young adults these days, but by and large they're not happy with it).
There are scads of families around here with no particular spiritual dimension to their life. They're not part of faith communities, and their families are not instances of the "domestic church". They're simply living secular lives.
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DeleteJim, if the secular lives they are living are good lives, if they are "good" people, caring people, honest people, moral people, why does that upset you? You do have a strong tendency to think that everyone has to think and live as you do when it comes to religion.
DeleteDon't you know any decent, kind, moral, secular people? How do you know if they have no spiritual lives? Do they get in your face with atheism? Most "nones" pray regularly, according to multiple studies. Many read the scriptures regularly, but not as often as they pray. I imagine that is true of about 90% of Catholics too.
Perhaps they feel their spiritual lives are their own business, and that their relationship with God is between them and God. Perhaps, if christian, they follow Jesus' command to go into a room alone, close the door, and pray in secret, rather than do so in public where everyone can see them and "know" how very holy and pious they are.
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 6But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.… Matthew 5:7
Your way works well for you, but it does not work for everyone.
As I've noted elsewhere in this thread, it is my observation that the secular countries of Europe are doing way better than the "religious" United States when it comes to creating a good, moral, and just society for their citizens.
Whether solitary or as part of a community, it would seem that the spiritual life is born communally. Mine certainly was. I owe my connection to the Trinity to the Church. I will remain a member despite the failings of the management and the people.
ReplyDelete"Whether solitary or as part of a community, it would seem that the spiritual life is born communally". I think that is true, Stanley. The church is everybody. There are some awful people in it. But there are also wonderful, heroic, holy people. Most of us fall somewhere in between. Like you, I owe my connection to the Trinity, in particular to the person of Jesus Christ, to the church.
DeleteWhether solitary or as part of a community, it would seem that the spiritual life is born communally.
DeleteAgreed, however in my experience it was really my family not the clergy who were the most important elements. My mother wanted to become pregnant for a number of years, the doctor discovered she had a thyroid deficiency. I was prayed into existence. My mother without knowing the story of Hannah and Samuel promised me to God. She never told me this until long after I had decided to become a priest.
My faith, hope and love are really my parent's faith, hope and love. Even my particular virtues are in many cases their virtues. I was completely bored with catechism and low Masses. The only clerical intervention in my early life was a seminarian who introduced some of us boys to singing Gregorian Chant. That allowed me to respond to my best friend who wanted me to become an altar boy. In our parish established altar boys trained new altar boys in the Latin. We played Mass in our homes. That in turn led me to create ceremonies for my home altar, and then to the discovery of the Divine Office. The Benedictine priests at our parish enable me to use Saint Vincent's library as soon as I learned to drive. A math teacher in my public high school introduced me to Merton.
Ultimately the spiritual formation I had as a child went far beyond the intentions of any of the actors, and certainly of the clergy who were only remotely involved. Spiritual formation for everyone really takes place as an interaction with the whole environment.
My own reason for not leaving the Church is that is consists of all those people who have assisted and continue to assist God in shaping me. The clergy and parishes may be needed as the backbone of the body of Christ, but they have not been its flesh, blood and spirit in my experience.
Both Jack and Katherine make legitimate points about the survey process in the mobile social media age. I think the dismal failures of the best professional pollsters in 2016 and 2020 demonstrate that the old techniques no longer work, and they haven't yet figured out how to refine the new techniques to get valid results.
ReplyDeleteThat said.....
The US Catholic church did not initially see the same fall in numbers that the mainline protestant churches began to experience 20 or 30 years ago. This was largely due to the influx of millions of Catholic immigrants from Latin America during that time. During that same time period, millions of euro-heritage white cradle Catholics left the church. The total numbers did not change much because of the influx from Latin America. The new Americans also had a higher birth rate/woman than the Euro-descended Catholics and Protestants, but that is changing also, as they assimilate into North American culture.
About 40% of American Catholics are of Latino heritage. BUT, the growth that occurred because of the immigration from the south may not continue - a majority of young Catholics under 25 are Latino, but, they are also joining the "nones". Their elders are often leaving the RCC too - but for pentecostal churches. Add in a likely GOP return to power and even legal immigrant numbers will fall dramatically. Most western Europeans have no desire to move to the US. The right-wing Americans have no desire to add more people of color to the population - not just Latinos, but any non-Europeans. Silicon Valley companies employ large numbers of people from India and Asia, and even mid-east countries. They have many of the very top jobs in SV, and they are usually not Christians. Trump and friends would like to close the door on this source of highly educated labor, in addition to closing the door on the African and Latino immigrants who will take the low-wage, dirty jobs in our country.
https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2019/10/majority-of-hispanics-in-u-s-no-longer-catholic-new-study-finds
The Catholic “leadership” at all levels – parish and diocese, continue to ignore the realities that they are losing the young, and many women (who give birth to the children they hope will grow up and be in the pews), and a significant number of “dones” – older Catholics like me who finally gave up. They don’t care much about losing we old folk, but the future doesn’t look good if they continue to lose young adults, especially the women. The number of marriages in the church has plummeted, as have infant baptisms. There is no sign that this trend will change anytime soon.
One small bright spot – for the first time in many years the mainline Protestants have seen a little bit of growth in their membership numbers.
The conservative evangelical churches did not begin to lose members in significant numbers until the last few years. They alleged, rather smugly, that this was because their conservative views were more in line with most Americans' values than either the liberal Protestant churches or the RCC. They think Francis is awful. (If anything were to ever bring me back it would be if the church began to reflect Francis more fully instead of Dolan and his buddies). However, the situation has changed in the evangelical world. Young adults raised in evangelical churches are also leaving the churches they were raised in – often because they reject both the anti-gay and anti-woman teachings.
Anne, I agree with all the trends and explanations you provide here. As regards the Catholic church, while its numbers in this latest poll seem to show that its numbers are sort of holding steady, there are many other metrics which show that in fact there is much to worry about. Every parish minister can tell us that baptisms are down, first communions are down more, confirmations are down yet more, and church weddings are almost a rarity. And these trends were in place long before - decades before - the pandemic.
DeleteJim-At the risk of provoking the Wrath of Anne :-) I continue to think it's bad news that more and more Americans are becoming religiously unaffiliated. It's bad for the individuals not to be attached to a faith community; … I don't think discipleship is possible unless one is embedded in a community of disciples).
ReplyDeleteLOL! Well, a community doesn’t have to be big. Where two or three are gathered in my name…
Jack has pointed out that many of the great spiritual seekers of the past lived alone.
I have long believed that religious choices reflect individual personalities. So some seek out large groups - parishes, mega-churches, etc. They like ritual,or maybe they love "praise music" or Gregorian chant, or the traditional hymns sung at Rite I Episcopal liturgies. Some prefer expressive prayer in groups - praying out loud during mass, or praying the rosary aloud with others, or charismatic prayer. Some prefer quiet prayer - silence is the best prayer for some.
Jack's experience highlights how personality plays into all of this, probably the best example I have heard. I went for years to mass, doing my best to participate. But it never "touched" me, in 60 years! At least Sunday mass didn't. When I started dropping by Holy Trinity's chapel in Georgetown when I was working, that changed. The 5 pm weekday mass usually had about 10 people. The chapel, the original church for Georgetown U, is tiny but very beautiful – perfectly simple, no statues or paintings. It was there that I finally experienced mass as a positive spiritual experience. No music, a five minute homily (good ones - it's Jesuit) and lots of beautiful silence. Jim is an extrovert and loves big masses, lots of people, the music, etc. I am an introvert and prefer silence and few people around me. The RCC is well-equipped to offer different forms of prayer, different forms of liturgy- but most of the time it doesn't, preferring to try to squeeze people into a one-size-fits-all model. So Jack worships from home, or with the Orthodox - largely because of the music. I prefer silence, so either pray at home alone, or with a small CP group. For the past 2+ years it has been home. I was recently invited to join a small CP group virtually, via ZOOM. But my hearing loss mostly eliminates ZOOM as an option. Even though it is silent prayer, it is usually preceded by a spiritual reading - scripture or writings from a range of spiritual teachers, from all branches of Christianity and from non-christian traditions. So being able to hear is needed even in a group dedicated to silent prayer.
As far as the influence of religion on morality goes, I see little positive impact in the US, the most religious of all western countries. Our crime rate is far worse than in the secular countries of Europe, we have higher rates of almost every dysfunctional behavior out there, from drug use, to couples not staying together to raise their children (more children in Sweden live with both birth parents - often unmarried - than live with their parents in the US), to violent crime, to abortion rates, etc. Not to mention the near worship of guns in our absolutely horrific gun culture. Conservative christianity in the US - evangelical and Catholic- is heavily focused on sexual morality - contraception, gay marriage, gay rights in general. They mostly ignore the plight of desperate people at the border, refugees, the poor, the homeless. Sadly, Europeans are shutting their doors to refugees too. Francis keeps trying but nobody listens. Conservative Catholics and evangelicals support the legal violence of war, and of capital punishment - which the RCC condemns, officially, ignored by the bishops. Most “nones”, especially young adults, do not see Christianity as a positive influence on morality, but as a harmful influence, too often characterized by hypocrisy and condemnation of those who don’t follow their vision.
There is an interesting story at National Catholic Reporter about monasticism in the current world and the increase in lay participation with contemplative communities.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.globalsistersreport.org/news/spirituality/news/rise-monasticism-modern-world
Fr. Adam Bucko, an Episcopal priest, isn't convinced that humanity today is going through a "process of secularization," or that there is even a meaningful distinction between the secular and the sacred.
"They're telling us the tabernacle is empty," he said, yet "many people who identify as not religious, actually, are not in churches because they found God elsewhere: in nature, in activism, in joining people who are fighting for justice, in what could be called less religious spiritualities, like mindfulness."
The rise of the "nones" is not necessarily the end of spirituality. It may instead lead to a richer, more expansive understanding of spirituality and religion.
Here is another interesting article that shows the ever-widening appeal of contemplative prayer and practices.
ReplyDeletetinyurl.com/2p8rk7zb
I have been to Mepkin Abbey. We were staying in the area and went to see it. The property was an estate owned by Henry Luce (Time Magazine) and Clair Booth Luce. They gave it to the monks and are buried there.
I enjoyed reading that, Katherine. Years ago I read "Cloister Walks" by Kathleen Norris, another Protestant who felt a connection with monastic life.
DeleteI suspect that many young Nones find it handy to use misogyny and homophobia as virtuous-sounding excuses against Christianity generally.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if you scratched very hard, you'd find that, if they had any exposure to religion at all, young Nones simply found church boring and mostly irrelevant to their real lives, concerns, and quandaries.
The perception of the Church as a purveyor of fear and hate does need to be seriously addressed. And so does the fact that the liturgy and homilies are not sparking anything in lots of kids beyond the 6th grade.
Catholic parents can model decency and care for others, and this does rub off on kids. But lots of kids conclude that church attendance isn't necessary to live good lives.
Ergo, rising numbers of Nones.
I think one 800 gorilla being ignored on the living room sofa is that so many people don't want to belong to anything anymore. Unions? Poof. Organizations? Poof. Workplace teamwork? Not really. Not like it used to be. My closest lifetime friendships were formed in my workplace.
ReplyDeleteIf all the people leaving churches were piling into other "godly" activities and escaping the hypocrisy of the churches, there would be a war on global warming, no wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Etymologically, religion is binding. How do you bind gas molecules? Of course, Fr. Bucko is right about some people that leave the Church but it is, in my mind, a small minority. Most just want to have fun or perhaps not be bothered.
I actually think that most who leave, especially the younger people, simply no longer believe the story. They don’t believe the claims of Christianity, that a man who lived 2000 years ago was God. They know a lot more about science, and a lot more about the shaky claim that scripture is God’s revelation. They don’t believe that the miracles in both the Hebrew scriptures and the Christian scriptures really happened, literally anyway. They know that the scriptures were written over thousands of years, mostly by unknown writers. They know that the writers of the gospels were not eye witnesses to Jesus’s teachings and that their true identities are also unknown. They know that there is no original bible, but only many copies, handwritten copies created over centuries. They know all of the versions were not written in Jesus’s own language, but much later, in Greek. They know that thousands of changes were made over the centuries and that translations vary widely.
DeleteAdd in the raging hypocrisy seen in so much of organized religion, the corruption, and all the other obvious bad things and so they leave, especially since they see little actual following of Jesus’s teachings in churchgoers,
I don't think that it's anywhere that intellectual, Anne. Or moral. An entire generation was mentally linked to the internet in a giant experiment. Their brains aren't even wired like ours. Sometimes I think it's easier to figure out what a dolphin is thinking. They are definitely post-book.
DeleteStanley, in my own family circle, the sons, their wives, the nieces/nephews and their spouses, number about 21, with most in their early 40s, a few in late 30s. Of these only two go to church (my second son and his wife) and he only goes because of his wife, who is quite devout. Three have become atheists, the others are "spiritual but not religious". They are all highly educated, most with advanced degrees, two through the PhD level, and one MD. Some were raised without formal religion - one of my older brothers and one of my older sisters had left the church by 1970. They did not join another, but became "nones". My sister is now an atheist (Catholic schools through college level) and my brother is a believer, but unchurched. They never took their own children to church. My brother also had extensive Catholic education, but only one year at the college level. The disaffection with organized religion started with the parents of these young adults - most of my friends from (Catholic) college, raised in traditional, large, devout Catholic families, left the church at some point during their adult lives. I stayed longer than most. I would say that of my peers, most who left did so because they didn't believe specifically RC teachings, and because of the attitude towards women. One became a minister in a liberal Protestant denomination, the others included Episcopalians and "sbnr" unchurched. Of the next generation, who are raising children now, some teenagers, I would say that the main reasons they left church are not believing the story (partly due to the science and history they know), compounded by the hypocrisy and corruption they see. Those who were raised Catholic (we are a religiously blended extended family) also were totally horrified by the sex abuse scandal and are very aware of the fact that none of the bishops, and very few priests, have ever been held accountable. My eldest son and his wife send their son to a (progressive) Lutheran school even though the nearby Catholic school is less expensive. The religious types refuse to listen.
DeleteI had to leave before finishing. I know a whole lot of 30s and 40s, besides my own extended family. I know many of their friends also. I do not see them as an uncaring, uncommitted generation, nor do I see them as immoral, unable to make sound moral decisions even though they don't go to church. I see them trying to live what the wisdom teachers teach - starting with Jesus, but including wisdom teachers from multiple religions - the Buddha, or Tao, Ghandi, etc. I wouldn't give up on them. Perhaps the independence and courage they show by refusing to simply go to church to please parents or grandparents or because that's how they grew up will result in something better happening in the future. Rejecting the hypocrisy and corruption too often seen in organized religion is not a bad thing. I see this generation and their younger sibs as being passionate about climate change, the environment, caring for all God's creatures, including supporting humane treatment of farm animals, racial justice, helping refugees and immigrants, and, yes, hoping to see an end to so many wars by supporting candidates who work actively for peace. They may not join unions, or bowling leagues, but that does not mean they are unwilling to commit to work for righteous causes. I believe that if this country is to be saved, prevented from becoming an authoritarian, repressive government in the Orban style, it will be because of the younger generations - that of my children, and of the generations behind them. When 82% of white evangelicals and more than 50% of white Catholics support trumpism, I see little chance that our democracy will be saved by those in the pews every Sunday.
DeleteJean said, "...if you scratched very hard, you'd find that, if they had any exposure to religion at all, young Nones simply found church boring and mostly irrelevant to their real lives, concerns, and quandaries."
ReplyDeleteStanley said, "Most just want to have fun or perhaps not be bothered."
You are both right. What I feel is missing is relationship, most of all to God, but also to our neighbors, in the Biblical sense of how that is defined in the Gospels.
I just hope some remnant of a flame, some pilot light can be maintained through this spiritual drought until conditions change. The human race is in for some real shocks over this century. The party is probably going to be over. How humanity and faith emerge from this will be something to see.
DeleteUnrelated, hope none of you in the path of violent weather yesterday experienced problems. We had about 12 hours of 60-75 mph straight winds, and scattered t-storms and tornadoes.
ReplyDeleteWe thought probably it would cause the cancellation of the wake service for our deceased deacon, but the wind calmed down in time, and then after it was over resumed with much colder temperatures.
Today was clear and calm, typical chilly December day. Nice day for the funeral. The archbishop came, along with 9 priests and a bunch of fellow deacons, family members and parishioners. The church was full, so was the lunch afterwards. I think we gave him a good send-off, hope nobody had anything contagious.
Katherine, sounds like you thankfully avoided the worst of it. Glad the elements were becalmed for your Deacon's visitation.
DeleteNature seems to abhor a belief vacuum. The people most likely to believe in ghosts, flying saucers, etc. are those with few religious beliefs. The people most likely to undergo a religious conversion experience are those with little or no religion. Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton both came from family backgrounds with little or no religious experience.
ReplyDeleteMust be interesting to start afresh with no baggage. Maybe there will be a new Age of Faith after a secular age knocks off the barnacles from the last one.
DeleteI guess people don't always fit neatly into categories. My siblings, our sons and daughters-in-law are all practicing Catholics. Only two of them (my brothers) are Trump Republicans, one of them rather reluctantly. I guess they probably all have their own reasons for sticking with the church. I'm grateful they aren't "nones", because faith is something we can share in common.
DeleteUnfortunately the white Catholics who are most likely to "stick with the church" are also the most likely to support the evil that is trumpism.
DeleteBut not all white practicing Catholics are Trumpistas.
DeleteHow does Ross Douthat keep his job at NYT? I don't often waste my time reading his column, but did today. As inane, or more inane, than usual.
ReplyDeletePope Francis was, for a brief moment, bigger than the church’s liberal-conservative divide, but by now his pontificate has succumbed to the deck-chairs-on-the-Titanic spirit of church bureaucracies, conducting a mind-numbing “synod on synodality” while waging a pointless war on the church’s traditionalists. God help us, even Jerry Falwell to Jerry Falwell Jr. is a study in decline.
Seriously? Comparing Pope Francis to Jerry Falwell, Jr?
Then there is this
Kings eventually bowed before the crucifix, but in the worlds of the wisest Dominican, Thomas Aquinas, “the most efficacious argument” for Christ’s divinity is that “without the support of the secular power he has changed the whole world.”-
Guessing the man hasn't ever really studied a lot of history, the history where the christian movement was co-opted by Constantine in order to get their help in his effort to solidify his empire. Many say that 313 was the turning point, when christianity began to turn away from the gospel and toward the secular realm. It modeled its own governing structure after the Roman government, and began seeking wealth and power also, It colluded with the secular government to conquer others, forcing conversions on conquered peoples, imposing itself on all in the west with heresy trials, inquisitions, burnings at the stake, and literal witchhunts.
Jack has often noted that christianity has been saved at times by the monks, by the original Benedicts and Francises. And it seems that Douthat seeks to have secular power impose his vision of christianity on all, via the government - via the presidents if not via kings.
Whatever world-changing power we might seek, whatever influence we might hope to wield
There have been several articles lately about people such as Archbishop John Carroll and Jesuit Fr. John Courtney Murray and their role in developing a theology of religious freedom. There are still plenty of people in the church who would like to use the power of the state to impose their view of Christianity. I plan on doing a post on Carroll and Murray (after the holidays).
DeleteI am sure that folks are right that Nones don't believe the story - they lack faith. And I am sure folks also are right that some or many Nones are good people who live admirable lives. The essence of Christianity is knowing Jesus. All the other things - morality, spirituality, worship, social activism and service et al - flow from that relationship. In my view, that relationship - which isn't instrumental or transactional; it is its own reward - is easier to bring about and sustain in a community of faith.
ReplyDeleteA community is a good thing for most. But the community doesn’t have to be big. It doesn’t have to be formal and meet on Sunday.
DeleteAbout 35 years ago I met a nun who introduced me to meditation. She recommended a book by a Hindu spiritual writer, Eknath Easwaren, titled “Meditation “. Although Hindu his spiritual writings incorporate spiritual wisdom from all the great religions of the world. In “Meditation “, he provides several guidelines for developing and sustaining a spiritual life. Among these are finding a small group of spiritual companions with whom to share the spiritual journey - a small group seems to work the best - ten or fewer people. I found such a group and it provided far more spiritual support than did joining with hundreds of people, almost all strangers, in a large building on Sunday mornings.