WASHINGTON, DC, Apr 8 — Is America losing its trust in God? The question is raised by new polling that finds just 47% of Americans say they belong to a church, a synagogue, or a mosque.
Gallup began surveying religious affiliations in the U.S. in 1937 when 73% of those who were asked said they were, indeed, associated with a house of worship. Its most recent poll, published last week, showed that, for the first time, church membership has fallen below 50%.
Another study sponsored by the Religion and Politics Website showed that “slightly less than one-third of the U.S. population is deeply religious, frequently attending church services or engaging in other religious activities in their homes. Another third is fully secular, never participating in any sort of religious practice, whether it’s prayer, reading holy writ, or attending services. Meanwhile, a final third of Americans are nominally religious—attending services infrequently or engaging in other practices with varying levels of devotion.”
The Website seems to relate the increase of politically leftist activists over the past few decades with the decline of religious membership. “It fits,” says Rebecca Weber, CEO of the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC], “socialists and communists tend to deny that there is a God.”
In an article he published just last week, the Heritage Foundation’s James Roberts explains that
“spiritual emptiness is reflected in increasing rates of deaths of despair and hopelessness—as well as the bitter polarization of American society. Lacking a spiritual and philosophical firewall against it, America has become a rich target for the many new (and global) incarnations of leftist ideology—e.g., radical environmentalism, libertinism, and identity politics.”
AMAC’s Weber believes that the decay of religion and the coinciding progressive movement in America may stem from the “right to fun” ideology adopted by the younger generations. “It is easy to put the blame for the decay of religion in America on politics, as some would have it, but others might simply tell you that it’s because kids, today, may see God as a “party pooper,” who keeps us from having fun by forbidding things such as recreational drugs and recreational sex.”
As a result, Weber says, some but not all younger Americans have given up on religion. “A Pew study conducted about a year ago showed that U.S. teens between the ages of 13 and 17 found that 36% of them display their faith by wearing accessories with religious symbols. The study also found that 27% take the time to say a prayer before a sporting event and 22% invite friends to religious gatherings, including worship services.”
The AMAC chief says she takes the time to thank God for such signs “that religion in America is not dead because, as someone once said, a Godless society has neither love for God nor for people.”
The enemy knows how to attack faith from within. One of the first forays was the attack against the Bible – that God is not able to preserve His perfect Word. Used to be, people believed the Book. I will leave it to you to figure out which one is True. (hint – the one that has stood the test of time, & the multitude of satanic, lying attacks.) One Book stands alone!
Once again, I am disheartened by sentiments such as “…a Godless society has neither love for God nor for people.”
I have been an atheist for over 50 years. I never have condemned others for the choices they make, because that is one of many freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. But others frequently take license to disparage people like me, and blame social or political shortcomings on lack of faith.
I am not a felon. There aren’t many who come down harder on lawlessness that is sweeping the country, from the southern border crisis to the local 8-time burglar who roams our streets and recently committed yet another crime.
I am not a socialist or a communist or a leftist of any sort. That’s why I belong to AMAC and not to the other one, or to the democrat party. What scares many undecideds off the Republican party is the perception that only believers join. They won’t associate with the narrow-mindedness they think we’re known for. We need to “cast a wider net” and welcome all who cherish individualism and the freedom to live our lives as we see fit.
I do consider a healthy environment crucial to the future of humankind on this planet. As one who has devoted my life to the natural sciences, I know we could be much kinder to it. This should dispel any notion that non-believers don’t like people. I do oppose the new green deal, but we, as individuals, can be more conservative with our resources.
“It fits,” says Rebecca Weber, CEO of the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC], “socialists and communists tend to deny that there is a God.” ….. Equating the two is like denying convergent evolution. Sometimes, two entities seem connected, but the correlation is merely coincidental. With rapidly deteriorating interest in organized religion, society is going to have to blame some other cause for our nation’s ills.
An anecdote: Years ago, a friend and I debated these issues. She was very religious, and I, well, you know me. She regularly visited a local jail and engaged in Bible study with the inmates. When I asked her how many of the hundreds of inmates she’d spoken with were atheists or agnostics, she replied, “None.”
“This is a Godless society” is a tired lament. It’s a dead-end platitude, and not likely to result in any constructive discourse.
So, please, consider the damage done by stuffing people like me into a box labeled “degenerates”. The Republican party needs to open its heart to all who believe in the wisdom of the founding fathers and the great documents that define this country.