"Americans’ confidence in religion hits a new low"

[Skwim]

"Americans have less confidence in organized religion today than ever measured before — a sign that the church could be “losing its footing as a pillar of moral leadership in the nation’s culture,” a new Gallup survey finds.

Less than half of Americans hold the church in high esteem. Confidence dwindled to all-time low among Protestants in 2015.

The church and organized religion is losing its footing as a pillar of moral leadership in the nation's culture. Once reliably at the top of Gallup's confidence in institutions list, it now ranks fourth behind the military, small business and the police, and just ahead of the medical system. The good news for the church is that it still ranks among the more well-respected institutions at a time when fewer than one in four Americans have confidence in several others, including Congress and the media."
source
​

So how long will this plunge continue? Think it will ever get down to the single digits?

 

[sun rise]

The actual headline and story is somewhat different:
Confidence in Religion at New Low, but Not Among Catholics
Confidence in Religion at New Low, but Not Among Catholics

 

[Skwim]

The actual headline and story is somewhat different:
Confidence in Religion at New Low, but Not Among Catholics
Confidence in Religion at New Low, but Not Among Catholics

Are you saying that the headline in my source isn't "actual"? (Whatever that implies.) And is it really surprising that the stories are different?

 

[oldbadger]

"Americans have less confidence in organized religion today than ever measured before — a sign that the church could be “losing its footing as a pillar of moral leadership in the nation’s culture,” a new Gallup survey finds..............................................................​

Question....!!!!!!
Who ordered the Survey?
Who paid for the Survey?​

 

[psychoslice]

Sounds like good news to me.

 

[gsa]

Crisis points help explain some of the surges on the graph, including the substantial spike in 2001, mitigated by the Catholic sex abuse scandals that followed and created a sharp decline in the next couple of years. But I doubt that the church will ever regain its prominence in American life, for a few reasons. First, there are far more nonreligious Americans, growing daily. Second, there are plenty of "spiritual but not religious" Americans who reject organized religion altogether, favoring loose spirituality that involves modern gurus like Deepak Chopra. Third, there are cascade effects created by the two mentioned trends and some others, including exposure of "hypocrisy" on the part of institutional religious leaders. This also includes, four, loss of any meaningful ability to influence the arts or other cultural productions, which are now dominated by secular people. As well as five, the elimination of the need to nominally identify with Christianity. And six, close identification of Christianity with Republican politics, including homophobia. Along with seven, increased ease of exposure to alternative religious viewpoints through the growth of online media.

We are almost to the point where a gay president is more likely than an evangelical president. Difficult to see Christianity recovering in the short term, or even long term.

 

[oldbadger]

The same reporter, Cathy Grossman, has recently written the the Catholic Church is growing at this time......
More Catholics, but Fewer Receiving Sacraments: New Report Maps Changing Church
Posted by Cathy Lynn Grossman 2 weeks 1 day ago
A new report mapping the Catholic Church’s more than 1.2 billion souls — on track to reach 1.64 billion by 2050 —

Is the OP all about Agenda rich wishful cherry-picking?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

The same reporter, Cathy Grossman, has recently written the the Catholic Church is growing at this time......
More Catholics, but Fewer Receiving Sacraments: New Report Maps Changing Church
Posted by Cathy Lynn Grossman 2 weeks 1 day ago
A new report mapping the Catholic Church’s more than 1.2 billion souls — on track to reach 1.64 billion by 2050 —

Is the OP all about Agenda rich wishful cherry-picking?

That's a pretty interesting juxta-position, @oldbadger
When making accusations of bias, watch out for glass houses.

The OP is specific to America, and relates to stated confidence in the church.
A response using Catholic membership numbers globally is not really on target.

Put it this way. Assume that every Catholic on earth has confidence in the Catholic church.
This has little relevance to whether Americans have a lot of confidence in organised religion. Heck, as a hypothetical Catholics might say 'No' since whilst they find their own Church impeccable, they don't trust those Muslims.

As for who has paid, this isn't a single instance study. It's an on-going yearly census they do.
If you're looking for bias factors, it would be more relevant to consider the general wording of the question, and how that could be interpreted by modern respondents, in my opinion.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

The same reporter, Cathy Grossman, has recently written the the Catholic Church is growing at this time......
More Catholics, but Fewer Receiving Sacraments: New Report Maps Changing Church
Posted by Cathy Lynn Grossman 2 weeks 1 day ago
A new report mapping the Catholic Church’s more than 1.2 billion souls — on track to reach 1.64 billion by 2050 —

Is the OP all about Agenda rich wishful cherry-picking?

Catholicism is not synonymous with "church/organized religion." It is a part of that, but far from being the only source.
Who ordered the survey? It's on the chart and Skwim mentioned it: Gallup.
And I really doubt the church will have 1.64 billion members in 2050. By then, I foresee that even that RCC will find itself in sharp decline.

 

[Twilight Hue]

"Americans have less confidence in organized religion today than ever measured before — a sign that the church could be “losing its footing as a pillar of moral leadership in the nation’s culture,” a new Gallup survey finds.

Less than half of Americans hold the church in high esteem. Confidence dwindled to all-time low among Protestants in 2015.

The church and organized religion is losing its footing as a pillar of moral leadership in the nation's culture. Once reliably at the top of Gallup's confidence in institutions list, it now ranks fourth behind the military, small business and the police, and just ahead of the medical system. The good news for the church is that it still ranks among the more well-respected institutions at a time when fewer than one in four Americans have confidence in several others, including Congress and the media."
source​

I predict it will bottom out at about the 28% mark in 10-15 years, and then plateau until the country is thrown into some sort of crises, which always has people flocking to religion for security and comfort.

Karma is a ***** sometimes !!!

Call a priest but hide your children.

"Americans have less confidence in organized religion today than ever measured before — a sign that the church could be “losing its footing as a pillar of moral leadership in the nation’s culture,” a new Gallup survey finds.

Less than half of Americans hold the church in high esteem. Confidence dwindled to all-time low among Protestants in 2015.

The church and organized religion is losing its footing as a pillar of moral leadership in the nation's culture. Once reliably at the top of Gallup's confidence in institutions list, it now ranks fourth behind the military, small business and the police, and just ahead of the medical system. The good news for the church is that it still ranks among the more well-respected institutions at a time when fewer than one in four Americans have confidence in several others, including Congress and the media."
source​

So how long will this plunge continue? Think it will ever get down to the single digits?

Yet another fairly recent story written by the same reporter:

Most Americans Look So Kindly on Churches, They Might Even Go Sometime - Cathy Lynn Grossman | God's Politics Blog | Sojourners

Poor confused lady.

 

[Quetzal]

The same reporter, Cathy Grossman, has recently written the the Catholic Church is growing at this time......
More Catholics, but Fewer Receiving Sacraments: New Report Maps Changing Church
Posted by Cathy Lynn Grossman 2 weeks 1 day ago
A new report mapping the Catholic Church’s more than 1.2 billion souls — on track to reach 1.64 billion by 2050 —

Is the OP all about Agenda rich wishful cherry-picking?

And what agenda is that?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

And what agenda is that?

I've noticed here on RF there seems to be some denial towards the idea of people becoming less religious (it's even happening in Japan), and may be uncomfortable with the idea.

 

[oldbadger]

When making accusations of bias, watch out for glass houses.

You're right. Absolutely right.
I'll deserve a good thrashing on that one, some time when I'm not expecting it.
There'll be me, knocking the hell out of motor vehicles (or whatever), and some member'll say, 'How now, Old-B? Just 'cos you're a bus pass waving cyclist, what?' And that's me..... stuffed.
And being a free-sailing model-boater I'll be careful not to knock radio-controlled aircraft.
Or it could be religion........ I could be accused of being a closet Christian, only I'm not.

The OP is specific to America, and relates to stated confidence in the church.

I'm ashamed. I openly apologise to the writer of the OP, an honest agnostic if only I'd paid proper attention, not yet decided ...... why, tomorrow morning he could wake up, something click deep within, and next thing he's screaming hallelujahs and legging it down the road, praising the Lord.......... or the other way, of course.

As for who has paid, this isn't a single instance study. It's an on-going yearly census they do.
If you're looking for bias factors, it would be more relevant to consider the general wording of the question, and how that could be interpreted by modern respondents, in my opinion.

You're right, of course. But that's me, your typical cynic nerd.
I always ask questions about polls, no matter what info they seek. Always have..... on RF as well.
Somebody might post up a poll saying that 71% of Bratislava's population will be will be jet-skiing by 2017, and I might go looking........ who paid for the poll? Oh, a jet-ski retailer. Who owns the polling company?Blimey!.... the Jet-Ski retailer's President. You know........ a nerdy thing I've got about polls.

So, obviously, I asked nerdy questions about this one, being a small-d deist and UK resident, amazed at the millions of US residents who claimed to be Christian compared with here.
So, ok......... Gallup has had a slightly rough ride in the last decade, it's annual 600 question poll (or whatever) could well be self financed to promote it's brand-name as a tax deductible, and it could then trawl through the answers to produce scores of media announcements. Who knows whether it's accurate?........ I certainly don't.

But No....... I mean 'Yes', I was wrong to pick on an innocent agnostic, posting an innocuous poll result.[/QUOTE]

 

[lewisnotmiller]

*laughs*

I don't have much issue with you picking on/debating with whomever you like.
Just reckon you missed the mark this time is all.

As a general rule, I think checking the funding source of polls, or the sponsors of research is damn sensible. But Gallup have been doing this for a long time. Poll could be good, or it could be crap, but I don't think there is a recent bias being driven by New Atheism, or whatever. If biased be the findings, they still seem to indicate a pretty clear trend which you've so far avoided directly addressing.

 

[Quintessence]

I've noticed here on RF there seems to be some denial towards the idea of people becoming less religious (it's even happening in Japan), and may be uncomfortable with the idea.

Possibly, but my issue with these sorts of studies is that they continue to define religion and religiosity in a very narrow sense, rather than in the broad sense. That, in my mind, makes it inaccurate, or at the very least, not a complete picture of what's going on. All it's saying is that certain "conventional" expressions of religiosity are declining, not that the essence of religiosity is declining (which, from what I can tell, hasn't declined at all).

 

[Quetzal]

Possibly, but my issue with these sorts of studies is that they continue to define religion and religiosity in a very narrow sense, rather than in the broad sense. That, in my mind, makes it inaccurate, or at the very least, not a complete picture of what's going on. All it's saying is that certain "conventional" expressions of religiosity are declining, not that the essence of religiosity is declining (which, from what I can tell, hasn't declined at all).

How do you define the "essence of religiosity"?

 

[Quetzal]

I've noticed here on RF there seems to be some denial towards the idea of people becoming less religious (it's even happening in Japan), and may be uncomfortable with the idea.

I have noticed this as well.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

As a general rule, I think checking the funding source of polls, or the sponsors of research is damn sensible. But Gallup have been doing this for a long time. Poll could be good, or it could be crap, but I don't think there is a recent bias being driven by New Atheism, or whatever. If biased be the findings, they still seem to indicate a pretty clear trend which you've so far avoided directly addressing.

There are also several polls, from different groups, and at different countries, that have all reached the same conclusion - there is definitely a trend of people becoming less religious. We're not talking about a particular study or poll, but numerous ones that are not contradicting each other.

Possibly, but my issue with these sorts of studies is that they continue to define religion and religiosity in a very narrow sense, rather than in the broad sense.

Even in Japan, where religion is approached very differently, more and more people, especially among the youth, are becoming less religious - they aren't identifying as religious labels, they aren't adhering to any religious doctrine, and agnostics and atheists are becoming more common.

 

[Quintessence]

How do you define the "essence of religiosity"?

I had it in the original version of that last post... knew I shouldn't have cut that out.

At core, religion is about developing or holding to meaningful narratives about our lives and how we relate to the world around us. It's about asking life's big questions and seeking answers to them in ways that fulfill us and connect us (the etymological roots of the term "religion" come from the same root as "ligament" or ligare - a thing that connects). In a fashion, it's the axis around which one's worldview spins. I don't care whether or not someone uses the word "religion" to describe that axis - that thing they use to spin meaning and story into their lives. It's always there, in all cultures, in all peoples. It's part of our blessing (or curse) as animals with the level of self-awareness that we have. We are myth makers, meaning finders, story tellers, world explorers. I don't see that ever changing until our species evolves into another species entirely.

 

[sun rise]

Are you saying that the headline in my source isn't "actual"? (Whatever that implies.) And is it really surprising that the stories are different?

You did not provide a source for your OP.