Pew: In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace
Body
“65% of American adults describe themselves as Christians when asked about their religion, down 12 percentage points over the past decade. Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated share of the population, consisting of people who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or ‘nothing in particular,’ now stands at 26%, up from 17% in 2009.” - Pew
Discussion
Atheism is declining, says report; what should Christians do?
Body
“According to the [Center for the Study of Global Christianity] report, atheism reached its peak in 1970, with over 165 million atheists worldwide. Since then, atheism has been steadily decreasing, with 138 million today, a number that’s expected to drop to 129 million by 2050.” - Christian Post
Discussion
“Millions of Americans have abandoned religion, only to re-create it everywhere they look”
Body
“Although belief in God is no panacea for these problems, religion is more than a theism. It is a bundle: a theory of the world, a community, a social identity, a means of finding peace and purpose, and a weekly routine.
Discussion
Is American Christianity on Its Last Legs? The Data Say Otherwise.
Body
“Two recent books have taken up these questions in a markedly optimistic spirit: Glenn Stanton’s The Myth of the Dying Church: How Christianity is Actually Thriving in America and the World and Rick Richardson’s You Found Me: New Research on How Unchurched Nones, Millennials, and Irreligious are Surprisingly Open to Christian Faith.” - Christi
Discussion
“According to recent surveys from both Gallup and Pew Research, more Americans than before have a negative opinion of church.”
Body
“According to recent surveys from both Gallup and Pew Research, more Americans than before have a negative opinion of church.” - Facts & Trends
Discussion
Buddhism most trusted religion in New Zealand, survey says
Body
“Buddhism is the most trusted religion in New Zealand, while Evangelical Christians take the bottom spot, a new survey says.” - NZ Herald
Discussion
Pew: What Americans Know About Religion
Body
“U.S. adults generally can answer basic questions about the Bible and Christianity, but are less familiar with other world religions” - Pew
Discussion
The more Americans know about evangelicals, the less they like them: study
Body
“Americans with a high level of religious knowledge have a warmer view of Jews, Catholics, mainline Protestants and Buddhists than they have of evangelical Christians and are least warm to Muslims and atheists, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.” - Christian Examiner
Discussion
In ‘Seculosity,’ David Zahl traces society’s search for righteousness outside of the church
Body
“A growing number of Americans do not follow a religion. But chances are that the details of their lives — from their phones and their politics to their dinner plates and how they raise their kids — are still ruled by some sort of a religious impulse, says author David Zahl.” - RNS
Discussion