2.25.2008

NYTimes story on religious affiliation

"Americans Change Faiths at Rising Rate, Report finds"

"The report, titled “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey,” depicts a highly fluid and diverse national religious life. If shifts among Protestant denominations are included, then it appears that 44 percent of Americans have switched religious affiliations.
For at least a generation, scholars have noted that more Americans are moving among faiths, as denominational loyalty erodes. But the survey, based on interviews with more than 35,000 Americans, offers one of the clearest views yet of that trend, scholars said."


Any thoughts? I was talking with some people at a party one night about how this is a great time to be a Christian, because so many people are open to "spirituality" and trying out different ways of having a spiritual life, that they're also open, if they're approached properly (which is always the issue) to Christianity. The downside, as the article points out, is that if you're determined to sample all different kinds of faith, the spiritual life you end up with could be somewhat un-integrated.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

the other side of this is the notion that so many people of our generation who have been raised in the church have decided to leave.. they may cite their "personal spirituality" as enough for them.

so, yes, while it is good that people are open to being "spiritual," without Christian fellowship and accountability that a church can bring they are much more likely to focus on a golden calf rather than the triune enternal God.

tough task. but, the fields are white, eh?