Changes in religious affiliations in the US.

[Whitemane]

This doesn't impact Druidry directly, but it seems that a significant minority in the US is somewhat disenchanted with the mainstream churches.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/one-in-five-americans-reports-no-religious-affiliation-study-says/2012/10/08/a7599664-11c8-11e2-855a-c9ee6c045478_story.html?hpid=z1"

One in five Americans reports no religious affiliation, study says

It seems that an excess of dogma is bad karma.

[DJ Droood]

I blame the school system...if they stopped forcing science and math on the kids and restricted access to books, maybe they could start filling the collection plates again.

[Whitemane]

What I find interesting is that people appear to be reacting to a polarizing influence by turning their back on it.

[DaRC]

What is interesting (and I may have mis-interpreted some reports here) is that in western Europe those numbers are almost inversed, i.e. 4 in 5 have no particular religious affiliations, although people still may tick the box as christian most of them only go to church for weddings (not too many go for christenings and death rites are often performed in a crematorium)

[DJ Droood]

(....and death rites are often performed in a crematorium)

Perhaps slightly off topic, but I wonder if we are seeing a shift in death rites (and Western spirituality in general) that may mark some sort of cultural shift that will be noted by future archaeologists...sort of like the way we say "Oh, look...they stopped buring bodies on pyres at this time and started burying them in urns in large fields...the Urn Burial People from the Urals must have invaded at this time."

I remember when most people were laid out in a funeral home, had a service in a church and got planted in a graveyard....then in the 90's, it seemed that people were cremated, had a church service and were planted in a graveyard. Most of the funerals I've attended in the last 10 years have been memorials in the funeral home, "semi-religious"...a reading from Kahlil Gibran, some New Test.....body is creamated...private internment or "ash sprinkiling" somewhere...

I wonder if our birth, marriage and funerary rites are changing to reflect evolving Western values?

[DaRC]

Hmm a good point - they do seem to be changing.
Here there are also more 'natural' or woodland sites as well; biodegradeable coffin and a tree planted over you.
Of course with cremation and scattered ashes there's less emphasis on a permanent memorial stone.

[Whitemane]

What is interesting (and I may have mis-interpreted some reports here) is that in western Europe those numbers are almost inversed, i.e. 4 in 5 have no particular religious affiliations, although people still may tick the box as christian most of them only go to church for weddings (not too many go for christenings and death rites are often performed in a crematorium)

With guaranteed religious freedom in the US, well-funded groups, mainly Christians and Mormons, have been able to proselytize and maintain very high levels of observance and loyalty. In some areas it can be a major form of peer group pressure, and some groups are quite willing to play dirty to apply that pressure. Much of this does not apply in Europe, and people have fallen away from the dominant religions for a number of reasons.

This does throw a complicating factor into US life, and it could become a political issue. Those declaring themselve Christians are largely Republican, while the ones that haven't got round to joining OBOD yet are often Democrats.

[DJ Droood]

This does throw a complicating factor into US life, and it could become a political issue. Those declaring themselve Christians are largely Republican, while the ones that haven't got round to joining OBOD yet are often Democrats.

If Romney wins ( ) will he be America's first non-Christian President? (not counting Obama..ha! I kid!) ...

[Whitemane]

This does throw a complicating factor into US life, and it could become a political issue. Those declaring themselve Christians are largely Republican, while the ones that haven't got round to joining OBOD yet are often Democrats.

If Romney wins ( ) will he be America's first non-Christian President? (not counting Obama..ha! I kid!) ...

It's a tricky question. My understanding is that Mormonism is an offshoot of Christianity, so in sensu lato he could still be considered Christian. (I'm not going to wander down the hall to ask a local Mormon. I'm heading home in less than an hour.)

[ideagirl]

My understanding is that Mormonism is an offshoot of Christianity, so in sensu lato he could still be considered Christian. (I'm not going to wander down the hall to ask a local Mormon. I'm heading home in less than an hour.)

Your Mormon friend will say of course he's Christian. Many Christians will say the opposite.

[DJ Droood]

(I'm not going to wander down the hall to ask a local Mormon. I'm heading home in less than an hour.)

I think you should show up at his home around dinner time, knock on his door and ask.

[Michael C. Page]

I was part of the group that tried to lobby the US Gov for just that information to be included on the last US census, to reflect more precisley all the belief systems of the population. It was quashed by Christian/Jewish and Muslim lobbies..... actually working together.

I wonder why....

Come to think of it...all the members of my little group that proposed the idea never did receive anything from the US census.....Now there's an something eh...

Now you would think that if the Big Semetic three are truly a "Majority" in this country they would welcome that data to show the USA how "Big" they still are...

Makes me wonder....

[DJ Droood]

It was quashed by Christian/Jewish and Muslim lobbies..... actually working together.

I've always found that to be a chilling thought...the idea that someday, the "Big Three" will stop flinging poop at each other, realize they all have essentially the same ideology, and turn their full, combined attention on us sinners and apostates. :shudder:

[Michael C. Page]

It was quashed by Christian/Jewish and Muslim lobbies..... actually working together.

I've always found that to be a chilling thought...the idea that someday, the "Big Three" will stop flinging poop at each other, realize they all have essentially the same ideology, and turn their full, combined attention on us sinners and apostates. :shudder:

Yes! Shudder!!! That would be scary! Don't worry DJ - As long as they can't figuer out how to make money from it and split the credit it won't happen.

And (this is a small hope now) we can always hope that the "peace loving semectics" will undermind their own institutions and change them....yeah....well....here's to hope...

To hope....err....all that was left in pandora's box....