Americans Believe Religion is Losing Clout (Gallup)

[Shardik]

PRINCETON, NJ -- Two-thirds of U.S. adults today perceive that the influence of religion in American life is waning, while just 27% believe it is rising. This represents a sharp decline in the image of religion compared with only three years ago, when 50% thought its influence was on an upswing, and marks one of the weakest readings on the influence of religion in Gallup's five-decade history of asking the question.



The percentage of Americans saying religion, as a whole, is increasing its influence on American life was 50% in April 2005, 39% in May 2006, 34% in May 2007, and 30% in May 2008. The 27% recorded in the new Dec. 4-7 Gallup Poll thus marks a continuation of the recent downward trend.

The current weak image of religion stands on par with the low ebb recorded in the first half of the Clinton administration in the mid 1990s, but is still not quite as low as it was during the late 1960s and Vietnam War. The record low came in a 1970 Gallup Poll when only 14% of Americans said religion was increasing in influence at that time, while 75% thought it was losing influence.

Indeed, this measure of public perceptions about religion has been quite volatile over the forty-plus years of its existence, with shifts in perception often corresponding to major political events.

The pinnacle for perceptions of religious clout came in Gallup's initial asking of the question in March 1957. At that time, 69% of Americans thought religion was gaining in societal influence while only 14% saw it declining -- resulting in a net 55 percentage point advantage for those saying the influence of religion was increasing. This was nearly matched in a December 2001 Gallup Poll -- just three months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks -- in which 71% said religious influence was increasing and 24% decreasing -- a net 47-point advantage to those saying religious influence was on the rise.

More at: http://www.gallup.com/poll/113533/Americans-Believe-Religion-Losing-Clout.aspx

[Xipe Totec]

1. As a cafeteria Catholic,

I think we could attract more members if we abandoned some quaint archaic notions like:

The Pope is infallible,

Marriage is forever (no divorce),

Gays are the devil spawn,

it's okay to be a pedophile if you're a priest.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

20. One small correction.

Catholics don't believe the Pope is infallible, but that he is capable of making ex-cathedra infallible statements. These are extremely rare and I think there have only been two or three during the last 3 centuries.

[billyoc]

2. From their mouths to God's ear.

PLEASE.

[rwheeler31]

3. Thank God.

Religion is just a money making operation.

[Critters2]

4. Yeah. That explains my astronomical salary.

:eyes:

[Fumesucker]

5. Not true..

You left out the fact that religion is also a means of social control, one of the most powerful ones in fact.

[Shardik]

Just watched The Golden Compass last night which

was a wonderful parable of your thought there.

[undergroundpanther]

10. Religion

Hope it's influence(social control) dies at the feet of knowledge,the wisdom desired for.
And I hope it happens really fucking soon.

Yeah, I am gnostic about it.Custodial/authoritarian religion SUCKS! And yeah I do hate all the controlling forces operating in this world to keep people in line.I hate hierarchies and the stupidity of social rank and that lie called authority. It's all so sick.And religion is sick with the soma of control too.
That is why,all the main religions and churches,to me, are as spiritually dead places.Because they ARE.

Spiritual Reality
by Apoptygyma Berzerk.

"The questions I've been asking is
quite simple beyound my reach"
"Where does evil live?"
"Is evil in the flesh?"

I sit down in despair, no way to run away
Couldn't stand a nice new day with you
The fuse went out today
Who's around me? Everything got dark
The space behind our closer goes
through corridors of pain
I ran through corridors of pain

But I'm not afraid to die
'Cause I'm not afraid to die

I saw the creature reach me as I
closed my faith to die
The plastic in the floor are reached out,
you see it in the sky
Thunderballs are softening my fears
I know where I am heading, watch the
world right through my tears
I watch the world right through my tears

And I'm not afraid to die
And I'm not afraid to die

"I've got negative radio contact"

Not afraid to die
Not afraid to die

"Where does evil live?"

Plasmatic drug sensation, going
weakened through the year
And in his reach his target slowly dies.
He dies in distant fear
But now the searchers begin before we make ground,
Still searching for the truth;
Why am I here, why am I bound?
Why am I here, why am I bound?
Why am I here, why am I bound?

And I'm not afraid to die
And I'm not afraid to die

In the deep it's nowhere where you can see,
Can you feel the light?

[AlinPA]

6. Maybe the right wing fundamentalists are turning people off to religion.

[anonymous171]

12. Bingo. nt

[cliffordu]

7. Jesus Fucking Christ on a cracker, I hope so.

[LeftyMom]

8. I wish it would be faster about it.

:eyes:

[scarletwoman]

9. Someone else beat me to it, but no matter -- thank god! I'm so fucking sick of hearing about

people's "faith". As though it should mean anything to the rest of us. :eyes:

sw

[HillbillyBob]

11. Faith , like masturbation should be practiced in private, unless you are joined by

those who like the same thing, instead of putting it out on the street to offend the rest of us.

[Pastiche423]

13. Wonderful news!

[Skittles]

14. it would be nice if they had NO clout

oh damn that would be nice

[Starry Messenger]

15. Made my day. Thank you.

[DontTreadOnMe]

16. Tax The Churches!

Zappa got it right 30 years ago...

[DavidDvorkin]

17. That graph is further proof of the greatness of the 1960s

[Ichingcarpenter]

18. Organized Religions for the most parts are a pyramid scheme

Just like Corporations

[stopbush]

19. Very good news. Let's hope the trend continues. I'll be interested to see

what 4 years of D control of DC does to those numbers. My guess is that people seeing good, fact-based results from the Ds will drive a few nails into the coffins of faith-based government.

BTW - faith is the most overrated commodity on Earth, isn't it?

[Gwendolyn]

21. The question though, is about perception, not actuality.

What those graphs show is that the Christian right is currently feeling persecuted (they always do anyway) and despairing over the Godlessness of society; as the authors state, this usually happens when some political event depresses them, in this case Obama's win probably.

All it means is they'll hunker down for the long haul or become even more determined to over ride the influences of modernity and Satan.