"America's Post-Christian Culture"

[Skwim]

Anyone who's even moderately culturally savy is aware of Christianity's decline. People have been leaving it in striking numbers, all the while there's been an upsurge in those who profess atheism, agnosticism, or simply don't claim any belief at all.

"In the seven years between 2007 and 2014 the percentage of Christians in America fell by 8 percentage points to 70%. (Protestants comprise 46.5% , Catholics, 20.8%, and Muslims make up 1.0%)

About 5 million fewer Americans now identify as Christian compared to when the study was conducted in 2007.

It was discovered that this trend occurred in all regions of the US and among all ages and demographics.

In the South, those not-affiliated with religion - or as the researchers call them, "nones" - rose to 19% of the population, while in the Northeast they climbed to 25%.
source

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And the salient point here is that the loss among Christians is exchanged for the increase among the unaffiliated.

My question: WHY?

What has White Mainline Christianity been doing wrong that it's losing members at such an alarming rate?

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[Brickjectivity]

They aren't necessarily doing anything wrong.

This claims evangelical groups are not shrinking: Pew: Evangelicals Stay Strong as Christianity Crumbles in America

This claims a lot of church shrinkage is due to movement into cities: http://thomrainer.com/2016/09/five-reasons-churches-dying-declining-faster-today/

This Washington Post article shows that the mainstream churches which turned down the more liberal road have been shrinking: Liberal churches are dying. But conservative churches are thriving. It suggest those mainstream churches which chose a similar route to Bishop Spong were not able to become more numerous by doing so.

 

[Skwim]

They aren't necessarily doing anything wrong.

Well, I don't think a drop of 8% between 2007 and 2014 amounts to doing anything right.

This claims evangelical groups are not shrinking: Pew: Evangelicals Stay Strong as Christianity Crumbles in America

Contrary to what the figures show. In comparison to Catholics and Mainline Protestants it's certainly fairing far better, but I don't consider a drop of almost 1% to be staying strong.

This Washington Post article shows that the mainstream churches which turned down the more liberal road have been shrinking: Liberal churches are dying. But conservative churches are thriving. It suggest those mainstream churches which chose a similar route to Bishop Spong were not able to become more numerous by doing so.

Again, I don't consider any kind of decrease to be thriving. At most, conservative Christian churches are treading water.

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[Jeremiah Ames]

I think they are doing wrong the same things they have been doing wrong for nearly 2000 years. Christianity went off the rails not long after the death of Jesus, because they slowly started teaching man made doctrines and less and less Jesus.
Jesus warned against it, but people would rather listen to some religious leader.
Paul fought against this from the beginning as can be observed reading his letters.

But today we have a more educated population and an internet.
We no longer are chained to a religion to learn and grow, even spiritually. More people find freedom every day. And at the same time have an opportunity to get closer to Jesus as well.
Jesus clearly described who will inherit God’s kingdom. Getting out of the mainline churches actually increases the ability of people to do so. IMO

 

[David T]

Recent photo. Even Mary HERSELF has checked out. Heck with a smart phone who needs church? Jesus will probably grow up, get a law degree, go to protest rallies to end smartphone dominance and be shot for it.

 

[Father Heathen]

I believe that it's a matter of people simply becoming more cultured and educated in the information age.

 

[George-ananda]

all the while there's been an upsurge in those who profess atheism, agnosticism, or simply don't claim any belief at all.

I also see a definite upswing in eastern and New Age (for lack of better term) concepts. Things like reincarnation and such have increased a lot in the western world in just my life time but surveys like these have a problem with this as these concepts don't have a 'religion' name that can be selected in a survey. "Spiritual but not religious' is probably the best current term. That is on the increase.

 

[Father Heathen]

View attachment 19969
Recent photo. Even Mary HERSELF has checked out. Heck with a smart phone who needs church? Jesus will probably grow up, get a law degree, go to protest rallies to end smartphone dominance and be shot for it.

Christianity is in decline because of smart phones and not because it's irrational and unsubstantiated. Right.

 

[David T]

I believe that it's a matter of people simply becoming more cultured and educated in the information age.

Totally love modern college spring break. Lots of highly cultured sophisticated types.

Christian university kids those hillbillies party like it's 1955.

The real hillbilly is the Educated Cultured parrot Meme.

 

[David T]

Christianity is in decline because of smart phones and not because it's irrational and unsubstantiated. Right.

Are you married? And btw it's not science even most of them know at least that much. You must have grown up in what a southern baptist home? Sorry your family sucked.

 

[Truthseeker]

I think the reason that Christianity is declining is because over the years there are so many irrational concepts in Christianity, and this is a skeptical age. Some of Christianity doesn't accord with reason. The problem is not the scriptures but how the scriptures are interpreted.

 

[sun rise]

Anyone who's even moderately culturally savy is aware of Christianity's decline. People have been leaving it in striking numbers, all the while there's been an upsurge in those who profess atheism, agnosticism, or simply don't claim any belief at all.

And the salient point here is that the loss among Christians is exchanged for the increase among the unaffiliated.​

My question: WHY?

The why question is salient but your OP ignored this finding. The discussion around people's self-identification I find interesting. As far as I can tell, what is going on is a lot of people don't find meaning in identifying themselves with a particular church/denomination but find a sense of the spiritual important in their lives.

Who makes up this rapidly rising, “spiritual but not religious” segment of American adults? While many of them (37%) are religiously unaffiliated (describing their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular”), most actually do identify with a religious group, including 35% who say they are Protestant, 14% who are Catholic and 11% who are members of others faiths, such as Judaism, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism.


Many in the “spiritual but not religious” category have low levels of religious observance, saying they seldom or never attend religious services (49%, compared with 33% of the general public) and that religion is “not too” or “not at all” important in their lives (44% vs. 25% of all U.S. adults). But others in this group appear to be quite observant, at least by traditional measures – 17% say they attend religious services weekly, and 27% say religion is very important to them. In both cases, those who think of themselves as spiritual but not religious are more observant than those who say they are neither religious nor spiritual.

More Americans now say they’re spiritual but not religious

 

[Brickjectivity]

Well, I don't think a drop of 8% between 2007 and 2014 amounts to doing anything right.

Really? Historically populations that go up and down become stronger as a result. If the numbers merely grew or stayed the same it would be a sign of zero change. The mainstream churches that have moved in the liberal direction have experienced change at the cost of the pleasure of some of their membership. Quality over quantity? It could be or not, but the point is that a decrease in membership may not be a bad thing.

 

[Father Heathen]

Are you married? And btw it's not science even most of them know at least that much. You must have grown up in what a southern baptist home? Sorry your family sucked.

What a weird non sequitur.

 

[Father Heathen]

Totally love modern college spring break. Lots of highly cultured sophisticated types. View attachment 19970

Christian university kids those hillbillies party like it's 1955.
View attachment 19972

The real hillbilly is the Educated Cultured parrot Meme.

Your cherry picked examples represent nothing but themselves.

 

[Spice]

I've read it described as the "new enlightenment age". I concur. Our communities have expanded, and so have our minds, to some degree.

 

[PureX]

My question: WHY?

What has White Mainline Christianity been doing wrong that it's losing members at such an alarming rate?

They cling to the ideological, rather then the practical: faith in religious fantasies and dogmas rather than the healing power of the human spirit.

They don't want change, they want obedience. But people need and want change right now.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

It'll be interesting to see what the religious landscape of America looks like when numbers and individual faiths are represented honestly.

 

[Skwim]

It'll be interesting to see what the religious landscape of America looks like when numbers and individual faiths are represented honestly.

What do you see as the honest representation?

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[The Kilted Heathen]

For example, myself being listed as "Heathen" rather than being pidgeonholed into "No Religion/None", or some such thing.