Group: alt.education
From: Wide Eyed in Wonder
Date: Monday, February 25, 2008 11:13 PM
Subject: Re: America "still" a Christian nation (new poll)

On Feb 25, 11:00 pm, "Vosotros" wrote:
> "Wide Eyed in Wonder" wrote in messagenews:cd624328-d3db-4366-9aa4-73cd7e6ca1e0@...
>
>
>
> > On Feb 25, 5:25 pm, "Larry Hewitt" wrote:
> >> "Wide Eyed in Wonder" wrote in
> >> messagenews:7373d5f6-0789-4436-8d2d-7250af569297@...
>
> >> > To the amazement of those doing the study (which I guess were looking
> >> > for less religion), a new study by Pew Research has found America is
> >> > "still" greatly religious.
>
> >> >/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-religion26feb26,...
> >> >/
>
> >> > Here's some stats from the survey..
>
> >> > Christian - %
> >> > Jewish - %
> >> > Buddhists - %
> >> > Muslim - %
> >> > Hindu - %
> >> > New Age - %
> >> > Atheist - %
> >> > Agnostic - %
>
> >> > One of the interesting things I saw was concerning Evangelicals.
> >> > According to many on the political left, Evangelicals are a small,
> >> > extremist group within Christianity that holds no power. In fact,
> >> > this survey shows that Evangelicals are the LARGEST religious group in
> >> > America, beating even Catholics. Indeed, Evangelicals (at %) were
> >> > much larger than the mainline Protestant denominations in the country
> >> > ( percent)
>
> >> > Another thing of interest has to do with the charge that Christians
> >> > are brainwashed. This study shows that 4 in 10 adults have recently
> >> > changed their religious affiliation, yet they remain CHRISTIAN.
>
> >> Actually, this is not true.
>
> >> 26% of those who changed there affiliation changed religion.
>
> >> Another 18% changed sects
>
> >> The researchers primary conclusion is that churning is the rule. No one
> >> particular religion or sect is gaining or losing , all are churining. The
> >> only group to significantly gain was "unaffiliated" --- now 16% of us.
>
> >> One conclusion that can be drawn from this is that people are
> >> dissatisfied
> >> with religion and are searching for answers.
>
> >> F. ex., a third of those raised Catholic changed their affiliation
> >> (ex-Catholics are almost as numerous as Southern Baptists).. Two thirds
> >> of
> >> Jehovah's witnesses changed.
>
> >> Some christian megachurches are at the heart of he issue.
>
> >> TheWillow Creek megachurch has thousands of members. But an internal
> >> survey
> >> reveals that a large percentage of members feel "stalled" and are
> >> searching
> >> for answers that they are not getting from the church.
>
> > And...yet...in all their searching, according to the survey, they KEPT
> > being Christians (78 percent Christianity).
>
> Do you have a point?
>

Yes. Even though 40 percent were changing their minds about their
denomination (upon independent thought), they remained Christian.

Kenneth Clifton