Politics plus religion equals loss of community

[SecularMotion]

According to recent research, America’s youngest generation is the most unchurched in our country’s history, and it may be costing this generation a sense of belonging within its communities.

An article published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion examined issues of nonbelief and how they related to feelings of nonbelonging within three groups: atheists, agnostics, and unchurched believers.

Surveys conducted by Joseph O’Brian Baker and Buster Smith of Baylor University concluded that the politicization of denominational Christianity, especially by the conservative right, has been a major factor in pushing people away from religion. The research concluded that even those who called themselves “unchurched believers”—those who have Christian beliefs but do not attend church—were as opposed to mixing religion and politics as atheists.

Jill Gill, a professor of American religious history at Boise State, says that the Pacific Northwest has the lowest number of religious adherents in the country. Across the board, Gill says, people in this area are no longer identifying with denominational religions, like Christianity, and politics certainly play a part in this.

http://arbiteronline.com/2012/04/09/politics-plus-religion-equals-loss-of-community/

[cbayer]

1. Good. Let the religious right continue to push the young out of their congregations.

Hopefully they will discover better groups that more suit their needs. The "unchurched" is an apt descriptive term.

“Liberal churches continue to be active and are important to many people,” says Gill, “but liberal youth don’t often see much need to join them, and many may not even be aware of them due to their lower public profile.”

[saras]

2. Probably another part of TPTB plan in using religion in the first place

Churches have historically been major community meeting places for liberals and activists, and places for them to mix with the larger community. Even if the activists are more "populist" than "liberal", they were nevertheless important contributors to civic functioning. TPTB are perfectly happy for these to disappear, or become polluted with fundamentalists, because they know there are no other viable alternatives under our current legal system.

Any kind of public meeting that I've ever seen start to substitute for the social aspect of church gets rapidly and cruelly suppressed, coerced back into being the kind of institution that puts corporate values above those of the people who wish to meet. TPTB's idea of an acceptable public meeting is a loud bar that pays lots of taxes and fines, promotes sexism, and creates a lot of DUIs going slowly so they can be profitably busted without accidents.

[Thats my opinion]

3. The report is on target

The religious right has besmirched both religion and politics, and a great host of younger adults know it. It is sad on both accounts. I think it means there needs to be more acceptance of what religious liberals are all about.