Why the country’s youth are abandoning religious conservatism

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

The end of white Christian America is nigh: Why the country’s youth are abandoning religious conservatism - Salon.com

There’s been a lot of media attention recently to the changing demographics of the United States, where, at current rates, people who identify as “white” are expected to become a minority by the year 2050. But in many ways, the shift in national demographics has been accelerated beyond even that. New data from the American Values Atlas shows that while white people continue to be the majority in all but 4 states in the country, white Christians are the minority in a whopping 19 states. And, nationwide, Americans who identify as Protestant are now in the minority for the first time ever, clocking in at a mere 47 percent of Americans and falling.

The most obvious reason for this change is growing racial diversity. Most Americans still identify as Christian, but “Christian” is a group that is less white and less Protestant than it has been at any time in history. The massive growth in Hispanic Catholics, in particular, has been a major factor in this shift in the ethnic and religious identity of this country. White Catholics used to outnumber Hispanic Catholics 3 to 1 in the 2000s, but now it’s only by a 2 to 1 margin.

This part Nonsense to me. More like who cares.

. In 2011 alone, states passed nearly three times as many abortion restrictions as they had in any previous year.

None of this is a reaction to any changes in people’s sexual behavior or reproductive choices. It’s not like there was a spike in abortions causing this panic. In fact, the abortion rate has been declining. And despite continuing media panic over adolescent sexuality, the fact is that teenagers are waiting longer to have sex, on average, than in the past. Despite this, not only are you seeing a dramatic increase in attacks on legal abortion, the Christian right has expanded its attacks to contraception access, suggesting that something has worked them into a panic they believe can only be resolved by trying to reassert their religious and sexual values.

Abortions are down, Thanks to contraception. So why try to get rid of them or make the harder to get? So people will start having more abortions instead.

That something isn’t changes in sexual behavior, but it’s reasonable to believe it’s because of changes in sexual values. People might not be having more sex, but they are feeling less guilty about the sex they are having. Since Gallup first started polling people in 2001 on moral views, acceptance of consensual sex between adults has skyrocketed. In a decade’s time, acceptance of premarital sex swelled from 53% to 66% of Americans and acceptance of gay Americans grew from a mere 38% to a majority of Americans. Even polyamory has become more acceptable for Americans, rising from being accepted by 5% of Americans to 14%.

The fact that these changes in attitude are rising alongside the growth of irreligiosity is not a coincidence. More perhaps even than the 1960s, Americans are in a period of questioning rigid sexual and religious mores, and concluding, in increasing numbers, that they are not down with guilt-tripping people for victimless behavior and demanding conformity for its own sake. Some of them–now a whopping 22% of Americans!–are leaving religion entirely. Some are continuing in their faith but choosing to interpret their values differently than Christian conservatives would like.

I have to say I get turn off, about Christians trying to force people to live a certain way.

 

[Inkfingers]

The article seems to have difficulty understanding that Catholics are Christians too....

 

[Fenny the Fox]

The article seems to have difficulty understanding that Catholics are Christians too....

Howso? I only see mention of Catholics in the begining, when it comments that the total makeup of Christians in the US is becoming less Protestant and more Catholic, that among Catholics there is an uptick in percentage of non-white/Hispanic members, and that non-religious numbers now equal Catholic numbers, overall.

How is that not understanding that Catholics are Christians?

 

[Inkfingers]

Howso? I only see mention of Catholics in the begining, when it comments that the total makeup of Christians in the US is becoming less Protestant and more Catholic, that among Catholics there is an uptick in percentage of non-white/Hispanic members, and that non-religious numbers now equal Catholic numbers, overall.

How is that not understanding that Catholics are Christians?

By starting out claiming that "the end of White Christian America is nigh" and then saying its becoming "less Protestant and more Catholic" as if that means less Christian.

 

[Fenny the Fox]

By starting out claiming that "the end of White Christian America is nigh" and then saying its becoming "less Protestant and more Catholic" as if that means less Christian.

It doesn't though, really. It says "the end of White Christian America is nigh", then goes on to say white Americans are becoming less Christian (Catholic or otherwise), and that America is actually less Christian all the way around.

 

[Inkfingers]

It doesn't though, really. It says "the end of White Christian America is nigh", then goes on to say white Americans are becoming less Christian (Catholic or otherwise), and that America is actually less Christian all the way around.

I'm not so sure. The message seems mixed:

"white people continue to be the majority in all but 4 states in the country"

"white Christians are the minority in a whopping 19 states"

"Americans who identify as Protestant are now in the minority for the first time ever"

"Most Americans still identify as Christian, but “Christian” is a group that is less white and less Protestant than it has been at any time in history."

The language seems to convey that Catholics are not as Christian as Protestants.

 

[Fenny the Fox]

I don't know...I think you are reading more into than was intended. I didn't get that feeling. But who knows. Either way, I find it sad that people are turning from religion in this way.

 

[Senator Cheese]

I think it's a natural development of society's change in the interpretation of norms and values. Where European churches are beginning to embrace the notion that loving your neighbor weighs in more heavily than sexual orientation, American conservatives seem to be lagging behind.

Some of the US Christians I've seen on television incite almost as much hatred towards homosexuals and pagans as modern-day Muslims - a view that is simply not fit for contemporary society.

Christs teachings were of compassion and humility, not rigid sexual conduct or oppressive social norms. Rediscovering these central tenets is key to inspire young individuals to consider religious and spiritual questions.

 

[South Bound]

The end of white Christian America is nigh: Why the country’s youth are abandoning religious conservatism - Salon.com
This part Nonsense to me. More like who cares.
Abortions are down, Thanks to contraception. So why try to get rid of them or make the harder to get? So people will start having more abortions instead.


I have to say I get turn off, about Christians trying to force people to live a certain way.

The problem is that the people they say are "abandoning Christianity" aren't actually Christians, but merely identify as Christians.

I doubt very seriously if the author cared enough to ask if those "abandoning Christianity" met any of the Biblical criteria to be considered a Christian, or even knows what they are.

The Bible gives us four primary criteria by which we can know someone is a Chistian:

1. Their testimony
2. Their doctrine
3. Their fruit
4. Their sanctification

The reason churches have requirements for membership and for baptism is precisely because these criteria must be observed in a membership candidate.

The reason churches have church discipline proceedings, up to and including excommunication, is that one of the things might be lacking.

Did the author examine these things? Or did he merely say, "Well, they say they're a Christian. That's good enough for me, even if that isn't the definition found in Christianity"?

Incidentally, you might be interested to note that Reformed churches are growing and attracting young people, not losing them.

 

[dgiharris]

By starting out claiming that "the end of White Christian America is nigh" and then saying its becoming "less Protestant and more Catholic" as if that means less Christian.

Yeah, pretty sure Catholics believe in Christ

 

[Inkfingers]

Yeah, pretty sure Catholics believe in Christ

Indeed. The article is, at best, rather clumsy.

 

[dgiharris]

I think the reason why many young people are abandoning Religious Conservatism and why these numbers are dwindling is because the loudest proponents of Christianity in the Conservative party also seem to be the craziest.

Conservative Christians (CC) undermine the legitimacy of Christianity when they repeatedly state stuff that is known to be Scientifically untrue.

CC undermine Christianity when they try to insert it into the laws of the land or basing "legal" arguments on the bible rather than secular logical deductions and arguments.

CC undermine Christianity by claiming a particular interpretation is the only one that matters on various subjects in which there is no clear black and white or multiple interpretations.

CC undermine Christianity by using it to be on the wrong side of history on a variety of issues.

CC undermine Christianity every time they cherry pick from the Old Testaments on one issue yet then claim the Old Testament doesn't apply to another issue (basically, when it supports their beliefs then yes use the Old Testament, when it doesn't then claim the Old Testament is obsolete)

Young people are smart, smarter today then they have ever been in any point in history. You can't lose legitimacy in their eyes and then expect to convert them.

 

[MachZer0]

I don't see any real news is the article. The Bible tells us that there will be a falling away from the Church. That there is a falling away demonstrates the accuracy of Bible prophecy

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Religion is being 'educated' out of us.

 

[Audacious]

Most of the Christians I know in college are moving towards being socialists. They're not giving up on Christianity so much as they're giving up on conservatism.

I don't really think this is a problem, but then, I'm very, very liberal myself.

Religion is being 'educated' out of us.

Not really. In high school, almost all of my teachers were Christians; in community college, they're still almost all Christians. Religion is becoming less relevant to education (outside of religion and sociology courses) only because we now collect and analyze data outside of its relevance to religious beliefs.

If, somehow, you need to be biased towards religion to admit facts, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Inkfingers]

Religion is being 'educated' out of us.

It's more that social conservatism cannot compete with media; which is loud, brash, and instant....being suited far more to the provocative than the contemplative.

The flood of media into our homes, from the 50s onwards, pretty much signed the death warrant for social conservatism because "be formal, modest, prudent, sexually restrained and neatly dressed" cannot compete for attention with "PARTY!!!!!!!!!". The latter just drowns out the former, and the environment we now live in is so noisy, fast-paced, hectic and instant that people are immersed for the whole of their lives in what is, in effect, liberal propaganda.

As Roger Scruton says, the right are handicapped by the fact that what they say is true but boring whilst what the left say may be false but it is exciting.

So it's no great surprise if religion is failing in popularity.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

It's more that social conservatism cannot compete with media; which is loud, brash, and instant....being suited far more to the provocative than the contemplative.

The flood of media into our homes, from the 50s onwards, pretty much signed the death warrant for social conservatism because "be formal, modest, prudent, sexually restrained and neatly dressed" cannot compete for attention with "PARTY!!!!!!!!!". The latter just drowns out the former, and the environment we now live in is so noisy, fast-paced, hectic and instant that people are immersed for the whole of their lives in what is, in effect, liberal propaganda.

As Roger Scruton says, the right are handicapped by the fact that what they say is true but boring whilst what the left say may be false but it is exciting.

So it's no great surprise if religion is failing in popularity.

Bullseye.

 

[bill5]

I have to say I get turn off, about Christians trying to force people to live a certain way.

I have to say I get turn off about mindless liberal propaganda and such nonsensical statements like the one above, to say nothing of that laughable link. Amanda Marcotte is just another in a very long line of media idiots pushing that agenda. She throws out a few stats here and there to (she hopes) build credibility, then goes off on a series of ridiculous, unproven, and blatantly agenda-based claims that evaporate any such hopes. (PS I'm hardly the most conservative person in the world, but frankly your conservatives-are-the-devil schtick gets old as well. Neither liberals nor conservatives have a lock on truth or virtue.)

Getting back to the actual topic (something she and you more or less avoided), FYI youth has for a very long time leaned towards being more liberal in general, since that lends itself far better to the idealistic world they live in...but people very oftenvas they get older and gain more life experience and knowledge about how the world really works, they tend to get more conservative.

But I'm sure that's just coincidence.

 

[bill5]

It's more that social conservatism cannot compete with media; which is loud, brash, and instant....being suited far more to the provocative than the contemplative.

The flood of media into our homes, from the 50s onwards, pretty much signed the death warrant for social conservatism because "be formal, modest, prudent, sexually restrained and neatly dressed" cannot compete for attention with "PARTY!!!!!!!!!". The latter just drowns out the former, and the environment we now live in is so noisy, fast-paced, hectic and instant that people are immersed for the whole of their lives in what is, in effect, liberal propaganda.

As Roger Scruton says, the right are handicapped by the fact that what they say is true but boring whilst what the left say may be false but it is exciting.

So it's no great surprise if religion is failing in popularity.

Exactly.......religion isn't "fun" and that's what we're all about in this insanely spoiled, coddled, instant gratification society. Religion doesn't accept "anything goes," and that's the path we're running (if not stampeding) towards. Squeaky wheel gets the grease, after all. I'm hardly surprised religion in general is on the decline.

But I'm sure it's all the fault of those evil ol conservatives, esp (gasp) white Christians. All a bunch of Jerry Falwell Bible thumping militants, yknow. :eye roll:

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I have to say I get turn off about mindless liberal propaganda and such nonsensical statements like the one above, to say nothing of that laughable link. Amanda Marcotte is just another in a very long line of media idiots pushing that agenda. She throws out a few stats here and there to (she hopes) build credibility, then goes off on a series of ridiculous, unproven, and blatantly agenda-based claims that evaporate any such hopes. (PS I'm hardly the most conservative person in the world, but frankly your conservatives-are-the-devil schtick gets old as well. Neither liberals nor conservatives have a lock on truth or virtue.)

Getting back to the actual topic (something she and you more or less avoided), FYI youth has for a very long time leaned towards being more liberal in general, since that lends itself far better to the idealistic world they live in...but people very oftenvas they get older and gain more life experience and knowledge about how the world really works, they tend to get more conservative.

But I'm sure that's just coincidence.

Very true. Religion is for mature people who realize that they must now be the moral anchors of society; the "salt of the earth" so to speak.