http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2...ck_check=1

Quote:For decades, America's majority religious brand has been "Protestant." No more.

In the 1960s, two in three Americans called themselves Protestant. Now, the Protestant group -- both evangelical and mainline -- has slid below the statistical waters, down to 48 percent from 53 percent in 2007.

Where did the Protestants go? Nowhere, actually. They didn't switch to a new religious brand, they just let go of any faith affiliation or label.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released an analytic study today, "Nones on the Rise," that shows one in five Americans (19.3 percent) now claims no religious identity. That's up from 15.3 percent in 2007.

This group, called "nones," is now the nation's next-largest category after Catholics and outnumbers the top Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptists. The shift is a significant cultural, religious and even political change.

The sooner the current generation of jesus freaks dies out the better off we'll all be!

(October 9, 2012 at 12:39 pm)Minimalist Wrote: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2...ck_check=1

Quote:For decades, America's majority religious brand has been "Protestant." No more.

In the 1960s, two in three Americans called themselves Protestant. Now, the Protestant group -- both evangelical and mainline -- has slid below the statistical waters, down to 48 percent from 53 percent in 2007.

Where did the Protestants go? Nowhere, actually. They didn't switch to a new religious brand, they just let go of any faith affiliation or label.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released an analytic study today, "Nones on the Rise," that shows one in five Americans (19.3 percent) now claims no religious identity. That's up from 15.3 percent in 2007.

This group, called "nones," is now the nation's next-largest category after Catholics and outnumbers the top Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptists. The shift is a significant cultural, religious and even political change.

The sooner the current generation of jesus freaks dies out the better off we'll all be!

I get what you are saying but when you put it like that it sounds to the fundy like "you want to use government genocide to get rid of us" I know that is not what you mean, but some fundy dipshits will buy and sell that childish fear.

No, but just like no one buys into segregation anymore, it took old age for those bigots to die out and give way to more compassionate youth who didn't buy into that bullshit.

I think all one has to do to foster more political diversity is simply remind younger people of "no religious test". It blows away the argument that one has to claim some oath to some sect of Christianity to hold office. That is patently false and was never the case, which is why we have Jews two Muslims and an Atheist in our congress.

Time is on the side of pluralism and the age of theocracy is rightfully dying out as an idea. Christians don't have to go away, but they are not intitled to a monopoly of what constituts the meaning of being a citizen.

(October 9, 2012 at 12:50 pm)Brian37 Wrote: .

I think all one has to do to foster more political diversity is simply remind younger people of "no religious test". It blows away the argument that one has to claim some oath to some sect of Christianity to hold office. That is patently false and was never the case, which is why we have Jews two Muslims and an Atheist in our congress.

it was the case originally, before the separation of church and state in US. Different states had different rules.

The comments on the CBS story on these findings are cringe worthy http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/10/0...filiation/

(October 9, 2012 at 12:50 pm)Brian37 Wrote: "you want to use government genocide to get rid of us"

Sounds expensive......do you think it would work?

(October 9, 2012 at 1:02 pm)Doubting_Thomas Wrote:

(October 9, 2012 at 12:50 pm)Brian37 Wrote: .

I think all one has to do to foster more political diversity is simply remind younger people of "no religious test". It blows away the argument that one has to claim some oath to some sect of Christianity to hold office. That is patently false and was never the case, which is why we have Jews two Muslims and an Atheist in our congress.

it was the case originally, before the separation of church and state in US. Different states had different rules.

Agreed. The conolies before the Revolution were much more religiously based and religiously divided. There is a false revisionist history that freedom of religion started on the Mayflower. No the early invaders(I hate the word settlers). The people who came over here from Europe were not interested in fleeing from their oppression to set up secular pluralism, they wanted freedom to set up their own monotheistic click.

Freedom of religion was modled after Jeffersons Religious Freedom act written prior to the Constitution which Madison modled the First Amendment on. The United States did not have any universal right to freedom of religion until the ink was dry on the Constitution.

The colonies were nothing but political and religious clicks that at best tollerated each other, but the tribalism was profound until the founders convinced the masses that they had a more important enemy than the differences that divided them.

I also hate that revisionists try to treat the Declariation as law. Certianly part of history yes. But at the time written we were not a nation and there was no given right at that time that that would become the case. The united States did not become an official nation until the war was over when we knew we had won and the Constitution became official.

THAT is when freedom of religion began.

(October 9, 2012 at 1:09 pm)Rhythm Wrote:

(October 9, 2012 at 12:50 pm)Brian37 Wrote: "you want to use government genocide to get rid of us"

Sounds expensive......do you think it would work?

An AGM-114N versus packed mega-church should be very cost effective.

Quote: "you want to use government genocide to get rid of us"

Let's at least consider it!

(October 9, 2012 at 12:39 pm)Minimalist Wrote: The sooner the current generation of jesus freaks dies out the better off we'll all be!

Hmmm...where have we heard this quote before?

Chritianity is on the rise my friend. So the opposite may be true at some point! Only difference is we'll bore you to death.

Are you starting now?