A new Age of Enlightenment is now evident in America. A
modern Age of Reason is slowly catching on all over the planet. Just like the
original Enlightenment movement of 17th Century Europe, the cultural
forces of humanity today are once again turning to reason, science and
individualism while rejecting traditional oppressive modes of authority.
In sum: The Nuns are departing. The Nones are coming.
Attention GOP: The Nones are coming!
I repeat. Attention all Republicans and the GOP: The Nones
are coming! If you want to get one of your own elected as President in 2016 and
stem the socialist tide, you had damn well better take note of, heed this
message, and act accordingly.
Thanks largely, in my opinion, to the proliferation of the Internet
and World Wide Web, the influence of religion upon ordinary individuals is waning.
Christianity, for example, is on the decline
in America, not just among younger generations or in certain regions of the
country, but across race, gender, education and geographic barriers.
Of
White Americans 24% now say they have no religion; ditto, 20% of Hispanics and
18% of Blacks. We’re talking about a Hell of a lot of voters here.
According to a recent survey conducted
by the Pew Research Center, the percentage of adults who describe themselves as
religious is falling dramatically while the percentage of those who identify
themselves as non-religious is soaring. “It’s remarkably widespread... The
country is becoming less religious as a whole, and it’s happening across the
board,” explains Alan Cooperman, director of religion research.
Today there are more religiously unaffiliated Americans
(Nones) than Catholic or mainline Protestant Americans. “What we’re seeing now
is that the share of people who say religion is important to them is
declining,” says Greg Smith, associate director or research.
“The religiously unaffiliated are not
just growing, but as they grow, they are becoming more secular... There’s a
continuing religious disaffiliation among older cohorts. That is really
striking,” Smith added. “I continue to be struck by the pace at
which the unaffiliated are growing.”
As far as I’m concerned it can’t happen fast enough.
Here come the Nones.
I wouldn't start jumping up and down yet. I think many unaffiliated are only unaffiliated on the surface. My own parents stopped going to church 50 years ago and have no great love for organized religion, but I'd still call them Christian (as I'm sure they would also call themselves). I also don't think this survey included environmentalism as a religion, which I would guess many of the unaffiliated are happy participants.
ReplyDelete