Are christians becoming a minority?

[jeca]

Well there was a peice on a talk radio show about this I don't really agree but I'm going to ask you all what you think. Are christians becoming a minority in this country. The people on the radio were saying taht they are always defending themselves, their morales, and their choices to their communities and tehy are vastly becoming a minority in this land? whay do you think?

[PurpleBasil]

If a group is 'always defending' themselves, that doesn't make them a minority, they are simply defensive.

To answer the OP: No. And to suggest otherwise reeks of an agenda.

[DaryLLL]

Christians comprise 82% of the USA population.

http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html

[applejuice]

I was raised Roman Catholic and I changed my religion. I do recll lots of turmoil when I was growing up. I remember the Latin Mass. Then I recall guitar Masses and my Father refusing to go to Church.

So I went out and did my own spiritual search.

If Christians are becoming a minority, it is their own fault since thier leaders have lead them away from the appointed path. People need spiritual guidance and a feeling of connection with G-d or their higher self.

This is too bad since Christianity has impacted the world for better or worse for 2000+ years and absorbed the cultures it affected.

[pugmadmama]

Re: Are christians becoming a minority?

Originally posted by jeca
...The people on the radio were saying taht they are always defending themselves, their morales, and their choices to their communities and tehy are vastly becoming a minority in this land? whay do you think?

I think Christians have had a strangle hold on American political policy for so long that to lose even a little of that influence is causing a panic in some Chrisitian communities.

[Meiri]

I think Christians have had a strangle hold on American political policy for so long that to lose even a little of that influence is causing a panic in some Chrisitian communities.

Bingo!

At 82% of the population they've got a LONG way to go before becoming a minority. But that numbers security doesn't bring in the $$$ the way a persecution complex does in some circles.

[canadiyank]

Re: Re: Are christians becoming a minority?

Originally posted by pugmadmama
I think Christians have had a strangle hold on American political policy for so long that to lose even a little of that influence is causing a panic in some Chrisitian communities.

Unfortunately too true.

I wish being Christian didn't automatically lump me into conservative, backwards-looking politics, but reality is my being Christian unfortunately advances some of these policies b/c the policy-makers assume my religious views (as the "majority") are the same as their politicals ones since apparently I'm on their side. Shows me I need to be more vocal with my views - I do admit this is not popular in most Christian circles and if I bring it up (even with my dh - who USED to be die-hard Democrat until he became a Christian - the irony does not escape me, but it does him...) I'm pretty much just stared at or attacked b/c my background is Canadian. I'm pretty fringe here b/c I drink organic milk - we're not even talking soymilk.

I would also say there's a big difference between being culturally Christian and being actively Christian. Unfortunately, most times being actively Christian does not mean advancing Christian ideals - more like advancing Republican ideals.

So, do I think Christians are becoming a minority? - I have no idea, but I DO know that lots of forward-thinking Christians have disassociated themselves from the church b/c they can't live with the assumptions people of all sides make and the stranglehold they feel - I think that's a shame b/c isn't change first made from within (in this case the church body itself)?

Sorry to be such a freakin' pessimist, it's just discouraging to reminded that my religion automatically means that many people think of certain political policies (and rightly so b/c it is unfortunately too true!)...but also a good reminder...

[TiredX2]

Are the group they are talking about "becomming" a minority? No, they always have been. I consider myself Christian as well as my family, but we are not part of the "Christian Coalition" the "Moral Majority" the "Religous Right" etc... I think that hopefully there are less and less hateful bigoted people

[jeca]

Originally posted by TiredX2
Are the group they are talking about "becomming" a minority? No, they always have been. Ihopefully there are less and less

Tehy were not spreaking of a particular group but of christianity in general. That Christians in general and tehir views are becoming a minority in this country. they were speaking of how the bible was not allowed in schools, how religious factions in egneral were often put down for pretending to be "holier(sp)than thou" type. How tehy could not prophisize to poeple without being critisized for it. Things of that nature. Basically christianity in general is becoming less og an accepted religion in thsi country.

[Meiri]

Sounds like whining about losing their hegemony to me. "We can't force everyone to act like they follow our religion whether they believe in it or not, therefor we're being persecuted!" Thank goodness we don't get that on this website!

The Bible's been out of schools since sometime in the early 60's, right?

Whenever someone at work is whining about no official prayers in school, DH points out that the hippies had prayed in school and yet look what they did.:LOL

[dado]

Re: Are christians becoming a minority?

Originally posted by jeca
Are christians becoming a minority in this country?

not according to the latest surveys. C'ians currently comprise about 77% of the US population, split roughly 2 to 1 "protestant" v "roman catholic". by comparison, less than 2% are Jewish and less than 1% are muslim.

[dado]

Originally posted by jeca
Basically christianity in general is becoming less og an accepted religion in thsi country.

i don't understand that sentence. not accepted by whom, exactly?

C'ians obviously accept C'ianity, or they wouldn't be C'ians, right? did the radio person suggest that people who aren't C'ian should also "accept" C'ianity? what does that mean? i should convert from Judaism?

to me this smells more politics than anything else.

[DaryLLL]

Re: Re: Are christians becoming a minority?

Originally posted by dado
not according to the latest surveys. C'ians currently comprise about 77% of the US population, split roughly 2 to 1 "protestant" v "roman catholic". by comparison, less than 2% are Jewish and less than 1% are muslim.

You are right. I should have read further on the page I cited! One survey also showed most Xtian denoms have actually gained a lot of adherents in this contry in the last 10 yrs as well. Whether from immigration or conversion I can't tell.

So the idea that Xtianity is decreasing in the US is wrong. But I do think many people are questioning its dogmas and doctrines b/c we are not longer under the threat of the stake if we dare to question or practice differently than the one way our church demands.

Thank Maude for that at least!

[Tuesday]

I don't think Christianity is a minority religion in the U.S. I recently read an article in my local paper (which was originally in a U.K. paper, I believe) that discussed the apparent secularization of Europe. Apparently the numbers of Europeans who profess to be members of various Christian denominations and the numbers of people attending church have dramatically dropped. The article went on to compare this drop in numbers with the U.S. - the article discussed the high rate of church attendance in the U.S. , the growth of certain Christian denominations etc. I can't recall the article specifically but this is the article's main sentiment. Of course, this is not necessarily true fact but one author's opinion but if you believe the author, then, Christians are not a "minority". If I find the article, I will post it!

[jeca]

Originally posted by dado
i don't understand that sentence. not accepted by whom, exactly?

I'm sorry but I can not explain it further to you as I am not the one who made the statement. I'm assuming by those who are not christians. Basically he was saying that when you are a christian you are always on your gaurd about your morales and beliefs and ideas about how this land should be and the way you view GOd. It was interesting. I didn't quite agree with it but interseting.
I agree that it is more of a power thing.

[indie]

I think if you read the "Barna Poll on actual religious beliefs" link on the website mentioned above you might get a better idea of why the radio folks *feel* that way. In other words, the church (as they think it should be) is being eroded from the inside. Meanwhile, many other religions are growing at phenominal rates (100 to 200%) while Christianity is growing at 5%. So while we are a very long way from Christianity being the minority, if other religions continue to grow at the current rates, Christianity will become a minority religion at some point. But this will take a while.

[Piglet68]

Whether they are a minority or not should be moot. The fact that it isn't says more about how many are mixing faith with politics than any other "crisis" with the faith.

I've never understood why people feel that their personal religious beliefs should be entrenched into law in a country that supposedly embraces freedom of religion and separation of church and state (can you say "gay marriage"?).

[t-elaine]

On the topic of laws prohibiting Christianity...
I don't know where most others are coming from on this...but I know that something that bothers me personally with the laws prohibiting christianity from schools is the fact that symbols of other belief systems ARE allowed...it is prejudiced against one set of beliefs...there are stories of young people being punished for even carrying a Bible in their own personal bag, or bowing their heads to say a silent prayer before eating their lunch, principals taking students bibles and throwing them in the trash, removing of some 90 tiles on the walls of Columbine HS for saying things like "4/20/99 Jesus wept" and "God is love"..and not just in HS! Kindergartners have been disciplined for praying!...yet these kinds of attacks (yes I see them as attacks) are not taking place over pagan, Jewish, Muslim or other symbols....at least not around here. Why is this so?

On another note...I remember recently hearing a comment that in Europe Christianity is becoming a minority partly due to many christian families having 0,1,or 2 children while families who hold other beliefs, specifically mentioned were Muslims, are having many more children...thus greatly enlarging the number of believers...has anyone else ever heard anything like this?

-tina

[indie]

Tina,
Do you have any specifics about these incidents? My husband is a teacher in TN and can testify that Christianity is pushed big time in public schools by many teachers and students. It has been 8 years since I was in high school in Oregon, so maybe some things have changed, but we were required to attend an assembly where a guy preached the gospel. The administration later said that they didn't know it was going to happen, but they still punished the kids who walked out or didn't show up. We were also required to attend an all Christian baccalaurete service unless we went to the principal to seek permission to not attend. We were told that we had better have a very good excuse not to attend. We were all given Christian Bibles after the service. The incidents that you describe may very well be the backlash that we Christians deserve after forcing our religion on others.

[t-elaine]

I graduated in 93 and I and during the holiday season it was not allowed for any song that mentioned Christian beliefs to be played in ths school...while in Biology class I was disciplined by my teacher for not wanting to write a paper on evolution and when I did finally write it but wrote that I did not believe in it and why, I received comments from her on that as well as a lower grade. that is the type of things that have happened in this area. Also, in college in an art history class of all things we were not allowed to use BC or AD (this would cause us to lose points) we had to use BCE and ACE (before the common era and after the common era)
Here are links to articles that mention some of the stories I spoke of:
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religi...y/1170208.html

A memorial wall was established at Columbine High School, where the massacre of 12 students and one teacher occurred in 1999......Appeals upheld a school district policy that said the wall -- because it was on school grounds -- could not include religious symbols or messages. Some of the families of victims had mentioned God in their tiles, and one tile contained the simple message, "Jesus wept."

That controversy began last January when a teacher ordered five-year-old kindergartner Kayla Broadus to stop saying grace over her meal at Dorothy Nolan Elementary School. In the eyes of the school officials, Kayla had violated the U.S. Constitution -- particularly because she had invited three of her classmates to join hands with her as she thanked God for their cupcakes and milk.

http://199.84.131.196/catacombes/Garbage.htm

Officials at the Lynn Lucas Middle School in Willis, Texas, have been served with a lawsuit filed on behalf of three students who allege that one teacher forbade two teens from carrying their Bibles in school while another prohibited a student from using a book cover displaying the Ten Commandments.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=29942
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/1176047.html

During this holiday season, America's largest public school system, New York City, is allowing the Menorah, a symbol of the Jewish faith; and the Star and Crescent, a symbol of Islam, to be displayed in its buildings. Nowhere in those buildings, however, will you find a Nativity scene, symbolic of the Christian faith.

The incidents that you describe may very well be the backlash that we Christians deserve after forcing our religion on others.

Yes...Christianity in general does have a VERY negative history, and present...but so do most other belief systems from what I understand. These children did not deserve the treatment it received...nor does TRUE Christianity IMO...nor do members of other religions.

-tina