Experts discuss the rapid decline of religious affiliation in America, impacting communities and politics. Topics include reasons for decline, challenges for political parties, tribal identities, potential revivals, secularization trends, atheist activism, and the impact of social media on community health.
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Quick takeaways
Reasons for decline in religious affiliation include questioning teachings, LGBTQ treatment, and mental health impact.
Distrust toward institutions, cultural evangelicalism, and family structure shifts contribute to religious decline.
Challenges in forming religious identity, political polarization intersecting with beliefs, and limitations of partisan ideology for spiritual belonging are discussed.
Deep dives
Americans are becoming less religious
The podcast highlights the decreasing religious affiliation in America, as indicated by surveys showing a rise in the number of unaffiliated individuals. Factors contributing to this decline include people questioning and disbelieving the teachings of their faith, negative treatment of LGBTQ individuals by certain religions, and the impact of mental health. The data reveals generational shifts with younger Americans being more religiously unaffiliated and rethinking traditional beliefs.
Institutional distrust and cultural shifts
The episode explores the broader context of declining religious affiliation, linking it to a larger trend of distrust toward institutions in society. This skepticism extends beyond religious organizations to various institutions like banks, media, and government. The rise of cultural evangelicalism and shifts in family structures are noted as contributing factors to the changing religious landscape.
Challenges in building religious identity
Listeners are presented with the challenge of forming religious identity in contemporary society. The data suggests a decline in religious participation, especially among mainline Protestants, and a shift towards political polarization intersecting with religious beliefs. There is a discussion on the limitations of seeking spiritual belonging solely through partisan ideology.
Impact on community engagement and politics
The episode delves into the consequences of reduced religious participation on community engagement and political involvement. It reflects on the role of religion in fostering civic responsibility and community connections, contrasting the decline in volunteerism among the religiously unaffiliated with the traditionally higher levels of engagement seen in religious communities.
Religion's evolving role in society
The podcast looks into the evolving role of religion in shaping societal values and interactions, emphasizing the need for face-to-face connections in a digitally driven age. A shift from local engagement to national political focus is highlighted, raising concerns about the impact on community building and the potential divisiveness of using religion purely for partisan agendas.
Americans are becoming less religious and two new surveys out just last week punctuate just how quickly that’s happening. According to the Public Religion Research Institute, 26 percent of Americans now consider themselves unaffiliated with any religion. That’s up from 21 percent a decade ago and just 6 percent in the early '90s. According to Gallup, the number of Americans who attend religious services weekly or nearly every week has fallen from 42 percent in 2000 to 30 percent now.
In this installment of the 538 Politics podcast, Galen speaks with a roundtable of experts on religion and society about why the decline has happened and what it portends for American communities, networks and politics. Joining the podcast are Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute; Ryan Burge, Professor of Political Science at Eastern Illinois University and a Baptist Pastor; and Daniel Cox, Director of the Survey Center on American Life.