UNORGANIZED RELIGION
With Christmas and Hanukkah coming up, millions of people will make their annual nod to religion. But more and more people are actually avoiding organized religions. According to a recent Gallup survey, 78 million Americans do not belong to a church or synagogue or attend only on infrequent special occasions, up from 61 million in 1978. Despite this shift, acceptance of traditional religious teachings is surprisingly high among the “unchurched.” About three-quarters of them believe that Jesus is God or the son of God and say that they pray to God. Two- thirds agreed that the Bible is “either the literal or inspired word of God.” More than half believe in life after death. But even among regular church-goers, the survey points to a growing disaffection with church practices. Fifty-nine percent think churches spend too much time on organizational issues, such as how much money they can raise. And 32 percent feel organized religion is too restrictive in its moral teachings. The…
To view this resource, log in or sign up for a subscription plan
