Reflection for the weekend

For those who despair that things will ever get better and wait anxiously for someone, somewhere, to provide the necessary leadership out of the morass:

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Desmond Tutu

Joining A Religion

The other side of the Pew research was to ask why people switched to what they are now. Again, let me share the top reasons for this:
** Catholic – Unaffiliated
42% just do not believe in God or religious teachings
** Catholic – Protestant
81% enjoy religious services & style of worship
62% felt called by God
** Protestant – Unaffiliated
39% just do not believe in God or religious teachings
** Protestant – Different Protestant
85% enjoy religious services & style of worship
50% felt called by God

Interestingly, at least to me, were the results of those folks who had not been brought up in a religious environment and had now joined a religious community. When the formerly unaffiliated were asked why: 74% said that they enjoy the religious services and style of worship. Further, of those raised unaffiliated - 54%are now in a religion [39% Protes; 6% Cath; 9% Other]; 51% attend services weekly; and 63% state they have strong faith.

In this age of debunking religion, it is amazing that people who had no religious involvement would make the switch to a person of faith.

I would encourage you to see the full results of the research at Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life, but, again, what do you think?

Leaving A Religion

At the end of April, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life generated a lot comments when a new study detailing why people left their childhood religion - that is the one in which they were raised - and became unaffiliated or had switched to another religious tradition.

Most of headlines of the stories dealing with this study trumpeted the fact that many adults had switched religious affiliation. Frankly, as many people have commented, that is not really news. People have been switching religious traditions for quite a while. Those who have may or may not switch back to their childhood faith; we will not know.

Of interest to me in the report, however, are the reasons given for such switches. Let me share with you the top reasons in the categories:
** Catholic to Unaffiliated
71% just gradually drifted away
65% stopped believing in the religious teachings
56% unhappy with church's stand on abortion or homosexuality
** Catholic to Protestant
71% felt spiritual needs were not being met
70% found a religion they liked more
54% just gradually drifted away
50% stopped believing in the teachings
** Protestant to Unaffiliated
71% just gradually drifted away
50% stopped believing in the religious teachings
** Protestant to Different Protestant Faith
58% found religion they liked more
51% felt their spiritual needs were not being met

As I look at these reasons, there seems to be less active investigation of one's faith and more passive drifting expressed. One can ask, perhaps legitimately, how strong one's religious faith was if that person could just drift away and become nothing or anything else.

While I will look at additional findings from this study, I wonder, if you are one of those who are now involved in another religion, why did you change?

Is Religion Slipping Away?

The news has been filled with the results of surveys dealing with the religious life of the American people. Robert Putnam of Harvard University has looked specifically at the religious life of young adults.

Typically, in America, those who state that they have no religious affiliation, the "nones", ranges around 5-10%. From Putnam's study, however, the non-affiliate number is between 30-40%. That is a significant increase from the norm.

What do you think about this? What has happened on the American religious scene that has resulted in such a large segment of younger folks giving such a response? Is this a prelude to the final decline and fall of religious faith in America? Or, is it a good thing since it may indicate that people are thinking more seriously and taking more seriously their religious commitment?

Celebrity Ministers

At least since the First Great Awakening in this country with George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards holding forth, there have been ministers with celebrity status. It seems, though, that, from the advent of radio and television, the level of celebrity and the numbers of ministers having or seeking such celebrity has mushroomed.

I was reminded of this as I read about the recent Joel Osteen preaching engagement in New York City, held at the new Yankee Stadium. The event was even billed to focus attention on the message and the minister - An Evening of Hope With Joel and Victoria. Evidently, no one in New York needed to be told exactly who Joel and Victoria are. 40,000+ people paid $15 each to hear the wildly successful author and minister proclaim his message of hope. TBN - Trinity Broadcasting Network - filmed the evening and will get a lot of mileage for themselves from broadcasting it.

I wonder what people like Martin Luther would think about the "cult of celebrity" that has grown up around some ministers. I came across a quote from Luther, as he was defending his ministerial work, that may shed some light on what Luther's response would be:
And although I know and daily hear many people, who think slightingly of my poverty, and say that I write only little pamphlets and German sermons for the unlearned laity, this shall not disturb me. Would to God I had in all my life, with all the ability I have, helped one layman to be better! I would be satisfied, thank God, and be quite willing then to let all my little books perish.

The desire to help just one person be better defines true celebrity, I think. What think you?