Current Events > People say they're leaving religion due to anti-LGBTQ teachings and sexual abuse

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https://www.npr.org/2024/03/27/1240811895/leaving-religion-anti-lgbtq-sexual-abuse

People in the U.S. are leaving and switching faith traditions in large numbers. The idea of "religious churning" is very common in America, according to a new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI).

It finds that around one-quarter (26%) of Americans now identify as religiously unaffiliated, a number that has risen over the last decade and is now the largest single religious group in the U.S. That's similar to what other surveys and polls have also found, including Pew Research.

PRRI found that the number of those who describe themselves as "nothing in particular" has held steady since 2013, but those who identify as atheists have doubled (from 2% to 4%) and those who say they're agnostic has more than doubled (from 2% to 5%).

This study looks at which faith traditions those unaffiliated people are coming from.

"Thirty-five percent were former Catholics, 35% were former mainline Protestants, only about 16% were former evangelicals," says Melissa Deckman, PRRI's chief executive officer. "And really not many of those Americans are, in fact, looking for an organized religion that would be right for them. We just found it was 9%."

That these people are not looking for a religion has, Deckman says, implications for how and even whether houses of worship should try to attract new people.

Among other findings: The Catholic Church is losing more members than it's gaining, though the numbers are slightly better for retention among Hispanic Catholics.

There is much lower religious churn among Black Protestants and among Jews who seem overall happy in their faith traditions and tend to stay there.

As for why people leave their religions, PRRI found that about two-thirds (67%) of people who leave a faith tradition say they did so because they simply stopped believing in that religion's teachings.

And nearly half (47%) of respondents who left cited negative teaching about the treatment of LGBTQ people.

Those numbers were especially high with one group in particular.

"Religion's negative teaching about LGBTQ people are driving younger Americans to leave church," Deckman says. "We found that about 60% of Americans who are under the age of 30 who have left religion say they left because of their religious traditions teaching, which is a much higher rate than for older Americans."

Hispanic Americans are also more likely to say they've left a religion over LGBTQ issues. Other reasons cited for leaving: clergy sexual abuse and over-involvement in politics.

The new PRRI report is based on a survey of more than 5,600 adults late last year.

About one-third of religiously unaffiliated Americans say they no longer identify with their childhood religion because the religion was bad for their mental health. That response was strongest among LGBTQ respondents.

The survey also asked about the prevalence of the so-called "prosperity Gospel." It found that 31% of respondents agreed with the statement "God always rewards those who have good faith with good health, financial success, and fulfilling personal relationships."

Black Americans tend to agree more with these theological beliefs than other racial or ethnic groups. And Republicans are more likely than independents and Democrats to hold such beliefs.

Pretty sure this was common knowledge

American Christianity being incompatible with American life and values is the reason Christo-fascists are getting so desperate. They know they have to persecute the fuck out of young people or else every nasty thing they believe in will fade.

IShall_Run_Amok posted...

American Christianity being incompatible with American life and values is the reason Christo-fascists are getting so desperate. They know they have to persecute the fuck out of young people or else every nasty thing they believe in will fade.

It also doesn't help matters that American Christianity has been warped so badly that if the Biblical Jesus indeed turned out to be real and he came back to this world, American Christians' response to him preaching exactly what he preached in the Bible would almost certainly be to crucify him again.

People are waking up in ever-increasing numbers that religion (like most right wing organizations) doesn't practice what they literally fucking preach.

mybbqrules posted...

People are waking up in ever-increasing numbers that religion (like most right wing organizations) doesn't practice what they literally fucking preach.

Hopefully, this applies to adherents of all the Abrahamic faiths, not just Christianity.

mybbqrules posted...

People are waking up in ever-increasing numbers that religion (like most right wing organizations) doesn't practice what they literally fucking preach.

they only practice what they preach when what they preach is "gay people deserve no rights, make their lives miserable."

I think ZannoL is gonna sue TC.

In any event I wish more Christian ministers were more like my former pastor who actually did the Christian thing and let his daughter's girl friend stay at his house (a parsonage no less) when she found herself homeless. Even though I'm no longer a Christian it's a shame more pastors aren't like him in that regard.

The one downside of this is that it's just going to divide the urban and rural even more.

In a city it's a lot easier to leave religion behind. Not so much in a small town where everyone knows each other's business.

I am going to regret posting here, for sure. As this topic is leading. There is obviously no excuse for the second one. That is just reprehensible on all levels. As for the first point, I don't think it's wrong if you want to experiment and do things like that though. I don't think a person should quickly swap and be gender fluid. Anyway uhh I generally to go Catholic mass most weekends though I haven't received the eucharist in a very long time because I can't be bothered going to confession and even if I did I am just sorta whatever about everything. I pitch a few bucks for a tithe generally.

I shouldn't post in this topic but as just a quick aside, sometimes I just feel like I am not trying to "Play God" or pick and choose what rules I like or want to follow, I just feel like it's okay to have some open ideas and not beholden and stuck down by an unchangeable belief system. One thing I learned from Bad Religion is that a belief is hard to change but an idea can be melded into different things and isn't so steadfast.

A natural reaction to all the hypocrisy seen in churches today. Many of them are ran like businesses, and Jesus gets pushed aside.

Seeing a pastor tell a little old lady "Give me your savings and you shall be saved, and all your money problems will be solved!" disgusts me more than if someone had just robbed her the old fashioned way.

https://youtu.be/_R4-lZWxK00?si=CysQ2p03D1Glli2B

The Disciples of Christ seem to be the only denomination that wised up a long time ago when it came to LGBT and Abortion rights.

Hell Texas Christian University just goes by TCU now because they hate being associated with bigotry and hatred that other denominations spew.

People are realizing that traditional views on LGBT is nonsense and purely meant to oppress and control.

The more conservatives insist on their dinosaur approach to the issue, the quicker their grip on people dies.

Good.

Umbreon posted...

A natural reaction to all the hypocrisy seen in churches today. Many of them are ran like businesses, and Jesus gets pushed aside.

Seeing a pastor tell a little old lady "Give me your savings and you shall be saved, and all your money problems will be solved!" disgusts me more than if someone had just robbed her the old fashioned way.

"Neighbors, no one loves you like he loves you
And no one cares like he cares
Neighbors, let us join today in the holy love of God and money
Because neighbors, no one loves you like he loves you
And what better way to show your love than to dig deep into your pockets
Dig real deep, until it hurts
Alleviate your guilt
Free yourself once again, because he gave to you, brothers and sisters...."

(Old Bad Reliion lyrics, the Voice of God is Government).

I actually have seen a little bit of televangelism but this isn't like the 80s or 90s. I actually don't mind religion. It's often an inferiority complex I got from my older brother I could never shake. And some other old incidents with family.

Christianity in America is run like a scam.

What the fuck with those megachurch pastors?

I saw the megachurch episode in King of the Hill but there is nothing like that here. There is an amazing basilica in an adjacent town, but to be honest. I know a lot of the churches here are going broke (at least the Catholic ones). They don't have any new priests coming in, My three-five dollars helps pay for the heating bill for 10 minutes maybe heh I don't know where it goes.

And these religions have no one to blame but themselves, but they will keep blaming the world.

The biggest enemy of organized religion, is and has always been itself. And nothing of value is being lost. People have long ago realized they don't need to be force-fed guilt for daring to be alive or imperfect,and that they don't need a building and a bunch of corrupt assholes to communicate with whatever divinity they worship.