Our changing religious landscape
Although a little over 72 percent of Americans today still identify themselves as Christians, only 43 percent are white Christians. That’s down somewhat from 8 of 10 citizens four decades ago.
Once an overwhelming majority, white Christians today are in the minority; not yet an overwhelming minority, but a trending one. The decrease has been particularly evident in the mainline Protestant denominations — Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Lutherans, et. al. And while Baptists still vehemently deny they are mainstream, they are losing members at almost the same rate. These losses appear to be largely fueled by a growing trend to reject most forms of organized religion.
Although Catholics have experienced a severe decline in Europe and at a lesser rate in parts of the U.S., southern U.S. Catholic churches in areas of heavy Hispanic immigration are actually experiencing growth. Some even report occasional standingroom-only masses. But some of this gain is probably due to the influx of older northern Catholics retiring to a warmer climate. Although some might fear we are headed toward becoming a nation of non-believers, this might be a little premature since a vast majority (70-plus percent) of Americans still embrace Christianity in some form.
Significant growth is taking place among the “nones,” individuals who, while not denying the existence of a divine power, avoid becoming members of a religious body. This trend is particularly prevalent today among millennials. Although few millennials deny spirituality altogether, many are finding it in places other than organized religion. Although not leaving America anytime soon, Christianity as we know it is being seriously challenged, modified and reorganized.
Seventh Day Adventists and LDS (Mormons), distinctly American denominations, report recent growth. But a substantial part of this is taking place in Latin America. And as both faiths are rather rigid and esoteric in their theology and policies and causing defections, these may be sometimes conveniently left out of their net membership totals.
For most of our nation’s history the social, cultural and political leadership was mostly dominated by the white Protestant Christian majority. They largely defined and set the tone for national policy and the defining of American ideals. Even after a heavy mid-19thcentury influx of Irish and eastern and southern European Catholics, despite the warnings of the American Know Nothing Party our cultural identity and values remained basically intact. The suddenly increased arrival of eastern and southern European Catholics and Jews in the early 20th century led to selectively restrictive immigration quotas which slowed immigration to a trickle until the 1970s. But immigration has skyrocketed since then and currently 40 million Americans, or 13 percent of our population, are foreign-born. Many demographers agree that sometime in the 2040s the Caucasian race in America will become a minority. I won’t be around then, but what will this mean?
For enlightenment and edification on this controversial subject we should all, I think, read Robert P. Jones well-researched and informative book “The End of White Christian America.” Reviewer and MSNBC host Joy Reid calls Jones’ work “a haunting portrait of America as it was and a window into what it is fast becoming.” The New York Times calls it “quite possibly the most illuminating text for this election year.” While you may not find Jones’ book comforting and reassuring, you need to read it.