Study: Nearly Half of Americans Change Their Religious Beliefs

[HadassahSukkot]

FoxNews (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,332590,00.html)


...More than one-quarter of American adults have left the faith of their childhood for another religion or no religion at all, the survey found. Factoring in moves from one stream or denomination of Protestantism to another, the number rises to 44 percent.
One in four adults ages 18 to 29 claim no affiliation with a religious institution.
"In the past, certain religions had a real holding power, where people from one generation to the next would stay," said Penn State University sociologist Roger Finke, who consulted in the survey planning. "Right now, there is a dropping confidence in organized religion, especially in the traditional religious forms."..


Kind of makes me wonder... :scratch: Were parents really instilling beliefs in their children and walking out their faith... or are we just seeing the product of empty fruitless labor?

Pro 22:6 (http://cf.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Pro&c=22&v=6&t=KJV#6) Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

[christianmomof3]

I think there is a variety of factors at work in that.
One is that society has changed a lot.
Young people are exposed to a much wider variety or slice of life of beliefs than they used to be due to tv and other changes in our society.
Part of it may be the parents, but also, when children reach a certain age, they will make their own choice of which path to take.
I have seen many good Christian families who have raised their children in the Lord and one child goes on with the Lord in a strong and living way and another falls away from the Lord.
Should the parent be praised for the one and condemned for the other?
They were both raised in the same environment by the same parents.
The parents prayed for both children.
Why does one follow the way in which he was raised and the other does not?
It is not ours to judge.
Only the Lord knows.
All we can do is consecrate our children to the Lord and raise them in Him in the best way we can and trust in the Lord to bring them through.

[Kris10leigh]

It makes sense to me. Like Christianmomof3 said, older children are exposed to more these days. I think children are also taught now to be free thinkers and that leads to questions. I questioned my religion in college. I think it's good to question and not just blindly follow.

I among those who have issues with organized religion so honestly, this trend does not surprise me.

[Texasbluebonnet]

Wow. I hate to admit it, because I hate to be lumped into categories and statistics, but I'm one of the people that article is referring to. I was raised, Assembly of God, and I'm now going to MJ congregation. I know I don't speak for everyone else, but my decision to leave the mainstream church was due to the errors that they preach every Sunday. I wanted something that was un-dilluted truth.

[MichaelTheeArchAngel]

What has turned me off about most main stream religions is the fact that they are under control by secret societies, or they have been established by people in secret societies. And so the question here is, what do these people believe, and what do they promote. I know that I am not alone in my disappointment's because I have had other people tell me the same thing. Why is it so important for those people to try and control what people think and believe as the truth. I have known Christians to become Atheist because of them. It is my opinion that the true Elect of God should remove themselves from such churches; because God is blasphemed because of them.

[Texasbluebonnet]

What has turned me off about most main stream religions is the fact that they are under control by secret societies, or they have been established by people in secret societies. And so the question here is, what do these people believe, and what do they promote. I know that I am not alone in my disappointment's because I have had other people tell me the same thing. Why is it so important for those people to try and control what people think and believe as the truth. I have known Christians to become Atheist because of them. It is my opinion that the true Elect of God should remove themselves from such churches; because God is blasphemed because of them.

I agree with the last part of your post :

It is my opinion that the true Elect of God should remove themselves from such churches; because God is blasphemed because of them.

But I'm not sure about this : most main stream religions is the fact that they are under control by secret societies, or they have been established by people in secret societies.

No offense, but...paranoid much? :P

[MichaelTheeArchAngel]

I agree with the last part of your post :



But I'm not sure about this :

No offense, but...paranoid much? :P Perhaps you should study the subject of secret societies combined with religion. The more you learn, the less you will think that I'm crazy.

[MichaelTheeArchAngel]

It makes sense to me. Like Christianmomof3 said, older children are exposed to more these days. I think children are also taught now to be free thinkers and that leads to questions. I questioned my religion in college. I think it's good to question and not just blindly follow.

I among those who have issues with organized religion so honestly, this trend does not surprise me. Here is a link that is a good subject starter. The Hellenistic Jews took over the control of the Temple in about 167 BC; they were the ones in control when Jesus was here on the Earth. http://www.studylight.org/dic/hbd/view.cgi?number=T2697

[Texasbluebonnet]

Perhaps you should study the subject of secret societies combined with religion. The more you learn, the less you will think that I'm crazy.

Paranoid. Not crazy :P (relax, I'm JK.)

[jgonz]

I left the "religion" that my parents raised us in... I was raised Methodist, but it was a dead church. I was introduced to a personal relationship with Jesus in college (as well as Messianic Judaism shortly after) and left the church my parents were going to immediately. My parents Still to this day don't "get it" (and I've been saved for 29 yrs now.)

[Texasbluebonnet]

I left the "religion" that my parents raised us in... I was raised Methodist, but it was a dead church. I was introduced to a personal relationship with Jesus in college (as well as Messianic Judaism shortly after) and left the church my parents were going to immediately. My parents Still to this day don't "get it" (and I've been saved for 29 yrs now.)

That happens. I've had long time family friends feel the same way, and some of my own family don't get it either. But...we can't really worry about that, now can we? Doesn't mean it bothers us any less (I know I was quite bothered), but I'm pretty much resigned to my family and friends thinking I've gone off the deep end. I've given up trying to convince them.

[visionary]

I come from atheists and they don't get it 24 years later. Hostility reigns in some memmbers, and tolerance in others, and there is some moments of interest. I am still with the Lord, and will continue to pray for them.

[Kris10leigh]

Here is a link that is a good subject starter. The Hellenistic Jews took over the control of the Temple in about 167 BC; they were the ones in control when Jesus was here on the Earth. http://www.studylight.org/dic/hbd/view.cgi?number=T2697
How interesting that you bring this up! Just last night I was discussing this very thing with a friend. He (mostly agnostic) asked me why I feel the need to get back to Jewish roots, and I answered it was because I felt so much of Christianity was man-made. He laughed at me and said, "As if Judiasm isn't." I told him I hadn't studied that far back yet, so leave me alone. LOL! I don't know anything about man's hand in the Jewish faith and I'm not sure my brain is ready for that yet.

[Kris10leigh]

I come from atheists and they don't get it 24 years later. Hostility reigns in some memmbers, and tolerance in others, and there is some moments of interest. I am still with the Lord, and will continue to pray for them.
I've learned who I can talk to and who I can't. I can't talk to my mom, and that's fine, but I can talk to my dad. I can't talk to my very religious friends, but I have wonderful, insightful conversations with my agnostic friends. Go figure.

[MichaelTheeArchAngel]

How interesting that you bring this up! Just last night I was discussing this very thing with a friend. He (mostly agnostic) asked me why I feel the need to get back to Jewish roots, and I answered it was because I felt so much of Christianity was man-made. He laughed at me and said, "As if Judiasm isn't." I told him I hadn't studied that far back yet, so leave me alone. LOL! I don't know anything about man's hand in the Jewish faith and I'm not sure my brain is ready for that yet. Anytime I feel like I'm getting information overload, I take a break and come back to it later. What I do is keep a runing list of things I want to know. I often find that one question often leads to three more. It seems like the more you learn, the less you know. Lol. ^_^

[Kris10leigh]

I often find that one question often leads to three more. It seems like the more you learn, the less you know. Lol. ^_^


I am reminded of that every day on this very forum! :blush:

[judahsgem]

Wow. I hate to admit it, because I hate to be lumped into categories and statistics, but I'm one of the people that article is referring to. I was raised, Assembly of God, and I'm now going to MJ congregation. I know I don't speak for everyone else, but my decision to leave the mainstream church was due to the errors that they preach every Sunday. I wanted something that was un-dilluted truth.
I'm the same way. I left the congregation/denomination I grew up in, when I was 19-many years ago. I then started attending several different 'non-denominational' churches (one for several years). I recently made the step to MJ bc it seems the best fit for what I believe. I wanted something less polluted and more back to basics. Less rules about specific denominational differences...just the Torah (God's word); not man's made-up rules.

[Texasbluebonnet]

I'm the same way. I left the congregation/denomination I grew up in, when I was 19-many years ago. I then started attending several different 'non-denominational' churches (one for several years). I recently made the step to MJ bc it seems the best fit for what I believe. I wanted something less polluted and more back to basics. Less rules about specific denominational differences...just the Torah (God's word); not man's made-up rules.

Yep. In fact I was saying yep and nodding while reading your entire post. I totally get where you are coming from. In fact if I may this is a list of all of the churches I've attended in my life:

I was dedicated in a Baptist church.

I was raised Assembly of God.

I looked into Judaism when I was in my early teen years.

I looked into becoming Catholic a few years after that.

I attended an Episcopal church when I was 19. Again at 22 and again about a year and a half ago. For some reason I kept trying to go back there.

I was at an Assembly of God church for 5 years prior to my attending B.Z. for two. That was from 2000-2005.


Then I started going to B.Z. from 2005-2007. I left and now have gone back, and that's where I intend to stay.

During the time I was away from B.Z. I went to a Baptist church, and again to the AoG, before God called me back to my MJC.

Whew. I'm tired now. Lol. But, that is my spiritual journey. And I know that now I've really put anchor down at B.Z. that I've just really begun the real journey. I do think that all I went through was teaching me what to look for and what to avoid. So, because of that I'm grateful for the path I have taken. I've learned a lot in all of the churches I went to.

[johnd]

Regarding the OP (an not necessarily the replies).

Truth has never been a matter of who or how many believed it. So such stats have no bearing on the truth. If the OP was about the spiritual climate of the USA, one has only to see the content of television programming and movie subject matter to determine Americans have turned their backs on God.

Ever since the fall of man, humanity has interfered with truth (selfishly, or even with the best of intentions but with the same result). The Adams family ate the forbidden fruit and immediately tried to rectify the situation with fig leaf coverings. Cain tried to offer the best of his trade / skills and it was rejected. Abram and Sarai tried to help God out by impregnating Hagar, on and on it goes... through Judaism and the Church... until we end up with a Judaism which rejects its Messiah and a Church that has thrown the baby (all things Jewish about the faith) out with the bathwater (legalism) promoting what is essentially Churchianity.

Churchianity like all things human has its hay day then it loses ground and enters into as post-hay day situation. America is no different than any of the Christian predecessor nations.