Over the past few decades, the number of Americans who identify as religiously unaffiliated—often referred to as “nones”—has grown rapidly. In the 1970s, only about 5% of Americans fell into this category. Today, that number exceeds 25%. Scholars have debated whether this change simply reflects a general decline in belief, or whether it signals something more complex. The research team wanted to explore the deeper forces at play: Why are people leaving institutional religion? What are they replacing it with? And how are their personal values shaping that process?
I support a few religious organizations through volunteer work.
My rules for these organizations are simple:
You’d think it’ll be easy to meet that criteria.
“You will know them by their fruits” ahh criteria
Yeah I used to think ‘‘how do Catholics manage to keep going?’’ Then my church fought a lawsuit to get them to report child abuse, then bought insurance to buffer any financial loss they might incur while protecting child rapists. I feel like Jesus telling people that if they feel like hurting kids they should stop, take a deep breath, and commit suicide, kind of forbids this sort of behavior.
How would you even know if #3 was true or not, it’s not like they advertise it.
Flip a coin
We could… weigh them? And, if they weigh as much as a duck, then we know they are kiddie fiddlers!