Protestants decline, more have no religion in a sharply shifting religious landscape (POLL)

ABC News ^ | 05/15/2018 | By ALLISON DE JONG

[SeekAndFind]

The nation’s religious makeup has shifted dramatically in the past 15 years, with a sharp drop in the number of Americans who say they’re members of a Protestant denomination – still the nation’s most prevalent religious group – and a rise in the number who profess no religion.

On average last year, 36 percent of Americans in ABC News/Washington Post polls identified themselves as members of a Protestant faith, extending a gradual trend down from 50 percent in 2003. That includes an 8-point drop in the number of evangelical white Protestants, an important political group.

Reflecting the change among Protestants, the share of Christians overall has declined from 83 percent of the adult population in 2003 to 72 percent on average last year. In the same time, the number of Americans who say they have no religion has nearly doubled, to 21 percent.

Catholic self-identification (22 percent) has held steady during this time. The share of adults who identify with another form of Christianity – including Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons and Greek or Russian Orthodox, for example – has risen modestly, from 11 to 14 percent.

This analysis, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, is based on a very large dataset – 174,485 random-sample telephone interviews in ABC News and ABC News/Washington Post polls conducted from 2003 to 2017. We focus mainly on 2003 and 2017 data, including 7,185 and 5,017 interviews, respectively.

Among all Protestants, 56 percent currently say they’re evangelical or born-again; that has held essentially steady since 2003, with virtually equal declines in the number who say they’re either evangelical or non-evangelical Protestants, down 7 and 6 points, respectively.

Evangelical white Protestants are of particular interest in political terms, since they’re a core group within the Republican coalition; 80 percent supported Donald Trump in 2016.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

"I am astonished how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ
and are turning to a different gospel — which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling
you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ.…"

Galatians 1:6,7, Apostle Paul

[Mom MD]

It depends how they ask the question. I am a Protestant. I am also a bit again evangelical. These are not mutually exclusive categories

[kosciusko51]

What reason do you have for me to trust an ABC poll?

[aimhigh]

The scriptures prophesy of a great falling a way before the end times.

[metmom]

Liberal tactics, poisoning the well. Your accusation posed as a question has no basis and no merit. But I suppose if you can get the RM or administration to fall for it, it would go a long way towards getting me banned, wouldn’t it?

You guys are so transparent.

Ealgeone is right, your list of the Ten commandments is wrong.

It’s not what is in the Bible, even the D-R Catholic Bible.

And the spiritual pride involved in comparing scores is a stench in God’s nostrils.

But go ahead, be proud of it. You’re entitle and you might as well enjoy it while you can.

[Luircin]

I’d LOVE to see a breakdown of how often worship services are attended.

Because if I remember correctly, Catholics teach that even if you never darken a church’s doorway again after you’re baptized, you still ‘count.’

(Kind of funny for a religion that preaches salvation by works, but that’s just me.)

[boatbums]

I don’t recall anyone calling me asking for my thoughts. ;o)

[infool7]

I refer you to post #2

You probably just overlooked it.

          The Precepts of the Catholic Church:
          1. You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.
          2. You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
          3. You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season.
          4. You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.
          5. You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.
+ 5 The Precepts

You are gravely mistaken or purposely misrepresenting what the Catholic Church teaches.

Perhaps an RCIA course could help you with that.

7

[ealgeone]

My church is moving along following the Gospel just fine.

Yours.....well. There is always room in Christianity for you.

[ebb tide]

My church is moving along following the Gospel just fine.

I thought you said one doesn't have to belong to a "church", to be "saved"?

And once again, what is your "church"? Care to name it?

[ealgeone]

>>My church is moving along following the Gospel just fine.<<

I thought you said one doesn't have to belong to a "church", to be "saved"?

You don't. You have to believe in Christ.....that's Christianity 101.

And once again, what is your "church"? Care to name it?

The ekklesia.

[ealgeone]

Your statement is false, there are no idols in the Catholic Church just because six five people claim that statues are idols.

You keep advancing that false position but the practices of Roman Catholics say otherwise.

Looks like someone must have some pretty thin skin and had to run for cover under the RMs skirt.

No me, pal.

Perhaps the rough and tumble nature of the FR Religion Forum is too much for them and they should stick to caucus threads so their feelings don't get hurt, AGAIN!

Yeah....because right now I count four caucus threads started by Roman Catholics and one by Christians....not counting prayer/meditation threads.

So no....it is the Roman Catholic who has resorted to the Caucus threads to avoid the discussion of Roman Catholicism.

It's a good thing Paul didn't invoke the caucus thread back in the day.

And when you mention the RM, a courtesy ping is the norm.

[ebb tide]

More side-stepping, as usual.

[ealgeone]

More ignorance as usual.

[metmom]

Exodus 20:4-6 Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them: I am the Lord thy God, mighty, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: And shewing mercy unto thousands to them that love me, and keep my commandments.

D-R Catholic Bible.

God does not use the word *idol*. In the Ten Commandments He says to not make an image and bow down/adore/worship to it or serve it.

The statues in and outside of Catholic churches that people kneel in front of and light candles to and pray to do qualify as images that are bowed down to, thus breaking the second commandment.

You can try to rationalize it away, justify it, excuse it, whatever, but bowing is bowing and images are images and the actions that Catholics engage in when they do that is a clear violation of the real second commandment, not the fake second commandment in your list.

[Luircin]

Uh-huh. Whatever. I know the difference between supposed doctrine and what’s actually practiced.

As I said, I want to see a breakdown of how many of these self-proclaimed Catholics attend worship regularly before you break your arm patting yourself on the back.