I am loath to abuse my standing as the deprogrammed son of an evangelical preacher man. But I am moved by the Holy Spirit (heehee) to at least acknowledge this seminal religious trend (and this is Holy Week after all):
Americans’ membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup’s eight-decade trend.
U.S. church membership was 73% when Gallup first measured it in 1937 and remained near 70% for the next six decades, before beginning a steady decline around the turn of the 21st century.
As many Americans celebrate Easter and Passover this week, Gallup updates a 2019 analysis that examined the decline in church membership over the past 20 years.
(Gallup, March 29, 2021)
I haven’t set foot in a so-called house of worship in over 30 years. Therefore, the wonder for me is why it has taken others so long to shun religious racketeering across all faiths masquerading as worshiping God.
For what I hope are obvious reasons, however, I’m going to limit commentary to the three main Abrahamic religions:
A red flag for all Catholics, who are members of the grand poohbah of all houses, should be the fact that they are governed by a Vatican city-state. But far too many of the questions Martin Luther famously raised about the church’s corrupt practices over 500 years ago remain valid.
But I doubt even Luther could have imagine that church being governed, as it is today, by a Curia of closeted homosexuals, who administer a foreign legion of closeted homosexuals – all of whom have now been damned by the cardinal sins of their predatory pedophile brethren. Hell, you’d be forgiven for thinking of the Catholic church as just a plucking ground for pedophile priests …
Meanwhile, it seems Pope Francis is continually bemoaning the wages of all 7 deadly sins among all Catholic priests.
I am not sure when Evangelical Christians became more interested in guns and unborn babies than in peace and the welfare of children. But that seems to have been the case for decades.
Therefore, it came as no surprise that they mistook a two-legged orange calf like Donald J. Trump as the second coming of Jesus Christ. They promptly gave up all regard for Bible teachings to heed everything this demagogue said as the word of God.
But don’t get me started on the false prophets and prosperity preachers who are fleecing their flock in the pews of mega churches these days as brazenly as Three-Card-Monte hustlers used to fleece tourists on the streets of big cities.
Truth be told, indoctrination as an evangelical Christian in my youth remains such that I still don’t get my Jewish brothers and sisters. The title to the most recent episode on my podcast makes this clear, namely “Armageddon Bargain Between (White) Evangelicals and Jews” March 28, 2021. Take a listen and see what I mean.
Finally, ever since 9/11, I’ve had a special place in my heart for Muslims. Former President George W. Bush led surprising and commendable efforts to prevent all members of this faith being tainted with the brush of terrorism. But I could see all too well how this would be the case even for their most devout and peaceful adherents.
And sadly, even to this day, if you play word association with the name “Muslim” – for far too many people, words like terrorist, al Qaeda, and ISIS will probably come to mind.
The point is that, given that organized religion seems little more these days than a degenerate, disgraceful, and dystopian enterprise, why would anyone in their right mind want to remain a member?
With that, come back on Friday for my “Good Friday Sermon” to end this Holy Week.
Related commentaries:
Catholic church… Evangelicals… Evangelicals and Jews… Prophet Muhammad… ISIS…