Religious Affiliation? "None" on the Rise

USA Today recently reported that the number of respondents to a Pew Research survey on religious affiliation who indicated "None" has risen dramatically, from 6% in 1990 to 19% this year. One of the researches attributed this sharp rise in unbelief/agnosticism/disinterest to the following:  "Young people are resistant to the authority of institutional religion, older people are turned off by the politicization of religion, and people are simply less into theology than ever before."


What do you think is causing this trend?

Confidence in Organized Religion

is declining according to a recent Gallup poll. Why do you think this is?

"A proud prayer is...

...a self-contradictory endeavor." Peter Rhea Jones, Studying the Parables of Jesus (Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 1999), p. 254, cited by Klyne Snodgrass, Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus . Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Spoiled Rotten - MUST reading for parents

I saw a link to this article from a friend on FB, and cannot encourage parents strongly enough to read it!

The "Sinner's Prayer"

Scot McKnight had some interesting comments regarding a mini-controversy at the Southern Baptist Convention. I think McKnight is on target.

Ben Witherington interview with Bart Ehrman

Conservative NT scholar Ben Witherington recently interviewed not-so-conservative NT scholar Bart Ehrman on the issue of whether Jesus actually existed. You may know that in the last few years a small group of skeptics has challenged the very existence of Jesus of Nazareth. I think you will enjoy these interviews (there are seven posts in all), not because you will agree with everything Ehrman says - you won't. But I think you will enjoy them because because you will see how strong the historical testimony is about Jesus, even as understood by a scholar as hostile to traditional Christianity as Ehrman.

Religiously Unaffiliated in MIddle Tennessee

This week the Tennessean ran a story about religious affiliation in Middle Tennessee. While the Nashville area is the "buckle of the Bible belt," even in this very religious part of the country many people do not profess a particular religious affiliation. For example, 41.7% of Davidson Co residents are not affiliated with any religious group, and that figure climbs to 61.6% in Rutherford Co and 66.6% in Cheatham Co. There is lots of work to do. (Thanks to Jerry Mitchell for letting me know about this article)