Last week, a report issued by the Public Religion Research Institute, a respected polling organization (background info here), contained a stunning statistic:
The percentage of Americans who identify with evangelical churches has dropped from 23% to 14% since 2008, a decline of nearly 40% in a dozen years. (Read story here; see the report here; click on graphic at left to enlarge.) At the same time, there was a small, but significant, increase (3.5%) in membership in mainline Protestant churches, indicating some movement of people from the former to the latter.
As the story linked above says, “White mainline Protestantism is growing; White evangelicalism is declining. And that is big news.” However, most of those fleeing evangelical churches appear to have become “unaffiliated.” Still, “[t]he data suggests [sic] that White Protestants are distancing themselves from ‘evangelical.'”
Why? Evangelicals, by median age, have the oldest members; but the median-age differences between religious groups aren’t very great, and the study indicates they’re leaving, not dying off. On the other hand, there’s a clear break along political lines; percentage-wise, more than 3 times as many Republicans (29%) as Democrats (9%) are evangelicals. It makes sense that if the GOP’s following is shrinking, so is the religious affiliation tightly aligned with it.
The study doesn’t give reasons for the out-migration from evangelical churches. The story touches on it; the author, a former evangelical, says: “Evangelicalism became the religious right, it became obvious that women would never be accepted as leaders, and closeted gay evangelical friends died of AIDS.”
So, for her, it wasn’t just that her religion had become political; it was more about what “religious right” politics consisted of: Keeping women in their place, homophobic, etc. — things she, and many other people, found and continue to find unattractive, if not repulsive.
In the now-infamous video below, “Pastor” Paula White (bio here), who has no divinity training or even a college degree, calls upon God to cast Satan (i.e., Biden’s victory) out of the 2020 election. I’m sorry, but this isn’t religion, it’s politics; and this isn’t ministry, it’s demagoguery.
If this is what evangelical Christianity has become, it’s hard to imagine thinking people wanting anything to do with it, and maybe that’s why they’re leaving. And Trump? He’s nobody’s idea of a Christian. Not even fervent Trump-supporting evangelicals can believe he’s a moral and pious man. It’s about getting policies they want. But by supporting him, they’ve made a deal with a devil, and that, too, could be driving real Christians away from their denominations. I wouldn’t stay 5 minutes in a church that can’t tell the difference between Jesus’ teachings and the angry rants of a dishonest, immoral, and racist political leader.
Politics has come from the pulpit since before the revolution. The Republican party is friendlier to religions of all types than is the Democratic party. The values of the party more closely the values of those who are religious particularly Christian. If the Republicans can figure out how to speak to Hispanic immigrants and get them to join a party more supportive of those immigrants values rather than just the more traditional values most Latino’s hold rather than the temporary economic needs. Second and third generations do become Republicans and those who have deep roots in the United States are often Republicans.
The big A (abortion) pits traditional values against secularism. It is clear at this time which party supports ending Roe v Wade. It is also clear which party is far more open to taxing Religious organizations and churches. Which party is more supportive of colleges founded by churches keep the faith even while receiving some public funds. Again it is the Republican party.
Evangelicos beliefs are more in line in what the Republican party has to offer. Even just mainline Protestants find the Republican party at least making the right noises to garner their support or at least a listen. Though we have a separation of church and state that did not end or mean a separation of politics from religion or from a religion followers. The mere fact that an Atheist to have a prayer to being elected to office ought to be a member of a church or be seen going to church often is an indication of the power of religion within these United States.
I have a hard time associating today’s Republican Party with Christian teachings and values, and they’re certainly not supportive of immigration. The abortion issue really has to do with telling other people how to run their lives, and forcing their moral beliefs on strangers. That’s inconsistent with Republicans’ claims to be for individual freedom. But the #1 issue with the GOP today is their cult-like devotion to Trump, an immoral and evil man. They also have to stop their voter suppression efforts, support democracy, and refrain from trying to overthrow elections. Right now they’re more fascist than traditional Republican. By allying themselves with a fascist and racist movement, evangelicals have lost credibility and no longer look like Christians. The greed of televangelists doesn’t help their image, either.