Gallup: Fewer Democrats attending church

[rug]

posted by Rob Kerby, Senior Editor | 5:07pm Tuesday November 8, 2011

The gap between Democrat and Republican churchgoers has widened, according to a new Gallup poll.

The new report shows that 52 percent of Democrats seldom or never attend church. Democrats who attend weekly dropped two percent from 29 to 27 percent – since the first quarter of 2008.

“The survey digs deeper in the demographics of Democrats in America,” reported Paul Stanley for the Christian Post, ”finding they are becoming less white and more liberal from a similar sampling surveyed in early 2008, allowing political scientists to see how the Democrats have evolved since President Obama has occupied the White House

“Democrats by and large, are moving further to the left in their political views,” reports Stanley. ”Of those polled, 37 percent identified themselves as ‘liberals,’ compared to 35 percent in 2008. Interestingly, this move leftward occurred during the same time that Republicans were winning more seats in Congress and in state houses around the country, thus deepening the divide between the two major parties.

http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2011/11/gallup-fewer-democrats-attending-church.php

[RKP5637]

1. K&R !!! n/t

[zbdent]

2. zbdent: Fewer thinking people believing in superstition ...

[Lint Head]

5. I don't yet by the idea that spiritual people are ignorant. Joseph Campbell is

good reading.

[Lint Head]

3. I was raised strict Methodist. My Grandfather and some of my Uncles and cousins are ministers.

I have not attended church in a while. It has become a political flag waving place which is not it's purpose at all. I always like to hear messages that take us beyond our everyday lives. Buddhism for example is in the now which is great because we can make our own heaven or hell but spirituality should speak of things beyond our physical selves.

[MedicalAdmin]

10. This is exactly why.

It is political and dems and libs are about as welcome as a gay couple performing abortions on blonde children on live TV while pontificating on their love for Satan.

The last time I was in a church ( christening of a niece) the dude at the front was taking shots at women reproductive health, liberals, and the democrat party. As we left he shook my hand and asked me how I liked it and I told him he was a disgrace to Jesus, but that he could have been a good pharasee back in the day. He didn't take that well.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

24. I wouldn't attend a church like that

and there are plenty that aren't like that.

[LAGC]

4. Going to church makes you dumb.

Frequent church goers vote Republican.

'Nuff said.

[Pacifist Patriot]

9. Ever been to a UU church?

[jberryhill]

11. Ever been in a cockpit before

The UU's, wonderful organization, are not representative of what "church" means in America.

If there is a sliver of gold in a ton of crap, the ensemble is still best described as a pile of crap.

For most people, "church" is a place that promotes believing and not thinking. Yes, the UU's are different, in that there isn't any particular belief on offer.

[saras]

6. I attend "nature church" most weeks. I don't think they count me.

I think a lot of people aren't so much moving left in their views but having to think seriously of what their view are. It's been apparent for decades that polls that ask people for their views on various subjects get much more 'liberal' results than polls that ask about hot-button issues or political candidates.

[MarkCharles]

7. I cannot remember being in a church in the last 20 years, other than for

a funeral of a dear brother-in-law, who has five wonderful children.

Three of his children earn their living in some part of the Christian church. They do a great service to people, and I am an Atheist.

Not all religion is bad for people, it's just not very logical.

[Deep13]

8. Fewer churches welcome Ds.

I still remember the RC bishops telling people essentially that voting for Kerry was a sin.

[kwassa]

14. oh, bullshit. Most mainline churches are more liberal than conservative.

There are conservative and liberal parishes in all of them. There are liberal Catholic parishes, too.

[Deep13]

17. I don't believe that for an instant.

Institutional religion by nature is conservative and authoritarian. Even if a specific parish is liberal, there is no getting around its official doctrines. The RC bishops who equated voting for Kerry with facilitating abortion were speaking for the whole American denomination.

[kwassa]

18. I don't know where you formed your beliefs.

You need to do some research to see the specifics of individual denominations.

I suggest you look at the website for the United Council of Churches, and look at their political stands and memberships. You will find many of their viewpoints agreeable and laudable.

Institutional religion is NOT conservative and authoritarian by nature, despite of loud and vociferous minority of conservatives.

There is a spectrum of belief throughout the Catholic church, too; those bishops speaking against Kerry were a small minority of bishops in the US with such extreme views, and their own congregants tend to ignore them. Like it or not, many Catholics are of the "cafeteria" variety, they take what they like and leave the rest. The Catholic church is a very mixed bag, they do both wonderful things and some awful things.

[ButterflyBlood]

20. On the Catholic church I agree with you. But hardly for other denominations.

You can hardly say that the official positions of the United Church of Christ for example are right wing authoritarian. In general too I'd say most mainline churches are more liberal.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

25. Or the Episcopal Church, which allows women and GLBT priests and bishops,

has many priests who will officiate at same-sex weddings (whether their particular state recognizes them legally or not), and is involved in all sorts of social justice issues.

[trotsky]

26. You are completely and utterly wrong.

Liberal believers are the minority, kwassa. Survey after survey reveals this.

[progressoid]

12. “All of the social views that politically divide us such as marriage, abortion and homosexuality are

“It’s not surprising to learn that a majority of those who have ‘liberal’ views don’t pass through the church doors very often,” said conservative sociologist Todd Alridge. “All of the social views that politically divide us such as marriage, abortion and homosexuality are rooted in Scripture. If you don’t subscribe to a Christian worldview, or for that matter any other religious belief, then the only basis for your personal beliefs will be from what you see and experience through mass media or through your own personal experiences.”

http://www.christianpost.com/news/fewer-democrats-in-church-majority-seldom-or-never-attend-60977/

[Scuba]

13. Democrats are all godless commies anyway, right Rush?

[kwassa]

15. If some of the democratis in this thread attended church, they might

discover a liberal place.

Example: Washington National Cathedral, where funerals for Presidents are held, and used often as a civic national church.

The Bishop of Washington married the assistant rector of my church and her same-sex partner there, as same-sex marriage is now legal in DC.

There are many gay and women clergy, the head of the entire Episcopal church is female, and the newly elected Bishop of Washington is our first woman bishop locally.

[Humanist_Activist]

16. For the ones that still believe, it might be worthwhile...

for me however, I always ask the uncomfortable questions and find it mostly contains nonsense.

[kwassa]

19. something you find nonsensical, at any rate.

There are no uncomfortable questions.

[Kurmudgeon]

21. Don't have to go to church to read The Bible and decide for yourself.

Loners are allowed to believe too.

[LAGC]

22. I actually have a lot more respect for individual believers who practice and observe in private.

Belief in God -- and even Jesus -- is cool. Belonging to an organization with questionable ulterior motives is another matter.

I think anyone who comes to their own conclusions regarding their spirituality, who truly searches and seeks out information on their own, is far-and-above those who simply let churches tell them what to believe.

Of course, I have even higher respect for those who keep searching on their own, and don't close their minds to any one possibility...

[Kurmudgeon]

23. I appreciate that,. However, no need to keep searching once you've found what you sought.

I hear, I read, I listen, still haven't found anything that discredits Christ's Testimony.
And when you get right down to it, what ultimately started everything?
Humans will have to rely on faith or supposition. Make a choice or refuse to.
I've made my choice.