Is Christianity under attack? Donald Trump’s Attorney General, William Barr stated in a recent speech that Catholicism and other mainstream religions are the target of “organized destruction” by “secularists and their allies among progressives who have marshaled all the force of mass communications, popular culture, the entertainment industry and academia”.
We can probably assume secularists and progressives are other names for Democrats. So, is Christianity the target of organized destruction? Is there a War Against Christianity?
What the data says…
Again not sure about organized destruction by secularists or a War On Christianity, but clearly things are not going well for Christian churches. According to a Pew Research Center Survey conducted in 2018 and 2019, https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/
“When asked about their religion, 65% of American adults describe themselves as Christians, down 12 percentage points over the past decade. Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated share of the population, consisting of people who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular,” now stands at 26%, up from 17% in 2009.”
“The data shows that just like rates of religious affiliation, rates of religious attendance are declining. Over the last decade, the share of Americans who say they attend religious services at least once or twice a month dropped by 7 percentage points, while the share who say they attend religious services less often (if at all) has risen by the same degree. In 2009, regular worship attenders (those who attend religious services at least once or twice a month) outnumbered those who attend services only occasionally or not at all by a 52%-to-47% margin. Today those figures are reversed; more Americans now say they attend religious services a few times a year or less (54%) than say they attend at least monthly (45%).”
As for the future, things look even worse for Christian churches. “Furthermore, the data shows a wide gap between older Americans (Baby Boomers and members of the Silent Generation) and Millennials in their levels of religious affiliation and attendance. More than eight-in-ten members of the Silent Generation (those born between 1928 and 1945) describe themselves as Christians (84%), as do three-quarters of Baby Boomers – 1948-1964 (76%). In stark contrast, only half of Millennials – 1981-1996 (49%) describe themselves as Christians; four-in-ten are religious “Nones,” and one-in-ten Millennials identify with non-Christian faiths.”
Between the previous Pew survey done ten years ago and the current survey, Millennials who identified as Christians dropped by 16 percentage points, from 65% to the current 49%.
For those who think these young people will come back to Christianity later in life, the Pew research has sobering news, “The survey finds that religious change begins early in life. Most of those who decided to leave their childhood faith say they did so before reaching age 24, and a large majority say they joined their current religion before reaching age 36. Very few report changing religions after reaching age 50.” (The Pew researchers consider “Unaffiliated” a religion.)
The 2010 Pew Survey contained a large number of in-depth interviews to try and understand the dynamics behind these changes.
According to Pew Research Center’s 2011 publication, “Faith in Flux” https://www.pewforum.org/2009/04/27/faith-in-flux/
“One-in-ten American adults is a former Catholic. Former Catholics are about evenly divided between those who have become unaffiliated and those who have become Protestant, with a smaller number leaving Catholicism for other faiths. In response to the yes-or-no questions about why they left the Catholic Church, nearly six-in-ten former Catholics who are now unaffiliated say they left Catholicism due to dissatisfaction with Catholic teachings on abortion and homosexuality, about half cite concerns about Catholic teachings on birth control and roughly four-in-ten name unhappiness with Catholicism’s treatment of women.”
Surprisingly to me, “Fewer than three-in-ten former Catholics, however, say the clergy sexual abuse scandal factored into their decision to leave Catholicism.”
“Many people who left a religion to become unaffiliated say they did so in part because they think of religious people as hypocritical or judgmental, because religious organizations focus too much on rules or because religious leaders are too focused on power and money. Far fewer say they became unaffiliated because they believe that modern science proves that religion is just superstition.”
Interpreting the data…
The Pew studies consistently allude to unaffiliated people leaving Protestant churches for the same reasons they leave Catholicism. These can relate to traditional teachings on homosexuality, abortion, birth control and the treatment of women. Preachers being overly doctrinaire, judgmental, hypocritical, focusing on money and power were all major reasons for people leaving organized Christianity. These are painstakingly thought out decisions that certainly have nothing to do with an organized destruction of Christianity by secularists.
For the present, preachers and priests are raising money from a smaller pool of parishioners. Unfortunately, this pool is older and more traditional than the general population. It is easy to see these older and more traditional members will demand churches resist change. And, as is the case so many times with churches, money talks.
Combine this with the high number of Millennials who’ve already left organized Christian churches and expect the present drop in church membership to accelerate as members of the Silent Generation die.
A major mistake is assuming people who’ve left organized Christianity are now leading immoral lives. Those who left organized religion because of the hypocrisy of church leaders and membership, disagreement with church doctrine on homosexuality, treatment of women, birth control and abortion are often living lives more consistent with Christian standards than those who remained faithful to their churches.
One factor not covered in these two Pew surveys is the impact of bringing politics into churches. Many Evangelical churches and some Catholic dioceses have aligned themselves with the Republican Party. Some go so far as calling the GOP the party of God.
So, what are some examples of hypocritical behaviors that drive people away from churches? Many of these examples are dramatically impacted by dogmatic Republican policies.
The contrast between Christ’s teachings and Republican policies…
“They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.” Mark 12:40. Does this remind you of people who in the name of Christ believe in destroying Social Security so rich people’s taxes can be cut?
“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.” Luke 14:13. Don’t expect to find many poor, crippled, lame or blind at a Republican banquet. On election night, candidates from both parties host what they hope will be victory celebrations. You won’t see the aforementioned at a Republican celebration. You’ll need to go to a Democratic event to see these folks. The reason is simple. Democrats represent the groups Christ represented. How many Republican bills can you name that aim to help the crippled, the lame and the blind? Republicans have done everything possible to make it more difficult for disabled people to claim Social Security benefits.
“Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and becomes judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?” James 2:2-6. There is no place at a Republican meeting for the poor. Republicans are experts at taking from the poor for the gain of the rich. During Democrat Barack Obama’s Administration, we saw the first efforts to try and equalize the treatment of the poor in our criminal justice system.
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-18. Republican policies of cutting food stamps, housing and medical care for the poor while giving the rich tax breaks are a direct repudiation of Christ’s words.
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:17-18. Republican policies are all about making the rich wealthier at the expense of the poor. What better example than the Trump and Clinton charities to illustrate the differences in doing good, good deeds, generosity and willingness to share? The Trump charity has been shut down because of fraud. The Clinton charity is one of the world’s most highly ranked on the basis achieving their goals/good deeds and cost efficiency.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” Matthew 25:35. How does this correlate with Republican policies on forcibly taking children away from parents who have come here legally seeking asylum?
“On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.”
“The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.” Mark 11:15-18. I wonder what Jesus would do if he observed the wealth of the mega-rich preachers who endorse Donald Trump?
So, what is Christianity?
The Christianity practiced by Jesus Christ that embraced the poor, the downtrodden, the sick, the hungry and strangers, while condemning the greed of the rich is a complete opposite of what the Donald Trump led Republicans practice and mislabel as Christianity. Republicans have taken one of the world’s great religions, defiled it and made their form of Christianity into something unrecognizable.
Christians In Name Only (CINOs) absolutely hate Food Stamps (SNAP) and the Affordable Care Act. Trump has petitioned the Supreme Court to make the Affordable Care Act illegal. If he is successful, health insurance will become unaffordable for millions of people with pre-existing conditions. Taking food away from the poor and access to health care away from millions are some of the most un-Christian policies imaginable.
Even worse is the forced separation of children from their parents on our southern border. According to government data, 2,654 children were separated from their parents This included 103 who were under five years old.. They were placed in 121 different detention centers in 17 states. No religion in the world condones this inexcusable Trump policy.
CINOs also value symbolism over following Christ’s teachings. Wisconsin’s Republican run Assembly and Senate both found time to pass a resolution renaming the Holiday Tree in the Capitol a “Christmas Tree”. Yet, they couldn’t find the time before adjourning for the Holidays to fund the recommendations of a panel chaired by former Republican Lieutenant Governor to provide shelter, food and mental health services for homeless people living outside in a Wisconsin winter.
There are CINOs and then there are Christians
Before going further, it is time to make an important differentiation. As one person frequently reminds me, “We aren’t all like them.” And this person is absolutely right.
There are millions of people in the US who really do believe in Jesus Christ. Instead of seeing Christianity as an Old Testament vehicle of hate against gays and a license for oppression of people of color and other religions, they do their best in their day-to-day lives to treat others with kindness and generosity as Jesus would. Millions of these actual Christians in the US are trying to make the world a better place for everyone.
There are other differences between real Christians and the CINOs. The person who reminds me, “We aren’t all like them”, loathes Donald Trump. This person and the millions of other real Christians out there will never vote for Trump or any Republican that supports him. Donald Trump has made thousands of Christians into lifelong Democrats.
The same goes for Frugal Ron’s generalization of the “greedy rich”. Not all rich people are greedy. In fact, the majority of Democrats have much higher incomes than typical Republicans. However, the rich people who would rather have a tax cut than see hungry people get food, the homeless get shelter, poor children get the best education possible and the sick get medical care fit Christ’s definition of greedy. These are the rich people who vote Republican and finance Republican candidates.
Republican CINO acceptance of sexual assault
The Pew Research Center surveys found many people left Christian churches because of their former religion’s treatment of women. Trump with the “see no evil, hear no evil, think no evil and speak no evil” allegiance of his CINO backers, has taken this treatment of women to a new low.
As a parent, if I had teenage daughters again, I would do everything possible to dissuade my girls from having friendships with sons of Trump supporters. And, I wouldn’t care how many church and Sunday school sessions their sons were made to sit through. The lesson Trump supporters are teaching their sons is that sexual assault is just fine, as long as you lie about it afterwards.
I’ve listened to every possible excuse for Trump’s sexual assault of 25 young women and his bragging about it. It is sad and sickening how people who pretend to be Christians minimize or dismiss the women who came forward.
Worse, is the disgusting defense of Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh at his Senate confirmation. Christine Blasey Ford had nothing to gain and lost her privacy by reliving Kavanaugh’s attempted rape of her when she was 15. Compared to her compelling testimony, Kavanaugh brought out his ridiculous calendars that he claimed exonerated him. How many 17 year old male, hard drinking, hard partying, prep school jocks take the time to keep a diary? How many then keep those diaries for four decades? (Editor’s note: I have never heard of another teenage boy that keeps a diary.)
Far more logical is that Kavanaugh knew exactly what he tried to do to Blasey Ford when he was a teenager. He went home and started his diary with fictitious names and places and kept these diaries out of fear that Blasey Ford would one day come forward.
Even more damning is how the majority Republicans on the Judiciary Committee refused to subpoena Mark Judge to testify under oath. Judge was the other person in the room that pulled Kavanaugh off Blasey Ford during his attempted rape. As Trump’s Senate Republican flunkies continually see things, if they don’t hear testimony, then it never happened. Today’s Republicans don’t seek out the truth. Instead, they hide from it.
Any other administration (Republican or Democrat) would have pulled Kavanaugh’s nomination. Republicans have a number of anti-abortion judges, many with much stronger credentials than Kavanaugh, whom they could have switched the nomination to. But, they didn’t.
Republicans love to point out, “What about Bill Clinton?” Bill Clinton and Donald Trump go right to the heart of the difference between Democratic and Republican attitudes towards women. Both had affairs and were accused of sexual assault, (although Clinton was only accused of one sexual assault compared to Trump’s 25).
According to Gallup poll data, Clinton left the presidency with a 66 percent approval rating in 2000. This is the highest end of term approval rating since these records were started in 1952. Clinton was a fundraising machine for Democrats. But, after the “Me too” movement and a re-examination of his actions, he is a pariah in his party. In the last election and in the current one, not one Democrat has asked Clinton to campaign or fundraise with them. He is a non-entity in the Democratic Party.
Conversely, Donald Trump, with a far worse record of disgusting and immoral behavior, is hailed by his supporters as having been sent by God to save our country and is the figurehead of the Republican Party. The differences between how the two parties treat immorality couldn’t be more stark.
While this writer would advise his own daughters to not be involved with sons of Trump supporters, the kids Frugal Ron feels most sorry for are young girls raised in Trump supporting households. After hearing and seeing on social media the ways their parents disparaged Blasey Ford and the 25 women assaulted by Trump with every derogatory name possible, the message to these young girls is clear. Rape and sexual assault by white men is something they need to accept. This is unbelievably sad.
The world has changed in its views of sexual assault. The Democratic Party has changed and I’ve changed. Unfortunately, Republicans remain stuck in a 1950’s mentality.
At a certain point, we need to look at the obvious. Trump supporters accept sexual assault. Want more proof? Watch the following video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-ZFoco_1gQ
Wrapping up…
There’s a lot going on here, and none of it is good. First, Christianity in the US is a religion in decline. That is a fact.
Republicans want to claim Christians are the target of “organized destruction” by “secularists and their allies among progressives who have marshaled all the force of mass communications, popular culture, the entertainment industry and academia”. That is a falsehood.
According to the Pew interviews, Christianity is in decline because of the hypocrisy of their leaders and members, autocratic money and power driven preachers, marginalization of women, opposition to birth control and mistreatment of gays. That is fact.
We can also agree that there is a major schism in organized Christianity. It is not between Protestants and Catholics, those differences are minor. The real division is between those adherents of Old Testament theology of fear, death, hatred and destruction and those who believe in Jesus Christ’s teachings of unconditional love and charity. Add in the impact of Republicans bringing politics and Donald Trump into the mix and the division gets even wider.
CINOs are enraptured by Donald Trump. However, for a religion losing members because of hypocrisy, keeping Trump in office for four more years while church leaders are lavishing praise on him could make this exodus look like a stampede.
CINOs claim a level of righteousness by stacking the Supreme Court with justices they hope will outlaw abortion. However, any such law is unenforceable for women with money and Internet availability. Far more effective than throwing women and their doctors in jail is making contraceptives (including the 100 percent effective Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives) free for all women of reproductive age as well as condoms free for all males. Add in science based sex education as part of middle and high school biology curriculums and we can eliminate most abortions. https://www.frugalron.com/abortion-sex-and-republicans/
In this upside down world, Democrats are doing on earth what Jesus did in His time. Secularists supposedly dominate the Democratic Party. Yet, here they are, trying to bring health care to all, shelter to the homeless, food to the hungry, justice to the oppressed and taxing the rich fairly. The Republican Party, that claims to be the Party of Jesus, has fought all of these Christian efforts tooth-and-nail.
The Democrats most recent leader, President Barack Obama, has been married to the same woman for 39 years in a relationship we can all aspire to. His daily actions, his uplifting speeches and his genuine honesty and goodness have been motivating to all of us that aren’t racists. His wife, Michelle, recently completed an inspirational book, Becoming, that details their life of service to others and the joy helping others brings them.
The Republican leader, Donald Trump, is a perpetual liar that has been married three times, divorced twice (to date), had his charity shut down because of fraud, has had numerous public sexual affairs, has 16 felony indictments facing him when he leaves office and operated a scam university. He continually brings out the worst in those who surround him. Frugal Ron challenged Trump’s supporters in a Facebook post to identify one thing Trump has done to benefit others and not himself in the last 30 years. No one has responded. I’m not holding my breath.
