A decline in religious affiliation in America resparks the call of the Christian to spread the kingdom of God
According to the Pew Research Center, both Catholic and Protestant followings are losing members, as individuals who identify with the title “agnostic” have doubled since 2009. This study also proved that general attendance and participation at religious events is on the downward trend in America.
Every Christian, and for that matter, every religious individual, should be terrified by this information.
These polls show that morality and the general level of belief in something larger than the self are decreasing. This is going to have a detrimental effect on society if nothing changes.
In a column by The Week, Bonnie Kristian suggests that by 2035 America will become a majority non-Christian nation. This information typically will have three responses: You won’t care; you will be delighted because you don’t believe America was ever intended to be a Christian nation; you will be worried for the souls of millions.
I hold the third opinion, believing firmly that it is impossible to deny the Christian roots founded in the ideals of our nation. You can see this in the language our Founding Fathers used, “In God we trust,” “One nation under God,” and “Unalienable rights endowed by our creator.”
If any of these ring a bell it is because they are inscribed on the hearts and minds of Americans from birth, including on some pretty important founding documents.
God and Christian morals can be seen in many ways throughout our nation. Hints of Christianity can be found everywhere in the country, from where the founders decided our rights came from, to the fact that election day is on a Tuesday so that people would not have had to travel on a Sabbath.
In fact, the founders were so afraid of not being able to practice their religion, they ensured their right in the First Amendment. This is something we should all be steadfast in defending.
The first thing that is going to happen with this depleting majority is already happening. Presidential candidates are suggesting that we remove the tax exempt status from religious institutions that do not support certain “civil rights.” The intolerant unreligious are already attempting to strip away religious institutions’ right to exist.
These same people are touting abortion on demand and a “you do you” culture. They have no regard for the fact that they have to answer to a higher being.
We, as a generation, are forgetting where we came from and what makes us great. We are slipping the furthest we ever have with regards to respecting an authority higher than ourselves.
This perpetual, blatant disregard and lack of respect for there being something more in the universe than what is right in front of us is going to destroy America if Christians do not come back and push harder.
Without the concept or belief that something in life matters more than what is happening in the moment, morality becomes subjective and your higher power becomes the government.
A famous quote in conservative political circles comes from Blaise Pascal, “There is a God–shaped vacuum in the heart of each man which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.”
People are lacking God, and if we continue to stray from Him, we will replace Him with government and find ourselves in a deeper hole than we could have ever imagined.
Andrew Sullivan opens an inspiring article by suggesting, “Everyone has a religion. It is, in fact, impossible not to have a religion if you are a human being.”
He goes on to explain that what he means is that everyone subscribes to some thought process, belief system or way of living. Whether that be atheism or Chritianity, everyone believes in something. This is supported by the fact that as Christianity is on the decline, affiliation with “no religion” is increasing.
If we, as Christians, continue to let people believe that they or their government are the highest powers that they have to answer to, we are failing at our mission.
Matthew 28:19-20 reads, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
We have a holy commandment from our father to go forth and continue to bring people to the faith, and these polls are anything but encouraging. Fewer and fewer people are associating a religion that our nation was founded on as integral to its future success.
America’s family-centered, life-valuing, greater-than-the-self and God-given, self evident truth based belief system will begin to dissipate if we do not start to think seriously about this issue.
This data should serve as a call to action to all Christians. Whether that means serving on a mission trip, encouraging people to go to church with you, praying with God for the answers or simply asking a friend if they want to hear the gospel, we cannot sit idly by as America’s founding principles diminish.
This is not about saving America’s political divide, it is about saving its soul. Christians are the only ones equipped to do something about it. So, will you?