Sound The Trumpet : Americans See Waning Influence of Religion on Society

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“Americans See Waning Influence of Religion on Society”
by Prophecy New Watch
October 24th, 2014

Cultural influence by religion appears to be waning, at least according to 72% of respondents in a recent Pew research poll. Just look and listen, and the validity of that response becomes apparent. Changes are happening and happening fast as American society drifts further and further from the traditional values and mores predicated on religious convictions.

Interestingly, in that Pew poll, most of those who see the influence of religion diminishing view this trend negatively. They would like to see an increased involvement by religion in the affairs of American life, including politics. While our government seems intent upon widening the gap between religious conviction and political expression, apparently, a large segment of the American populace would like to see a reversal of that trend.

Since the 2010 midterm elections, the number of those who would like to see their ministers and religious institutions speak publicly about political issues and elections, has increased. This trend is seen specifically among those who identify as Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical, and not surprisingly, less among those who do not claim a religious affiliation. However, when asked if a minister should endorse a particular candidate publicly, fewer respondents agreed, revealing just how much they would like religion to influence their vote.

Recently, in protest against the IRS restriction on churches endorsing candidates, and perhaps a call to action concerning the 2014 mid- term elections, 1,500 Christian pastors preached politically charged messages from their pulpits on two successive Sundays, October 6 and October 12, some even endorsing particular candidates based on their stance on cultural issues like same sex marriage and abortion. This event, known as, Pulpit Freedom Sunday, organized by the Alliance Defending Freedom seeks to force the US Supreme Court to rule on the controversial restriction on political expression from the pulpit. These 1,500 pastors are among those who seek to reverse the decline in Christianity’s ability to influence American culture.

One such pastor was Jim Garlow of Skyline Church in California, who openly endorsed, from his pulpit, the Democratic candidate in the upcoming election for Representative of California’s 52nd District, in opposition to the Republican opponent’s record on gay rights and abortion. Garlow hopes to send a message to the Republican Party that the Party’s Christian base will not support candidates who do not reflect traditional Christian values.

In times past, religion and particularly Christianity played an important role in” opposing culture and morally questionable values”, according to Reverend Mike Hurt, pastor of Parkway Church in Victoria, Texas, in a recent Victoria Advocate article. "The decline of religion is visible in our culture. We have a Supreme Court that refuses to define marriage, for instance, when in decades past, Christians' voices and the church's voice would have been much louder on the issue," he said.

However, Hurt refrains from, what he views, as politicizing the pulpit as he has seen the divisiveness of the tactic in his church. He believes that “people from the left and right can be followers of Jesus. Politics is the not the issue we as Christians are meant to address," he explained.

Hurt sees the current loss of cultural influence by Christianity as part of the “hatred” Jesus told His followers to expect. "I think scripturally we know things are going to get worse and many, many more people are going to turn away from religion," Hurt said. "While I think the church will continue to be successful in influencing our people, I'm not sure it will be successful in influencing our society."

Some see the desire for increased religious participation in society as a possible backlash against the current administration that is viewed, at least by many, as being less religious than previous ones. Another hypothesis of Professor Seth Downland, a religious history professor at Pacific Lutheran University in Washington, is nostalgia for days when society was not as “crass and Protestant Christian’s wielded moral control in society.”

Conversely, those who identify with religions other than Christianity may not share the same longing for a return to a society guided by Christian precepts, as evidenced by the Pew polling, but rather perceive the poll response as evidence that we are witnessing an “erosion of Christian privilege” in American society, states John Schlembach a practicing Buddhist, and tend to view the marriage of religion and politics in a negative light.

Regardless of a person’s religious affiliation, or lack thereof, it is hard to argue against American society’s need for a moral reset.

Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13