Poll: N.Y. May Be More Spiritual, But Not Because Of 9/11

By Adelle M. Banks
Religion News Service

(RNS) New York-area residents are more spiritually active since 9/11, a new survey shows, but the uptick in faith may be a matter of coincidence rather than a religious response to the terrorist attacks.

The Barna Group found that 46 percent of people living in or near New York City reported attending worship services in the previous week in 2010, up from 31 percent in 2000. However, the upward trend didn't kick in until after 2004, said David Kinnaman, Barna's president.

"The research suggests that faith and religion took on new urgency for many New Yorkers after 9/11, but the impact was neither immediate nor long-lived," said Kinnaman. "While ... religion's importance did grow in the years after 9/11, church attendance and active faith measures did not really start increasing until after 2004."

Researchers found that more New Yorkers are spending time reading the Bible on their own, up from 29 percent in 1997-98 to 35 percent in 2009-10. Nationwide, personal Bible reading has remained essentially unchanged in the last decade.

The latest figures also show that 61 percent of New York-area residents agree strongly that religious faith is very important in their lives, compared to 72 percent of U.S. adults.

Kinnaman said there could be numerous reasons for the changes in religious activity, including the 9/11 attacks, the weakening economy and an influx of immigrants who are more religiously observant.

"Whatever the combination of causes, the residents of the New York City region are more spiritually active, more likely to be 'churched,' and more committed to Christ than they were a decade ago," he said.

The findings are based on 3,406 interviews conducted in the New York City media market between 1997 and 2010.

Comments

[brokerthanu]

12:49 AM on 09/02/2011

This article confounds religion with spirituality. New Yorkers may be more religious. This is because they are more afraid. Fear is the cornerstone of religion. The correct title would have been NY May Be More Fearful etc.

[TomMartin]

12:15 AM on 09/02/2011

Not everyone attending a church is religious. I attend because my therapist recommended it due to my social phobia. But I am still an agnostic, not knowing where truth is.

[Justin Stamper]

02:07 PM on 08/31/2011

I don't know if this is a good thing or not..

I disagree with almost everything monotheistic on a scientific and spiritual level.

[sunshine14]

11:21 AM on 08/31/2011

Is one really going to church to ask for their own self interest or only about going to give great praise and thanks giving to God? Or only going to give praise and glory to God thanking God for all things even their trials and tribulations? Like Jesus said, pick up your cross and carry it,  follow me, Jesus did. And all the faithful children of God, spiritual ones did so with open arms welcoming suffering. Like God said and asked. When you fast, do  you really not fast not for Me, but for yourselves? Do we not some all at times only return to God when we are brought to our knees? I do not know or judging just pondering on, even looking at myself in the mirror on this. God even says, why so many are ill. Those who go to church, for we do so for the wrong reasons, it is not about God but our own self interest in need? Love all

[sunshine14]

11:12 AM on 08/31/2011

Should be how many attend church, then past years. But making a statement one is more spiritual because they attend church,  is a false measure. I have seen more people go to church every day, enter into a church and come out no different, in their daily lives toward their own neighbors, still gossiping,  arguing among their own family friends, nor left a hand to serve others, or boast they are more holier then thou, speak cruelly of others, or not offer a dime to others, and worship their wealth as a god. etc etc etc.

[sunshine14]

11:02 AM on 08/31/2011

Opinion only. Since when do we judge others how spiritual they are by means of how many attend church?  The most faithful spiritual human beings suffer even to the point of death, like Jesus. He  did not sit in a church to accomplish this did He? God's church is not a building made of bricks or stones. God said: "Do you not know you are the Temple of the Lord"? God's is telling us and asking us, do you not know you are My Temple,  God's Church. We,  everyone of us make up God's church, we are the church, We are the Temple of God.So to me this is a false measure to determine who or who is not more spiritual then other human beings, all over the World. Jesus was not more spiritual more faithful because he attended to hear sermons in Church was he? What made Jesus greatly spiritual, great in faith in his Father? Jesus said. Show me your faith without works  and I will show you my faith by my works. Does God command us to go to church? Or did God not give us 3 Holy Feast Days of the Lord, commanded  to attend all gather 3 times a year,  as a community to give praise, glory thanksgiven to God in great celebration, in His Presence? Plus God created the Sabbath day, once a week for all mankind to  rest no work, no labor for man? God does not live in a building all day does HE? God has placed himself in every human being, like Jesus was trying to teach us all. God is right where you stand. 

Mother Teresa once said. The rich are the most spiritual poorest of them all, more poorer then the physical poor. Interesting. 

Like a garage that a car enters into,  a garage cannot make a car into garage can it? One to me who becomes a spiritual person, is one who acts out in obedience, to the Laws of God doing all that is pleasing to God, through their words, action, works,  in their daily day to day life in faith of God become spiritual. For they seek not to serve the flesh but serve their spirit God who dwells within all. There are millions of spiritual human beings, all over the world, who never are heard of of, or giving the attention, or thanks they deserve in serving their fellow mankind. They need nor ever desire a trophy.

They who are spiritual, not because they entered a church, but how one lives out daily their lives, their walk in life with God, who dwell within all. With using their hands in serving others, through their actions of great concern and compassion for all, doing so in great silence. So does God judge us how spiritual we are because we go to church?

[Bryneen Gary]

11:02 AM on 08/31/2011

There's no Limit to Spirituality

[iLdoRight]

02:45 AM on 08/31/2011

The goal should be, "To be spiritually correct". One can be a spiritual toadstool worshiper or an erroneous Jesus worshiper, worshiping a false Jesus that is not very similar to the Jesus in the Bible, or any other false God worshiper. The goal should be to get it the way Our Creator wants us to get it. So how can we do that? Bypass the middlemen, go right to the pages of the instruction manual and start doing some open book testing. Listen to an audio copy till it replays in your head like your favorite song and when some one trys to sing you the wrong lines you can say, "Ooops, that is not they way it is suppose to go", "Here let me sing it to you the right way".

[npw350]

10:33 PM on 08/30/2011

This poll seems terribly limited. Why is spirtituality measured only by church attendance? I know plenty of people who find the highest order of spirtituality with out organized religion. I'd like to see a poll that included all of the possibilities. That would be an eye opener.

[MBT1981]

12:33 PM on 08/30/2011

As a Christian, living in NYC for 11 years I can attest to this. I see the growing Christian community. It is not necessarily more churched. We look different - We rock tattoos and have dreads, but believe in Christ. In NYC it is house churches and prayer groups vs. mega churches of the South.

[Djay0252]

11:20 AM on 08/30/2011

If New Yorkers WERE more spiritual they would be living somewhere else

[npw350]

10:36 PM on 08/30/2011

Obviously written by someone who has never been to New York, or came for a packaged tour over a three day weekend. I'm sorry to give offense Djay, but if I'm wrong about the above, you live in a different New York City than I do.

[Djay0252]

09:32 AM on 08/31/2011

Obvioisly you are wrong again. I have been to NY several times even lived in Euorope for a few years and the one thing I think I like about Europe is that you could walk the streets anytime of day or not and feel safe. I know I've done it. I dare you to try that in NY....good luck.

[sunshine14]

11:27 AM on 08/31/2011

What an insult not to say one is judging others of being less then? What only NY is more spiritual and the rest of mankind and the world are not ? Oh my wonder what God thinks of that statement and how one measures? Why God's math and measures are not mans math or measures, thank God he is our only Judge of all. Love all dearly means all in the world.

[El Chingaso]

09:18 AM on 08/30/2011

"Poll: N.Y. May Be More Spiritual, But Not Because Of 9/11." No, it's because of...Wall Street.

[cftenor]

08:10 AM on 08/30/2011

You should do an article of the deep, healthy spirituality that is happening in AA in NYC and all around the world.

[NRAMember2008]

02:04 AM on 08/30/2011

The Poll can say whatever it wants to. But after 9/11 Religion spiked all over the Nation, there was news reports about it. Of course the poll is going to say that almost 10yrs later. America is getting back into the daily grind. We haven't forgotten 9/11 but the trauma and seeking comfort from a Higher Power of some sort no matter what you consider that to be has declined. Just wait for the next National tragedy and watch Religion peek again.

[brooklyncitizen]

08:57 PM on 08/29/2011

3406 represent 8 million people?o k