Events of the last few months have produced a spate of stories about religious Americans, almost all of which are elitist, condescending and wrong.
America is by far the most religious of the industrialized democracies. With no established church and with religious freedom guaranteed by the constitution, Americans have created a vibrant and contentious religious free market. Americans believe in God, send their children to Sunday school, and seek out the holy far more than others in the developed world. More Americans will attend a house of worship this week than will attend football games this season.
Yet following the publication of the Pew Study on Religious Knowledge, the mainstream media and the blogosphere were filled with attacks on American religious life. In an often gleeful tone, article after article saw the study as a rebuke to believers and to religion itself. The subtle -- and sometimes not so subtle -- message of these attacks was: "The study shows that religion is rooted in ignorance, and therefore the loyalty that religion fosters should be tolerated but not valued. Haven't we said all along that religious Americans don't know what they're talking about?"
There are three problems with this line of argument.
The first is that the Pew Study was mostly silly. It did not demonstrate widespread ignorance at all. Only a minority of the questions dealt with the Bible or the day-to-day concerns that touch upon the lives of religious Americans. As a Jew, I am not overly worried if my non-Jewish neighbors do not know who Maimonides is.
The second is that religion is about behavior as much as it is about knowledge. And religion does an exceedingly fine job in promoting good behavior. As Robert Putnam and David Campbell demonstrate in their just-published "American Grace," religious Americans make better neighbors than non-religious Americans by virtually every index. They are more generous, more trustworthy and more civically active. And this is not surprising, despite the stereotypes of popular culture. Religious Americans are particularly adept at building communities that are characterized by compassion and caring.
The third is that religion cannot be understood without reference to religious belief. Finding God is a significant benefit of religious engagement -- a powerful, life-changing and life-affirming experience. Some Americans may resist theological language; they may speak of connecting with the sacred, creating holy community or giving expression to the spiritual dimension of life, but they are still speaking of an encounter with God. Committed secularists, of course, find all of this hard to comprehend. Experience of this type cannot be measured in the way that knowledge can be measured. Nonetheless, it is no less important on that account, and according to all the evidence, the great majority of Americans welcome the holy in their lives.
Do not misunderstand me. I belong to a progressive religious movement that promotes religious learning and affirms the importance of reason. But Jews have always prescribed two paths to tradition: the path of the mind and the path of the heart. And both are essential to religious well-being.
American religion has its share of dolts, doofuses and extremists. And inevitably, extremism is highlighted by a 24-hour news cycle that gives unwarranted attention to tiny religious groups that have learned how to command media attention. Still, occasional extremism is the price that we gladly pay for the remarkable diversity of American religion, including its passionate particularism.
How should we judge religion? We should judge it by what people know, but just as importantly, by what they do. And we should see religious belief, for all who are inclined to embrace it, as a virtue and a blessing. On this basis, there is no room for doubt: religion is a great asset for our country, one of those things that makes America great.
Religion in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey - Pew Research Center
Pew Survey of Americans' Religious Knowledge | Godless Blogger
Religion is about behavior? Obviously, since we're engaged in TWO wars for immoral reasons, we have more people in prison than China, and we have a thriving billion-dollar pornography industry.
Christians don't know jack about their own beliefs. Not only is there a reason why, but I'll show you why you don't see it. It is because of this statement:
"Americans believe in God... and seek out the holy far more than others in the developed world."
Americans do not seek out god. How do I know this?
The majority flock to the concept of fast-food salvation. That is, they don't have the TIME, energy or interest in doing the things that will benefit themselves spiritually. They've got to run the kids to soccer practice, watch American Idol, and work long hours to pay off those credit cards they used to buy THINGS.
All they do is find a church that is nearby. Doesn't matter which of the 33,000+ denominations, apparently (and if it doesn't matter, then why bother?). Then they join and pay their dues. That's it. No bible reading required.
Then, to cap it off, they accept the parts that work for them or serve their own personal interests, and write off the stuff that doesn't fit in with their own internal morality. It's a pick-and-choose situation that is watered down.
Ridiculous!
99 billion served. Hmmm. Are you served?
And huge pron superstores are common in the buy bull belt.
You are also right that many xtians are shockingly ignorant about their own religion. If they knew how their buy bull came to be they might take pause. They should read "Misquoting Jesus" and "Jesus, Interrupted." As the saying goes, if a student finishes seminary and they aren't an atheist, they weren't paying attention in class.
This makes me wonder who HuffPo is trying to attract with these articles.
I also wonder why there is no "Science" section (the "Tech" section seems to be little more than Apple vs Android).
And yes, I too am an Atheist.
My apologies for this post being somewhat off topic.
I actually resent your using someone's book and your own assumptions to make statements like this about non-religious Americans. I would challenge you to prove that my own beloved non-religious relatives, family members, and friends are less generous or trustworthy or "civically" active than you or any other religious person.
Not only is your statement patently wrong, it is deeply offensive.
Indeed, I would challenge you to prove that they are less spiritual than yourself.
Um im pretty sure a lot of Jews do not know who the heck Maimonides is. Also if you claim to be a part of a religious group im pretty sure you should know what is in the bible. For example, "As a Christian I believe Jesus was a good guy." Wrong, "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."-John 15
Even correcting your wording to "tenets", your claim is presumptuous self-serving nonsense. Don't you have an imaginary almighty secret friend you should be bothering?
His "religion" and "faith" don't have anything to do with Palestinians, who are not "its" neighbors. Israel is a country. Rabbi Yoffie is not.
I am Jewish. Next are you going to condemn me for the awful things I am doing to the Palestinians? Before you do, keep in mind that I have never been further east than Belgium and Germany.
that would imply some level of achievement and ability to think
Condescending, yes, but that comes from both sides.. take this post as an example.
Wrong. Absofreakinglutely. Disgustingly wrong, ignorant, self-involved, selfish, oppressive, hate-mongering horrifically wrong.
Are you not religious, and therefore able to think? Because your post shows an inability to do anything more than respond emotionally and fling adjectives.
So where do you get these "stories". As with religious doctrine, do you just make them up?
Curious point of comparison.
And how many Americans will stay away from a house of worship to watch the game on TV. You can't do beer and Cheeto's in the pew.
The whole Moron and evangelic community are anti-intellectual which makes them very similar to extreme islamic views, Catholics, jews, Buddhists and anglicans encourage a more intellectual approach. which requires thought We don't want people thinking.
Wrong. Try Again.
"Religion I found to be without any tendency to inspire, promote, or
confirm morality, serves principally to divide us and make us unfriendly to one another." Benjamin Franklin
Religious Americans make better neighbors than non-religious Americans by virtually every index. They are more generous, more trustworthy and more civically active.
Where do you live?
I think non-believers are, perhaps, the nicest people anyone can meet. Simply because they don't judge, and they don't cling so tight to authoritative reasoning.
Do not misunderstand me. I belong to a progressive religious movement that promotes religious learning and affirms the importance of reason.
This statement contradicts the entire article.
Please tell me you’re joking. Religion and reason is an oxymoron. I think I know what you’re doing here looking for leftovers for your progressive church. :)
PS: As opposed to spirituality, which is about one's own relationship with the miracle of life itself.