Culture Trend: The Move Away From Church Viewed From Political Perspective

I just read a fascinating article about the GOP’s connection — and lack thereof — with American voters regarding spiritual issues. While probably not ground-breaking, the article is a good summary of where we are spiritually in our society, and why churches are having such a hard time making inroads into reaching the unchurched.

The article points out the huge shift away from church in our culture. Here’s a quote:

“Studies suggest the number of unchurched has doubled in the past two decades and shot up by 25 percent in the last four years. The shift has taken place across the country and across economic classes, most notably among the young; one fifth of adults and one third of Americans under thirty now declare themselves religiously unaffiliated.”

The author makes the point that the GOP is having a hard time trying to rally its voter base with a “let’s get back to traditional values” kind of message. Here’s another quote:

“Young evangelicals don’t look at the country as a battlefield, but rather a mission field. They’re are less scared than their forbearers: They see the ‘War on Religion’ narrative as nonsense; they see churches thriving, the outlets they have, and the extent of religious pluralism in this country. The new generation sees community activism, rather than electoral politics, as the means for their faith to shape the world.”