The End of Christian America
"The percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades. How that statistic explains who we are now—and what, as a nation, we are about to become…"
By Jon Meacham NEWSWEEK
Published Apr 4, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Apr 13, 2009
http://www.newsweek.com/id/192583?GT1=43002
One Nation Under God?
"The latest NEWSWEEK Poll finds shifting American attitudes about religion and faith. Still, the U.S. remains a deeply religious land…"
By Daniel Stone Newsweek Web Exclusive
Apr 7, 2009
http://www.newsweek.com/id/192915
Here are some of my thoughts concerning these recent Newsweek articles:
The United States of America does indeed have a diversely rich religious history. Today, there are many different religious and spiritual faiths for anyone to freely choose from. The so-called “changing attitude” toward religion and faith in America is presumed to mean Christianity (i.e., one of the mainstream Abrahamic religions--a terminology commonly and collectively attributed to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; there are other religions that fall into this category also).
In general, there is no doubt that many religions (whether mainstream or alternative faiths), have played an important role in the shaping of one's core moral and ethical values but this should be not to the extent of influencing socio-economic and political thought, the promotion of personal or group specific political agenda, and/or the passage of legislation. Religion, as a whole, should not be used as an instrument of suffusion to polarize, oppress, repress, suppress, or control a people, religious group, or populace in any manner or form. Instead, religion and its leadership should focus on bringing diverse groups of people together in peace, harmony, and human fellowship no matter one's creed, spiritual path, or non-religious affiliation. One’s chosen spiritual path should be a holistically nurturing, supportive, interactive, and integrative learning process and experience where your thoughts, opinions, meditations, and concerns are valued and taken seriously. This is an area where many faiths and their spiritual overseers flatly lose ground and eventually their members. Moreover, no single religious faith should be permitted or able to dominate over all other religions, spiritual paths or belief systems ever—this is a very basic concept. Religion and politics should be kept separate as both do powerfully interact throughout and affect the daily lives of all people as derived from the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.
All in all, it is imperative that all religious faiths, spiritual paths, and their leaders of today address, support, and meet the needs of their diverse membership—that is, from teaching through spiritual counseling. Religious tolerance, education, fairness, and open-mindedness are the keys to unblocking the doors to social, economic, and political change in a world of ethnocultural diversity.
▪ Rev. Frater K.A. Sahure
