Culture Wars : Religious decline, family
upheaval occurring in tandem
By Peter Smith
THE COURIER-JOURNAL
http://www.blogs.courier-journal.com/
May 14, 2012
My story here looks at how churches are coping with a half-century of revolutionary change in Americans' family structures and sex lives. Nearly half of adults are now single, and the never-married and divorced as groups are less likely to attend church than married people. Many are divorced, cohabiting and/or unwed parents, their very presence posing a challenge to traditional church morals. Every church leader I spoke with said they'd rather bring out the welcome mats than the scarlet letters.
This conciliatory approach contrasts with the judgmentalism that churches showed more when they represented the establishment - and that doubtless many show today.
But here's another angle to consider: the family and sexual revolutions didn't happen in a vacuum. They were aided in part by religion's declining influence, and in turn hastened that decline.
According to author and journalist James Haught, the crumbling of sexual and other taboos is one of the surest signs that the United States is belatedly following Europe and other industrialized nations into a post-religious era.
In his book, "Fading Faith: The Rise of the Secular Age," Haught cites the growing lack of religious identity among young adults, the steep decline in liberal Protestant denominations and an exodus from the Catholic Church.
And this, from an essay based on the book in the Charleston, W.Va., Gazette, where he is editor:
"A half-century ago, church-backed laws had power in America. In the 1950s, it was a crime to look at the equivalent of a Playboy magazine or R-rated movie - or for stores to open on the Sabbath - or to buy a cocktail or lottery ticket - or to sell birth-control devices in some states - or to be homosexual - or to terminate a pregnancy - or to read a sexy novel - or for an unwed couple to share a bedroom. Now all those morality laws have fallen, one after another. Currently, state after state is legalizing gay marriage, despite church outrage."
A different world indeed. But did these social lurches cause the religious decline, result from it, or some combination of both?
Survey after survey is confirming the "creeping secularism" in the nation, in the words of "American Grace" authors Robert Putnam and David Campbell. This trend is driven by the youngest adults who are increasingly rejecting the religions of their elders (often retaining some type of spirituality, but without signing on to particular dogma or religious tribal identity). Just between 2006 and 2011, they wrote, growing minorities of adults and particularly young adults are more likely to disbelieve in God, avoid religious services, consider sex outside of marriage to be OK, support gay marriage and believe in evolution without divine involvement.
So is America becoming more like secular Europe? Not so fast, the authors said. "Given the entrepreneurial dynamism of American religion, it seems likely that America's religious leaders will respond to the secular shift and seek to bring the disaffected back to religion." One way they're doing so already is by easing up on the politics that have alienated many from religion.
It's also worth noting that Putnam's, Campbell's and other studies show that religion is fading fastest among the less-educated and the struggling classes. For whatever reason, religion is holding on the strongest among the better-off. People used to say that America had the religious diversity of South Asia in the grassroots but almost no faith among the elites in college towns, Hollywood, New York and Washington. So the old joke was that we were a nation of Indians ruled by Swedes. Are we now becoming a nation of Swedes ruled by Indians?
END
RETHREN, in the Primitive Church there was a godly
discipline, that, at the beginning of Lent, such persons as stood convicted of
notorious sin were put to open penance, and punished in this world, that their
souls might be saved in the day of the Lord; and that others, admonished by
their example, might be the more afraid to offend.
URSED is the man that maketh any carved or molten image, to
worship it.
OW seeing
that all they are accursed (as the prophet David beareth witness) who do err and
go astray from the commandments of God; let us (remembering the dreadful
judgement hanging over our heads, and always ready to fall upon us) return unto
our Lord God, with all contrition and meekness of heart; bewailing and lamenting
our sinful life, acknowledging and confessing our offences, and seeking to bring
forth worthy fruits of penance. For now is the axe put unto the root of the
trees, so that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and
cast into the fire. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God: he shall pour down rain upon the sinners, snares, fire and brimstone, storm
and tempest; this shall be their portion to drink. For lo, the Lord is come out
of his place to visit the wickedness of such as dwell upon the earth. But who
may abide the day of his coming? Who shall be able to endure when he appeareth?
His fan is in his hand, and he will purge his floor, and gather his wheat into
the bam; but he will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. The day of the Lord
cometh as a thief in the night: and when men shall say, Peace, and all things
are safe, then shall sudden destruction come upon them, as sorrow cometh upon a
woman travailing with child, and they shall not escape. Then shall appear the
wrath of God in the day of vengeance, which obstinate sinners, through the
stubbornness of their heart, have heaped unto them, selves; which despised the
goodness, patience, and long, sufferance of God, when he calleth them
continually to repentance. Then shall they call upon me, (saith the Lord,) but I
will not hear; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me; and that,
because they hated knowledge, and received not the fear of the Lord, but
abhorred my counsel, and despised my correction. Then shall it be too late to
knock when the door shall be shut; and too late to cry for mercy when it is the
time of justice. O terrible voice of most just judgement, which shall be
pronounced upon them, when it shall be said unto them, Go, ye cursed, into the
fire everlasting, which is prepared for the devil and his angels. Therefore,
brethren, take we heed betime, while the day of salvation lasteth; for the night
cometh, when none can work. But let us, while we have the light, believe in the
light, and walk as children of the light; that we be not cast into utter
darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Let us not abuse the goodness
of God, who calleth us mercifully to amendment, and of his endless pity
promiseth us forgiveness of that which is past, if with a perfect and true heart
we return unto him. For though our sins be as red as scarlet, they shall be made
white as snow; and though they be like purple, yet they shall be made white as
wool. Turn ye (saith the Lord) from all your wickedness, and your sin shall not
be your destruction: Cast away from you all your ungodliness that ye have done:
Make you new hearts, and a new spirit: Wherefore will ye die, O ye house of
Israel, seeing that I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the
Lord God? Tom ye then, and ye shall live. Although we have sinned, yet have we
an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the
propitiation for our sins. For he was wounded for our offences, and smitten for
our wickedness. Let us therefore return unto him, who is the merciful receiver
of all true penitent sinners; assuring ourselves that he is ready to receive us,
and most willing to pardon us, if we come unto him with faithful repentance; if
we submit ourselves unto him, and from henceforth walk in his ways; if we will
take his easy yoke, and light burden upon us, to follow him in lowliness,
patience, and charity, and be ordered by the governance of his Holy Spirit;
seeking always his glory, and serving him duly in our vocation with
thanksgiving: This if we do, Christ will deliver us from the curse of the law,
and from the extreme malediction which shall light upon them that shall be set
on the left hand; and he will set us on his right hand, and give us the gracious
benediction of his Father, commanding us to take possession of his glorious
kingdom: Unto which he vouchsafe to bring us all, for his infinite mercy. Amen.
AVE mercy
upon me, O God, after thy great goodness: according to the multitude of thy
mercies do away mine offences.
UR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass
against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil.
Amen.
URN thou us, O good
Lord, and so shall we be turned. Be favourable, O Lord, Be favourable to thy
people, Who turn to thee in weeping, fasting, and praying. For thou art a
merciful God, Full of compassion. Longsuffering, and of great pity. Thou sparest
when we deserve punishment, And in thy wrath thinkest upon mercy. Spare thy
people, good Lord, spare them, And let not thine heritage be brought to
confusion. Hear us, O Lord, for thy mercy is great, And after the multitude of
thy mercies look upon us; Through the merits and mediation of thy blessed Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.