Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Newsletters Donate My Account. Research Topics. This is not the first time Pew Research Center has asked these questions of the U. The overall share of Americans who say churches are having a positive impact has declined in recent years, according to telephone surveys.
Previous Pew Research Center telephone surveys have found that majorities of black and Hispanic adults identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party while minorities in these groups identify as Republicans or lean toward the GOP. The question was asked this way so that it would apply to respondents regardless of how many clergy work at their place of worship. For example, results about Catholics do not include the views of Catholics themselves. See topline for filtering and question wording.
Pagination Next: 1. Many in U. Most congregants trust clergy to give advice about religious issues, fewer trust clergy on personal matters 3.
Americans trust both religious and nonreligious people, but most rarely discuss religion with family or friends Acknowledgments Methodology. Related Uncategorized Oct 28, Uncategorized Oct 15, Uncategorized Sep 30, Uncategorized May 11, Topics Religion and Society Religion and U.
Here, for instance, is the prophet Isaiah on feisty form. The multitude of your sacrifices — what are they to me? I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New moons, sabbaths and convocations — I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. This is the sort of theology to which Jesus looked for inspiration.
And partly, it was this uncompromising anti-religiosity that got him nailed to a cross. You may think I am being slippery with the word "religion". So let's take, for instance, the French sociologist Emile Durkheim's influential definition of religion as that which divides up the world into the sacred and the profane. But here again, the Jesus stories have him as thoroughly anti-religious, not least in those narratives that surround his birth.
For the idea that God might be found not in the spiritually antiseptic space of some sacred temple, but in the smelly cow shed out the back, is about as hostile an idea to religion as one can possibly imagine. When it comes to Christianity, just being a little bit religious is being too religious. Religion is a pejorative term. Winell uses the term religious trauma syndrome to describe the most severe psychological damage arising from harmful experiences with religion.
Just like any drug, religion can be a lot of fun for some. Loud music ensures you hear only what is meant to be heard…. Former Christian Nate Zimmer describes the feelings of euphoria he experienced when he was a part of the Charismatic Christian sect. Many who remained in religion developed additional addictions as well. So when does the quest for healthy spirituality cross over into addiction? On the Internet, checklists can be found at both self-help sites and listings for professional recovery services.
They include symptoms that would sound familiar to anyone acquainted with addiction:. But religious addiction checklists and books often also include symptoms that, while psychologically unhealthy, may have little to do with diagnosing addiction. Without a doubt, a yes to any of these questions suggests that something is out of whack. Each of these patterns can interfere with healthy self-esteem, personal empowerment, community engagement, or loving relationships.
In fact, research suggests that participation in some form of religious community may be adaptive. These experimental communities are exploring how to keep some of the best of religion without the parts that lead people to talk about religion being addictive or harmful, such as the certitude, euphoria, and exclusive insularity that make withdrawal so difficult for former Christians and members of other faiths.
In the end, the issue of whether religion is addictive for you comes down to similar questions to the ones you might ask yourself about your drug use: Has your religion eaten your life?
Does it feel freely chosen or compulsive and how would you know? What are the good things about it?
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