Americans don't seek advice from their religious leaders very often

[lpetrich]

Poll: Most Americans Rarely, If Ever, Seek Advice from Religious Leaders | Hemant Mehta | Friendly Atheist | Patheos

While more Americans than ever have no religious affiliation, even the ones who do are relying less on their religious leaders for advice. In fact 75% of Americans rarely or never consult a clergy member for advice. That’s one of the key takeaways from a new poll conducted by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Here is how many people responded not very or not likely at all. Moderately likely and extremely/very likely were about evenly split.

• Volunteering or charitable giving: 50%
• Marriage, divorce, or relationships: 58%
• Child rearing: 62%
• Child education: 71%
• Medical decisions: 77%
• Career or work life: 76%
• Family planning, including birth control: 81%
• Political activity or voting decisions: 81%
• Financial decisions: 81%
• Sex and sexuality: 82%

The whole professional is becoming toxic. Only 55% of Americans said religious leaders have a positive impact on society, a number that puts them just above lawyers (42%). Hardly a cause for celebration.

When it comes to how much influence you want religious leaders to have in your life, the younger you are, the less you want their involvement.

Dividing into cohorts with ages 18-29, 30-44. 45-59, 60+, a lot of some influence: 30%, 44%, 50%, 60%, and not much or none at all 68%, 55%, 50%, 40%.

The survey adds that parents who aren’t religious definitely don’t want religious influence in their kids’ lives — only 9% do. Not surprising. If you escaped from religion, why put your kids through it?

Yet more evidence of Americans moving away from organized religion.

 

[lpetrich]

Religious leaders are being driven nuts by the news.

Tim O’Malley, a theology professor at Notre Dame University, said he suspects that technological self-service is among the factors contributing to infrequent contact with clergy.

“In American life, there has ultimately been a broad rejection of ‘experts’ apart from the person searching for the answer on his or her own,” O’Malley said in an email. “Think about the use of Google. You can literally Google anything. Should I have children? What career should I have? When should I make a will? How do I deal with a difficult child?

What makes them such super experts on everything?

This is what they seem like to me: "Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo. I've got competition. Waaahhh!"

O’Malley, who also serves as director of education for Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life, sees “a lack of trust in all sorts of institutions,” including houses of worship.

“Surely the church — the Catholic church in particular — has lost some moral authority in the last 25 years in the United States,” he said. “But it is joined by schools, newspapers, the media in general, etc.”

Am I supposed to weep for the church?

 

[Keith&Co.]

Yet more evidence of Americans moving away from organized religion.

Actually, I think more of Calvin and Hobbes. Questions I know the answer to, I don't need to ask.

I mean, I don't ask my cardiologist if I should grill ribs or watermelon this weekend. I still HAVE a cardiologist, and an endocrinologist, and a nephrologist, I just already know their opinion on, well, fun.

I was long out of the LDS church before I got engaged, but I was still pretty sure what Mr. Bishop's advice would have been, on the subject of marrying a black Catholic, if I'd still considered myself a member.

I did consult with my wife about my vasectomy, but we already knew what her church would have said, if we'd asked.

If nothing else, there are FAQ lists all over the internet. We can get a church's position on any number of things without having to justify our interest to a pastor...

 

[ideologyhunter]

(This stat has been questioned, but over 90% of U.S. catholic women report having used a birth control method other than the church-mandated 'natural family planning' -- the main objection to the stat is that it doesn't tweeze out the women who have only done this once, or a few times. Regardless. Read the stats that have been derived from polling and you will most likely conclude that a substantial majority of Catholics are not willing to stick to the rhythm method. I think that's a healthy and sane reaction to a tradition that they otherwise find to have value and structure for them and their families.