Interfaith worship services have doubled in the decade since the 9/11 attacks, according to a new study released Wednesday (Sept. 7), even as more than seven in 10 U.S. congregations do not associate with other faiths.
The survey by an interfaith group of researchers found that about 14 percent of U.S. congregations surveyed in 2010 engaged in a joint religious celebration with another faith tradition, up from 6.8 percent in 2000.
Interfaith community service grew nearly threefold, with 20.4 percent of congregations reporting participation in 2010, up from 7.7 percent in 2000, according to the Cooperative Congregations Studies Partnership.
This is an odd article, seeming to conflate worship, community service, and “outreach.” To the extent that it’s about actually worshiping with people of different religions (e.g., Christian with Muslim or Hindu), it seems impossible by definition; what true Muslim or Hindu would come to worship the risen Christ, the second Person of the Triune God? If you can actually [i]worship[/i] together, you probably hold essentially the same set of beliefs, and “religion” is simply a kind of cultural marker. The fact that it “remains low” would have to be a good thing from the perspective of an orthodox believer in [i]any[/i] religion.
The interdenominational worship services I have attended have been tolerable but, with one or two exceptions, somewhat difficult as worship. I would not attend an inter-faith service, as it is an implicit denial of the idea of truth in general and of the truth of Christianity in particular.
Interfaith worship services are an affront to God.