Sixty-nine percent of American adults are very or moderately religious, based on self-reports of the importance of religion in their daily lives and attendance at religious services. Within that group, 40% are very religious, meaning that they attend religious services regularly and they say religion is important in their daily lives.
These data are based on more than 320,000 interviews conducted by Gallup between Jan. 2 and Nov. 30 of this year. Similar data going back to 2008 form the basis of the new book God Is Alive and Well: The Future of Religion in America.
Very informative and encouraging on the whole.
“moderately religious”
Either you believe or you don’t. Either you do your very best to be obedient to the word of God, obedient to the Great Commandment and obedient to the Great Commission or you do not.
Being “moderately religious” is like being “half pregnant.”
A better meaning for “moderately religious” is “thinking about seeking God.”
I would be interested in knowing what “most people” think “moderately religious” means. My guess, based on conversations with the “moderately religious” members of my family, is that it means a sort of watered-down “good works” concept – “I’m mostly good and I go to church on Christmas/Easter, I think all religions are the same and therefore everyone who’s mostly good will go to heaven.” Rather like Revelation 3:15-16.
My question is “What is religious?” Christian, Hindu or pagan? It’s just like spirituality. Is it Christian or something else?
My four children, all in their 50s, run the gammut: My eldest and her two are “very religious”, that is they attend church regularly, are involved in small group Bible studies, one is married to a seminary student, the other is head deacon of his church and does the work of an evangelist. My second in line believes but does not attend church because of what she sees as constrictive expectations for her life and behavior in the community; of her two, the eldest has no connection with the church at present, the youngest has in the past been very active, no idea what she is about now. My third has always had a very strong faith but has become estranged from the church as an adult; none of his four are involved in the church; his stepdaughter is active in the Mormon church…they were the ones who sought her out when she was fresh out of prison and seeking a church connection. My fourth is an “avowed” athiest. All four are baptized, were trained in Christian doctrine from the earliest age, and all four are lovingly compassionate and helpful toward those in their community who are in need, physically or emotionally.
Polls and the statistics based upon them are very slightly related to the reality on the ground. How they relate to the reality of heaven is dubious at best.