{"id":136191,"date":"2025-04-04T12:24:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T16:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kendallharmon.net\/?p=136191"},"modified":"2025-04-04T17:27:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T21:27:34","slug":"shns-terry-mattingly-why-is-lent-in-america-no-big-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kendallharmon.net\/?p=136191","title":{"rendered":"(SHNS) Terry Mattingly–Why Is Lent In America No Big Deal?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lent is \u201cnot on the radar\u201d for most Americans, according to a new Lifeway Research study<\/a> focusing on Catholics, Protestants and the unchurched. One in four participants in the survey (26%) say they observe Lent, to one degree or another. That\u2019s lower than the 31% of Americans who claim to attend worship services weekly or almost weekly, according to 2023 polling by Gallup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most believers who observe Lent find their own ways to mark the season, with some form of the \u201cgive up one thing for Lent\u201d pattern as the norm. It\u2019s hard to find evidence of ancient Christian patterns of fasting and abstinence in the survey results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFasting is on the Christian liturgical calendar not unlike the Jewish Yom Kippur and Muslim Ramadan,\u201d noted Lifeway executive director Scott McConnell, in the organization\u2019s summary of the study. \u201dFor Christians attending non-liturgical churches, they may not even notice the season of Lent has arrived. It is not that they look down on the practices of fasting, prayer and charity. But if they participate, they may be exchanging additional time with God for other forms of self-denial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>

(ANALYSIS\/@tweetmattingly<\/a>) The bridge between Ash Wednesday and Easter is the penitential season of Lent. However, Lent is \u201cnot on the radar\u201d for most Americans, according to a new Lifeway Research study.https:\/\/t.co\/MNl34jGrFv<\/a><\/p>— Religion Unplugged (@ReligionMag) April 3, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>