I have heard people say America is no longer a melting pot but a "salad bowl". But this survey shows that it still is a melting pot although a slow one. Over time immigrants become more Protestant because America is more Protestant. They also become more "nothing in particular" because America is more "nothing in particular."
I think the second chart has the most interesting implications for Christian nationalists. My read is that if they really wanted to preserve the religious makeup of the US, they don't want to bring in a bunch of White immigrants, they want to bring in a bunch of Black ones. Now we just need to get you on the Tucker Carlson show to advocate for this policy! 😂
I wonder if a few factors might not be in play: 1) As Ryan has noted elsewhere, the United States seems to be the exception in terms that higher levels of education correlating with greater religious participation. I think he said the opposite is true in most of the world, which would jibe with high skilled workers coming into the country--legally. 2) Devout Christians generally seek to obey the laws of a nation, which raises the question as to exactly how religious someone is who knowingly and purposely enters another country illegally. Bleeding hearts aside, that seems to be the cold, hard truth of it.
I have really enjoyed following your work. This is my first comment, although it is not the first time I have deeply interacted with what you process in this space.
Something that should be processed and is adjacent to this post is the US becoming a ripe mission field for the global majority church. THAT is the shift we should anticipate and prepare for, especially given your data. If we (the US) are already perceived as waning, and we are also seeing fewer religious immigrant populations, it makes a compelling case for why the global majority should start sending missionaries. When the immigration policies shift again, as they inevitably will in the next pendulum swing, I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing this shift on a larger scale within the next decade.
I've never been able to understand why, if someone has a genuine spiritual calling, they would ever think of getting involved in any kind of religion (I know, you think the only kind of SBNR is one that is Protestant in its solipsistic individualism and perhaps not well grounded in ethics - this kind of makes my point about how academics seem to have so little knowledge of genuine SBNR)
For someone who has been SBNR for over 50 years, the progressive dying out of religion around the world is the most hopeful sign for the survival of humanity. This seems to me to be what Jesus, Buddha and - if you accept his historicity - Krishna taught. As religion dies out, their message may finally spread to all of humanity.
Ironically, for atheists who think science conflicts with spirituality, I think it will be a new science of consciousness that will end both religion and atheism!
Thank you for consistently providing narration on your articles.
I love that he narrates the articles as well. Definitely helpful.
I have heard people say America is no longer a melting pot but a "salad bowl". But this survey shows that it still is a melting pot although a slow one. Over time immigrants become more Protestant because America is more Protestant. They also become more "nothing in particular" because America is more "nothing in particular."
I think the second chart has the most interesting implications for Christian nationalists. My read is that if they really wanted to preserve the religious makeup of the US, they don't want to bring in a bunch of White immigrants, they want to bring in a bunch of Black ones. Now we just need to get you on the Tucker Carlson show to advocate for this policy! 😂
I wonder if a few factors might not be in play: 1) As Ryan has noted elsewhere, the United States seems to be the exception in terms that higher levels of education correlating with greater religious participation. I think he said the opposite is true in most of the world, which would jibe with high skilled workers coming into the country--legally. 2) Devout Christians generally seek to obey the laws of a nation, which raises the question as to exactly how religious someone is who knowingly and purposely enters another country illegally. Bleeding hearts aside, that seems to be the cold, hard truth of it.
I have really enjoyed following your work. This is my first comment, although it is not the first time I have deeply interacted with what you process in this space.
Something that should be processed and is adjacent to this post is the US becoming a ripe mission field for the global majority church. THAT is the shift we should anticipate and prepare for, especially given your data. If we (the US) are already perceived as waning, and we are also seeing fewer religious immigrant populations, it makes a compelling case for why the global majority should start sending missionaries. When the immigration policies shift again, as they inevitably will in the next pendulum swing, I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing this shift on a larger scale within the next decade.
I've never been able to understand why, if someone has a genuine spiritual calling, they would ever think of getting involved in any kind of religion (I know, you think the only kind of SBNR is one that is Protestant in its solipsistic individualism and perhaps not well grounded in ethics - this kind of makes my point about how academics seem to have so little knowledge of genuine SBNR)
For someone who has been SBNR for over 50 years, the progressive dying out of religion around the world is the most hopeful sign for the survival of humanity. This seems to me to be what Jesus, Buddha and - if you accept his historicity - Krishna taught. As religion dies out, their message may finally spread to all of humanity.
Ironically, for atheists who think science conflicts with spirituality, I think it will be a new science of consciousness that will end both religion and atheism!