Non-believers on the rise in America according to Trinity College survey – Catholics on the move

Image via Wikipedia

This is interesting information, especially the data about Vermont being the largest non-believer state with 34% “nones,” or no religion.  I would be willing to bet that the numbers of non-believers is much higher that this survey shows.  I only say that because when I talk to people who doubt their faith, or otherwise claim to be agnostic or atheist, they only do so after they feel comfortable talking about it for awhile.  Therefore, I bet that many more people are agnostic than they would ever admit to on a survey, or at the very least, function as deist.  The only reason why the number jumped from 8.2 to 14.2 like it did in 2001 is probably just an indication of an increasing population feeling more and more comfortable admitting their agnosticism.  However, I don’t have any hard data to prove that, so that is nothing more than a hypothesis waiting to be tested.  It seems that most people just don’t know how to categorize their doubts.

In broad terms, ARIS 2008 found a consolidation and strengthening of shifts signaled in the 2001 survey. The percentage of Americans claiming no religion, which jumped from 8.2 in 1990 to 14.2 in 2001, has now increased to 15 percent. Given the estimated growth of the American adult population since the last census from 207 million to 228 million, that reflects an additional 4.7 million “Nones.” Northern New England has now taken over from the Pacific Northwest as the least religious section of the country, with Vermont, at 34 percent “Nones,” leading all other states by a full 9 points.

“Many people thought our 2001 finding was an anomaly,” Keysar said. We now know it wasn’t. The ‘Nones’ are the only group to have grown in every state of the Union.”

The percentage of Christians in America, which declined in the 1990s from 86.2 percent to 76.7 percent, has now edged down to 76 percent. Ninety percent of the decline comes from the non-Catholic segment of the Christian population, largely from the mainline denominations, including Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians/Anglicans, and the United Church of Christ. These groups, whose proportion of the American population shrank from 18.7 percent in 1990 to 17.2 percent in 2001, all experienced sharp numerical declines this decade and now constitute just 12.9 percent.

American Religious Identification Survey 2008

Churches around the world make Playboy’s Virgin Mary edition a hit!

Put this one down for more stupidity.  I mean really, I think the best thing that could ever happen to a movie, or a magazine, or a book is to have a major national organization condemn, boycott, or burn it.  I would have never heard of this edition of the magazine if the church had just ignored it and taken the high road.  Every time a priest or church speaks out about it and calls it ‘blasphemous’ it just gets printed and displayed again.

Perhaps communications and public relations should be a part of theology training?

Case and point.  My father-in-law is a Catholic deacon.  He told me a few years back that some of the people of his parish approached him about condemning the movie Dogma with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.  He politely let the lady know that if you would want the movie to be a hit, that is a sure way to make it so.  Up until that point, he had not even heard of the movie.  Now he has a little figurine of ‘Buddy Jesus’ on his desk.

I hope some church’s gather around and boycott DaddyHogwash.com.  “Bring it on,” as my buddy George Bush likes to say.

Priest: Playboy cover resembling Mary ‘desperate,’ ‘blasphemous’ - CNN.com

(CNN) — Playboy magazine issued an apology Monday for the cover of its Mexican edition, which features an Argentine model in what many observers say is meant to be a depiction of the Virgin Mary.
Playboy issued an apology after outrage erupted over this cover of the magazine’s Mexican edition.

Playboy issued an apology after outrage erupted over this cover of the magazine’s Mexican edition.

Playboy Mexico has said the cover was not meant to portray the Virgin Mary, despite being printed just days before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe — both Catholic holidays centering on the Virgin Mary.

CNN’s Rick Sanchez sat down with CNN Español’s Glenda Umana and Father Albert Cutie, a Radio La Paz host, to discuss the reaction among Mexicans and Catholics. The transcript has been edited for clarity.

Does Obama deserve a street name honor in St. Louis

There is a lively debate going on right now in my home town of St. Louis about whether or not Alderman Kacie Starr-Triplett’s bill to name Delmar Street, Barack Obama Boulevard should happen.  KSDK.com is covering the story here, and you can get a gist of some of the comments being made.  I will let you judge for your self the state of race relations in Missouri.  (As a side note, Missouri has historically been a bellwether state in Presidential elections, meaning that whoever Missouri votes for president, usually wins the presidency.  Until this year.)  The debate is rather silly, if you consider we had no problem naming a major interstate after a man who hit a whole lot of home runs for our beloved Cardinals.  Here are my comments in the discussion:

I don’t understand how anyone can say that Obama hasn’t done anything yet.  Even if you don’t like his politics, any clear thinking person should be able to acknowledge his accomplishments as extraordinary.  The American measure of success is gauged by what you overcome, not just what you accomplish.  From food stamps, to Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard to Professor of Constitutional law, to United States Senator, to overwhelming victor, and first African-American President of the United States.  If that doesn’t qualify you for a street name in America, I don’t know what does.  What do you have to do in this town, shoot up on steroids and hit home runs? DaddyHogwash.com

Some of the other include statements like:

“We should name a street after Chuck Berry. At least he’s DONE something.”

“seriously people have gone mad. They are just over excited because we will have a “black” president but think about it he is biracial so he is both black and white. This is ridiculous. I think a lot of people simply voted for him because of the color of his skin and nothing to do with his views on things.”

“This Alderman with the bad hair should be terminated immediately. Not for suggesting that a street be honorarily named after a future president, but for the shear fact of wanting to place 6 signs to commemorate the event”

“This has got to be the stupidest idea yet. Barak Obama is considered by too many to be the second coming of God. When will it end? We will have to have another national holiday in honor of him right before we rename the United States of American … The United States of Barak Obama.”

That pretty much says it all.  Feel free to join us in the conversation.  But if you are not white, Catholic, and Republican, BEWARE!

Daddy Hogwash Remainders: November 30th, 2008

Disney accused by Catholic cleric of corrupting children’s minds

Residents of Maine town want to keep stars in their eyes

Japan Post to use 20,000 electric vehicles for mail delivery

Terrorists used Blackberrys to help cause Terror in India

5 Original and Creative Ways to Say Happy Holidays