very interesting study from Pew Forum about the religious views of Americans.
The religious beliefs and practices of Americans do not fit neatly into conventional categories. A new poll by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life finds that large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, mixing elements of diverse traditions. Many say they attend worship services of more than one faith or denomination — even when they are not traveling or going to special events like weddings and funerals. Many also blend Christianity with Eastern or New Age beliefs such as reincarnation, astrology and the presence of spiritual energy in physical objects. And sizeable minorities of all major U.S. religious groups say they have experienced supernatural phenomena, such as being in touch with the dead or with ghosts.
this is what I call the “salad bar” approach to religion. Mixing and matching greens, vegetables, bacon bits and seeds with a preferred dressing and creating one’s own special religious approach. I know and am friends with a fellow who calls himself a “quaker buddhist”.
People in this modern secular age aren’t rejecting religion; they are rejecting doctrinally sound, biblically based Christian faith. Go check out the tables for yourself. fascinating.
hat tip to Byron York who looks at the beliefs of democrats v. republicans in the study.
on a somewhat related note, check out this video of Lord Monckton engaging in socratic conversation with a lady from Greenpeace on the subject of anthropogenic global warming.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN6_RYAP8WA&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
video via Hot Air which also has a video with interesting graphs made from data from core samples of arctic ice.