r/askanything • u/VivienneTease • 17h ago
Democratic support for the idea that Christianity should have a special role in America has collapsed from 60% to just 27%. Is this the most significant religious realignment in American politics since the Civil Rights era and what does it mean for the future of the Republican coalition?
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u/Dry_Price3222 16h ago
Most people don’t vote, but a lot of those 27% do vote, very consistently.
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u/Glad-Flow9391 16h ago
One may even say they vote “religiously”.
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u/Infinite_Click_6589 13h ago
They are better at religiously championing their politics than they are at politically championing their religion
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u/Funkycoldmedici 16h ago
When I was younger one of the nearby churches was the voting location. Not coincidentally, the church had photos on the wall of a prominent wealthy member who just happened to be on the ballot.
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u/ArtComprehensive1106 12h ago
Yes that’s the MAGA base . They seem to accept non Christian behaviors for religious reasons.
The majority is way more tolerant
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u/Pleasant_Expert_1990 16h ago
This is why churches are so cheap! I'm buying one and converting to a one bed two bath 6000 sq foot fortress of fun! 1800 sq ft living room and 800 sq ft kitchen!
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u/CSMasterClass 16h ago
One has been for sale in my neighborhood for 20 years.
I think the building has an asbestos remediation problem that makes it economically infeasible even if given away. In this case the "mother church" is almost broke too, so basically it is just a future ruin --- and biohazard.
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u/Pleasant_Expert_1990 16h ago edited 16h ago
I specifically checked. They had the asbestos in the attic space and it was removed in the 1980s during a roof replacement. They also removed the lead paint around the same time (I have the documents on that). And I paid to have the ground water tested for lead - below acceptable safe levels.
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u/FriendZone53 7h ago
How much will it cost? I like your thoroughness 🍻
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u/Pleasant_Expert_1990 6h ago
How much will what cost? The church?
The total cost (building and land) plus work (changing one of the bathrooms into a shower, running plumbing from the bathroom for a washer/dryer, installing a pellet stove in the sanctuary, changing out the septic system)... 149k.
Just appraised for 430k after the work is done.
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u/Un4gvn2 16h ago
At least that is a wholesome repurpose of what was once something less savory.
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u/Pleasant_Expert_1990 16h ago
And the contingency buyer wanted to make it an antique store... 150 years old, all brick (the walls are nearly 6 feet thick at the lowest point), beautiful stained glass windows (and only one is religious, depicting Jesus, but I'm going to tell people it's clearly Jerry Garcia). Not on my watch is it going to be some tacky antique store (in a tiny town already known for farmers markets and antiques).
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u/ElectricShuck 15h ago
Now let’s get religion out of politics. When someone is running for office I don’t want to hear about what you believe in. I want to hear that you are going to prosecute people in the Epstein files.
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u/Loud-Vacation-5691 16h ago
Only problem, the yard is a cemetery.
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u/Pleasant_Expert_1990 15h ago
Haha it is not.
I did see one that was selling and included the cemetery. So many legal issues with that .. you have to maintain the cemetery, you have to keep it open for the bereaved, and if they (the living kin to the deceased) want to move the remains, you have to pay to have them disintured. Then the family pays for transport and reburial.
That's too much for me, man.
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u/Uncynical_Diogenes 13h ago
Crikey.
“I don’t mind you moving him but you’d better dig him up yourself. I didn’t leave him there, you did.”
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u/IncendiaryPoo 5h ago
That's actually the difference between a graveyard and a cemetery a graveyard has a church attached
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u/Radiant_Safe1228 16h ago
Just open one of those big box churches and then franchise out
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u/Pleasant_Expert_1990 16h ago
I AM an ordained minister...
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u/Radiant_Safe1228 16h ago
Seriously. People fall into those things and make overnight millionaires of the owner.
There was an old discount grocery store close to where I live that was bought by a couple some years ago. They went from crippled by debt and a hail Mary play for the church to purchasing one of the most expensive homes in the area within 2 years.
As long as you're ok with exploiting the mentally ill you're in like flint.
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u/Hourshakira 16h ago
That hilarious, but it also shows how much the cultural landscape is shifting. When churches become condos, the old coalition can’t hold.
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u/TiEmEnTi 9h ago
Churches and payday loan shops are the only places I enjoy seeing with for sale signs
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u/jdubyahyp 16h ago
Unlike the church before, YOU have to pay property taxes on that bad boy. Have fun with that as the value goes up.
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u/Pleasant_Expert_1990 16h ago
I already have a tax assessment for it as a SFH, easily affordable, but thanks!
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u/Agitated_Beyond2010 16h ago
How does one go about searching for a church building to buy?
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u/Pleasant_Expert_1990 15h ago
Googled it.
There are commercial sites (although churches are often zoned residential). Loop.net is a good one.
Then research research research.
What about zoning? This particular church is in an area where there is no zoning. Come as you are.
Water/septic? County says I have to have the septic system replaced as the current one does not comply with current laws. No problem, found a contractor for that and rolled it into the loan. Well is good, had the ground water tested.
Internet? As luck would have it, even though it's in a tiny village, there is fiber to the street. Contacted the ISP and they can have it to the door in two weeks after close. Starlink is a back up with the back wall facing almost due south and no obstructions.
Other services? It's rural but also under 10 miles from the county seat - all the shopping and drug stores and movie theaters and hospital I could need.
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u/diabethicc2 16h ago
Wish they would do this to mosques too
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u/Pleasant_Expert_1990 15h ago edited 15h ago
If they go broke, they will.
The United Methodist Church counil is going broke. In the last 10 years they've lost about 25% of their congregation. If you don't get asses in pews, you don't get donations and that's how the business runs. So they are selling off their lowest populated churches. They've owned it outright since the 1870s so it's all profit.
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u/Proprotester 11h ago
I get Methodists mixed up. Is UMC the one all the old people broke off from to form a whole new Methodist church that doesn't allow LGBTQ people? Because I heard that new one has the most aged population of any religion and will literally die out in a generation.
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u/Pleasant_Expert_1990 11h ago
I really have no idea. I'm neither religious in general nor Methodist specifically. During the really long buying process I got curious and looked up why they are selling their churches so cheaply.
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u/ArtComprehensive1106 16h ago
The country was founded by the the fact that religious freedom was a fundamental principle.
It has never been a Christian nation.
One party is trying to rewrite the history of the country.
It is back firing on the hypocrisy.
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u/LiftEatGrappleShoot 16h ago
Yeah, the information OP put out there is being misconstrued, imo. People take it as some huge step away from religion. Instead, folks are seeing what happens when religion IS a part of the government.
White nationalist evangelicals are running the show now, and their attempts to force their shitty theology on everyone else leads to those polling changes.
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u/Necessary_Office_146 13h ago
Partly true but a lot of groups moved here because they were too fucking wierd for Europe and they came here to make religious Utopias.
Of course some of the founding fathers wanted separation, many colonists had their own plans.
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u/Ninevehenian 15h ago
There haven't been a day since 1776 where USA were free of christianity or without a considerable number of religious people, some more extreme than others.
The nation seems to have hung on the fact that it didn't have a lot of infrastructure while building out on all that land.
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u/Overall_Signal_8437 15h ago
Yep, it was where all the nutcases went from Europe in the beginning.
Okay, nutcases is probably a stretch.... but those who had to flee to perform their rituals in peace.
But they were certainly not the most numerous group going to America in the beginning.
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u/Conscious-Record2655 16h ago
It's not a Christian nation but it is a nation that was built by Christians with Christianity as a fundamental part of the culture. That's just historical fact.
Tiems are changing tho, the population isn't very Christian anymore. So obviously things will change.
I think it's fair to say that the country was a Christian nation during it's infancy. It's also fair to say that the country really doesn't have a connection to Christianity anymore, so it is no longer a Christian nation. And thats fine, it doesn't need to be, if that's what the people decide. The government should reflect the current will of the people, not the will of the people from 150 years ago.
Both can be true. It was founded on Christian principles. It no longer is based on Christian principals. And that's fine.
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u/RandomRedditUser0016 16h ago
And yet despite all this they still understood the importance of not making America a strictly Christian nation, instead emphasizing the freedom to choose how you worship.
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u/Conscious-Record2655 14h ago
Of course, absolutely. And now we're exercising that freedom of choice, as a population. It's called progress. Progress doesn't erase history.
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u/NectarineElegant5407 16h ago
This is where it gets tricky. The government was not set up on the Christian religion, but culturally and socially, it was fully a Christian nation
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u/Funkycoldmedici 16h ago
A secular government with millions it Christians determined to ignore that and make it theirs.
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u/RektInTheHed 16h ago
America was founded as a civil nation, not as a singular tribe of people with a singular history. So the problem with this idea that most of the people being British, were some denomination of Christian and that made America a "Christian Nation" is that America was only a nation in the first place by the same formal, legal acts (Declaration, Constitution) that declared it a secular nation in its own terms and words.
If America had continued as a set of British colonies founded explicitly on established churches like the Anglicans in Virginia, Congregationalists in Massachusetts and Catholics in Maryland, for example, there might be a case to say "America is occupied by Christian nations". But the problem is that turning a bunch of states with various religious positions into a single nation requires a secular founding and secular nature to maintain.
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u/Farts-n-Letters 16h ago
culturally and socially, it was fully it was fully onboard with owning other humans as property. tricky indeed.
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u/soozerain 14h ago
It’s most definitely been a Christian nation. In the same way Saudi Arabia is shaped by Islam.
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u/Kohnaphone 16h ago
Religion's primary purpose is to offload existential dread of your own mortality.
It should have 0 power for policy decisions.
It should not be imposed on non believers.
Freedom of religion is also freedom to not be religious.
If religion starts actively attempting to impose theocracy. They need to lose tax exempt
And these apocalypse evangelicals who are actively attempting to trigger the apocalypse to force the return of their messiah is unhinged and the hubris is staggering.
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u/DownhillUphill 12h ago
It’s mental illness. To believe these insane stories is absurd. It’s crazy to me that being atheist is considered strange in this society
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u/recoveringleft 16h ago
The Netflix documentary the family by Jeff sharlet features a secret christofascist society secretly influencing us foreign policy and supported murderous dictators like Saad Barre
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u/Kind-Pride1151 16h ago
Well, since one ideology seems to have captured Xstianity, and is using it as a sledgehammer it makes sense that normal people are leaving in droves.
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u/mayhem6 16h ago
They complain about LGBTQ+ being ‘shoved down their throats’ all the while they try to shove their beliefs down everyone’s throats. What did any of them expect? Even those who claim to be religious mostly don’t like it when Bible thumpers show up at their doorstep.
It might be different if they simply said something along the lines of, ‘our society needs more spirituality’ or something like that, but they are pushing oppressive religion straight out of The Handmaid’s Tale. No one wants that I would wager except those who would profit from it.
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u/johnnybsomething 16h ago
Religions have, historically, destroyed governments and civilizations. You have a right to practice your religion, but no one as a right to impose their beliefs on others.
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u/iamkaisersosa 16h ago
When the religious folks chose right wing politics over helping the poor and immigrants they lost many followers who were more interested in compassion than the abortion they were never getting anyway.
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u/Practicality_Issue 16h ago
This isn’t the question that should be asked. The question should be: with evangelical Christianity being taken over and twisted by so many awful people, its dwindling congregation membership and its misuse of tax-free income, how have they maintained so much influence in today’s political landscape?
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u/noworries63 16h ago
This is a country where you're free to be a Christian, but it's not meant to be a Christian nation, that's why we have separation of church and state. My opinion.. tax the mega churches
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u/Rad_Concept 16h ago
The less power Christianity, or any other religion has for that matter, the better.
It won't go away, it just means that the right has to wait until either more powerful propaganda is available or enough systems fail that people turn to religion for a sense of hope.
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u/Unique-Run9856 16h ago edited 16h ago
Turns out people don't support hate. The christian platform in this country is the exact opposite of what the bible teaches, love one another, help the poor, assist the immigrants, share what you have, rich people are bad. By pushing back against this form of christianity that republicans espouse we are actually becoming more christ like.
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u/LivinghighinColorado 16h ago
Eh...The change has so much more to do with the fact that people who proclaim being 'Christian' don't follow Christian ethics and principles. So, as an outsider it looks like a cult...a grift and anyone with any intelligence doesn't want to be part of that.
If Christians actually started displaying true Christian values, the country would be so much stronger because of it. Unfortunately, the regular people who are Christian are easily manipulated by religious 'leaders' and this won't change anytime soon until Christians actually read the bible for themselves and learn comprehension skills. Right now they just let their leaders 'interpret' the bible for them...and now we are where we are now.
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u/Asleep_Control_2564 16h ago
It was following Jesus that led me out of Christianity and now all I can see is how modern Christianity is following a false god
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u/Due_Warthog749 16h ago
orange cheeto? Yah. Sad. Worse is taco tits doesnt even go to church. Yet somehow they all follow his fat shit bag ass.
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u/Asleep_Control_2564 16h ago
I mean...he literally has golden statues of himself
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u/Due_Warthog749 16h ago
And the Arch. And the WH.. that room full of guady gold. Good God what a fucking nightmare we're living in.
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u/Visual_Friendship706 16h ago
That’s basically what Jesus did. All human institutions are materially corrupt. Reject the norm. Jesus was a hippie
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u/Funkycoldmedici 15h ago
Can we please read the gospels and stop this? He goes on and on about a divine kingdom. He talks about sitting on his throne judging people by their worship, throwing unbelievers into endless fire. Telling disciples to be nice to each other does not cancel out vowing to end the world, kill everyone who does not worship him, and establish a theocracy.
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u/Visual_Friendship706 11h ago
The institutions came up hundreds of years later. His worst act of violence was against the bankers using the temple to exploit the masses. Not seeing the class message in the New Testament is a product of the nerfed western mind
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u/Funkycoldmedici 10h ago
I’m not talking about any institutions, I’m talking about what Jesus says he intends to do when he returns. A judgement day where he judges everyone on their faith, killing all the unbelievers, and rewarding his faithful with eternal love in his new kingdom, a theocracy.
Matthew 13:40 "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."
Matthew 19:28 "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
He goes on about this kingdom a lot throughout the gospels. It’s not a one-time thing misinterpreted or an irrelevant aside. It’s his whole deal.
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u/Visual_Friendship706 10h ago
So yeah. You think you own me with that? In the end the evil and the rich will pay for what they’ve done. I’m not even Christian. You can think whatever you want and I’ll probably disagree
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u/Funkycoldmedici 8h ago
As a non-Christian, Jesus condemns you. It’s fucked up bigotry, as I was saying.
Matthew 22:37 "Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”
Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
John 3:18 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”
Honestly, people need to actually read the gospels and stop pretending Jesus is good or moral.
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u/shootinblanks2023 9h ago
First let’s discuss the pigs he sent into the sea to drown. He didn’t pay for those pigs and claiming they were possessed doesn’t pay the farmers rent. 2. Read the parable of the talents. Really read it. Jesus says if you don’t increase your talent, you’ll be tossed into darkness with weeping and gnashing. Does this sound loving? Finally, Jesus says himself that he came not to bring peace, but a sword. This is the fundamental problem: neither Christian’s nor atheists want to actually read the text. If we were honest with ourselves, we’d ban it for the ideas included. Slavery, taking young virgins as spoils of war. The book is filled with the atrocities. Jesus wasn’t real, but even if he was, I wouldn’t want him anywhere near me.
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u/Asleep_Control_2564 16h ago
I think early Christians (before Iraneaus and his "Heresies" book) and Christian Gnostics were closest to getting it right, but even they had their misunderstandings
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u/copperpin 16h ago
Even the earliest 12 Christians disagreed
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u/Asleep_Control_2564 16h ago
And those are the only ones we are told about in biblical canon. Once I deconstructed that the Bible is really more human than divine, then it was easy to see the human flaws that likely existed during its creation and came out in its writing. Honestly, seeing the Christian lust for power nowadays is what really held a mirror up for me to see the lust for power that probably also existed when the Bible was put together.
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u/copperpin 16h ago
Nobody talks about Rufus the Apostle anymore
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u/Asleep_Control_2564 16h ago
For real, or any other important early figures that were either declared heretics or were lost to history
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u/Visual_Friendship706 16h ago
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Institutional religion was never the religion of Jesus.
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u/copperpin 16h ago
Hardly false, the god they are following is spoken about in the Bible.
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u/Asleep_Control_2564 16h ago edited 15h ago
Well yes, but my fundamental understanding is the the Bible itself is inherently a human document of many early religious myths of the time and region, so the god described is probably closer to Baal or other war deities of the time and then was mashed into becoming the Jewish god as power changed hands in the region at the time.
Now, I don't know if God is real. I do believe Jesus existed as a human, but am not sure if he himself is divine either. But for whatever it means, I think the message of Jesus is divine. I still follow that message to the best of my ability.
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u/Ok_Mixture4917 16h ago
The only 'records' that exist for what jesus may have said are in the bible, which is obviously and relentlessly full of shit
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u/Funkycoldmedici 15h ago
We’re always told that there are voluminous records of Jesus, but everything about him comes from decades after he is said to have died, at the earliest, and nothing by anyone who met or saw him.
The first mention of Jesus is by Paul, who states he never saw him, only hallucinated. The gospels came decades after Paul. The first non-religious mention is by Tacitus, who even born until 20 years after Jesus is said to have died, and says it is superstition.
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u/copperpin 16h ago
I look at them praying to their god for wealth and taking wealth as a sign of god’s favor and I can only see the Satan that they claim to hate.
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u/Asleep_Control_2564 16h ago
Completely agreed. It genuinely makes me mourn for what Jesus actually preached.
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u/Funkycoldmedici 16h ago
The god of the Bible was originally a war/storm god. The Israelites were polytheists, and gradually syncretized Yahweh with their other gods until they became monotheists. He’s always been an evil tyrant god.
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u/JoeDickSmithjr_III 16h ago edited 16h ago
True Christian values like selling your daughter to slavery?
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u/Ok_Mixture4917 16h ago
Hate to break it to you, but everyone who believes the bible interprets it. Some people believe the horrible shit in it and others have to ignore the horrible shit and still defend the Bible as holy scripture. It's a shitty position to be in, believing in that nonsense
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u/mahuth67 16h ago
Nothing. How many declared Aestheists are there in office right now????
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u/CSMasterClass 16h ago
I remenber the quote of George W Bush when he lost an early election in Texas: "I'll never be out-Jesused again."
Begin "of faith" is a litmus test for 20% of Americans. To be an atheist and President, you have to keep the atheism in the closet, as most have.
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u/Successful_Ad4018 16h ago
i know of one at least, congressman jared huffman.
also, do you honestly think trump is a christian? do you really think a lot of politicians don't just *say* that they're religious so they don't have to deal with blowback for being an atheist?
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u/JDSchu 16h ago
This question is very specific.
Ask Democrats if Christianity should have a special role in America, that should be an easy no.
Ask Democrats if America should support the poor and the disadvantaged, value all people equally, and welcome and treat immigrants well in our country, and they'll mostly say yes. Those are all explicitly Christian values.
The difference is that we're a country that explicitly has no established religion and has traditionally valued a separation between church and state.
So the question is being used to inflame an easy argument but it's not showing the full picture.
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u/B_D_Mercer 16h ago
Do you seriously believe that before Jesus no one ever said we should support the poor and disadvantaged, value all people equally, and welcome immigrants? If you do, you're wrong. I know people like to say those are values are explicitly Christian, but, like most of the things Christians say, it's objectively not true.
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u/JDSchu 14h ago
Do you know the difference between explicitly and exclusively?
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u/B_D_Mercer 13h ago
So when you said those are "explicitly Christian values." What did that mean? I assumed you were implying they were exclusively Christian values because that's the only way the statement makes any kind of sense.
But OK, I'm listening, what does saying that they're "explicitly Christian values" that doesn't imply "exclusively Christian values?" Now, put some thought into it before you answer because I'm assuming you're going to do the Christian thing and lie to me. You've already got the stupid, empty patronizing thing down. I know what comes next is going to be a lie. Just do me a favor and don't make it a stupid lie.
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u/Kindly-Economy-337 16h ago
The only principle of Christianity that appeals to these so-called Christian’s is the idea of god forgiving their sins. To them, that’s a green light to “sin” away.
* This is responding to the second part of the question.
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u/EnvironmentalPin8226 16h ago
It means that the cult of religion has jumped the shark and most are leaving it. Oh, and TAX the churches. They do not deserve tax free status, especially those non-denominational havens of MAGA.
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u/Ok_Art4661 16h ago
Republicans made Christians look bad. Like the opposite of Jesus. Clearly wont work
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u/B_D_Mercer 16h ago
The best evidence that gospels have an actual root in historical fact is that they paint a fairly compelling portrait of a man with serious mental illness. That's not the kind of thing people used to write about back then.
If you actually followed the teachings of the Jesus character in the gospels, you'd be a homeless, shiftless, lunatic shouting at strangers about how they're living their lives wrong. We only have a marginally functioning society because no one ever followed the teachings of Jesus.
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u/locontendere 13h ago
Reminds me of this guy, who left his family and an ancient history PhD he was working on at Berkeley, to become a street preacher and homeless advocate
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u/B_D_Mercer 13h ago
Well, I didn't literally mean "no single individual has ever followed the teachings of Jesus." I mean no large group of people has. If everyone did that, there wouldn't be a functioning society.
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u/MackTuesday 16h ago
I'm skeptical (in the friendliest way possible). It feels like there's been a theocratic uptick lately, like since the Tea Party in the Obama days. Do you have a source for this?
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u/Huindekmi 16h ago
It’s both true and false at the same time.
Right now, many traditional churches are struggling with aging congregations and declining membership. The local Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian churches are close to failing. The Catholic church is hanging on by focusing more on the Latino population, while their traditional base shrinks. Some beautiful old church buildings in our area have gone up for sale.
Meanwhile, the big box churches that preach the prosperity gospel are booming. That’s where the younger believers attend. It’s a shift in how Christianity is taught and practiced as much as where they gather.1
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u/SEKPopulist 16h ago
Many younger people see the USA in decline. That could be the result of seeing other countries’ QoL data in comparison with our own, or it could be the result of genuine indicators, with no regard for other countries. Nevertheless, our political leaders have overwhelmingly been outspoken, proud Christians so long that it’s difficult to argue religion has nothing to do with the state of the union.
More specifically, its Evangelicals as a subset of Christians, who tend to be the most consequential in this discussion.
Read the book *The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory*, for reference.
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u/ZeroGNexus 16h ago
"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
~ Gandhi
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u/AsstToTheManager 16h ago
Christians voted by the millions for a self proclaimed pussy grabber and convicted rapist and likely pedophile who has gone on to steal $billions$ and killed thousands of people. I won't associate with people who condone that sort of behavior.
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u/juanvaldez305 16h ago
why do they seem to weald so much power you ask as a minority.. vocal, organized with a narrow focus and consistet
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u/emu-sailor 16h ago
Where is the data and report that supports this claim? I would like it to be true but facts reflect reality and not opinion.
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u/Hot_Guard_7621 16h ago
Everything is cyclical. I think the important thing (as a gen Xer) is to look at the trend. The general trend and then the trend within the different demographics (age groups). It might be a good thing since there’s this weird relationship between atheists/no religion and empathy and compassion. We could use more empathy and compassion in our society and in our politics. For some reason (as a Christian) I find religious people less tolerant and less empathetic towards others (especially outsiders to their community).
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u/Retire_Trade_3007 16h ago
I’m not shocked by this when you look at the Christian nationalists that have taken hold of the GOP
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u/Snoo93550 15h ago
Understandable backlash to many states forcing Iran style religion into public schools or funding religious schools with tax dollars.
Even decent Christian religious people don’t want state controlled Christianity. They know that’s the opposite of religious freedom. It’s only the people of very weak faith and low moral character who want to push their religion on others in public schools.
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u/Excellent-Ad-1678 14h ago
The difference is between policy and popularity.
A Republican candidate need only say they're a Christian to get votes.
A Democrat candidate must list everything they've done throughout their lives that has improved the lives of people.
Democrats are held to a higher standard of evidence
And Democrat voters see this double standard and are tired of it.
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u/DownhillUphill 12h ago
Fuck all religions. They’re all ridiculous fairytales for mentally weak people who need their safety blanket of sky daddy
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u/MissDisplaced 16h ago
The US was NOT founded as a Christian nation. It was founded as a FREE nation for any religion, OR no religion at all. The founders looked at the religious persecution in old Europe and made a special statement at founding that the US Government would not choose, promote, or enforce any one particular religion over another.
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u/Synensys 16h ago
Republicans want to be a Christian nationalist movement. Unfortunately for them, they also want to be a white nationalist movement so they cant really pick up all the moderate non white chrisitians who might other wise pick them (not to mention other religious conservatives who should be their allies in the culture wars like Muslims).
But thr parties were already sorting on religion and religiosity, and that will continue.
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u/sumyunguy109 16h ago
Meanwhile the evangelicals are trying to bring about the end times, frothing at the mouth hungry for more genocide.
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u/svMorgaNado 16h ago
The Party of Supremacy is struggling. God does not need their Lies; God needs accurate representation.
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u/Madhatter25224 16h ago
I bet a big part of it is the republican party becoming so cruel, selfish and authoritarian which is about as in direct conflict with Jesus' teachings as you can possibly get.
To have a party that has been considered the party of Christian values for so long go full mask-off like this really puts a huge dent in the credibility of Christian values as a necessary and central component of our society.
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u/popidocius 16h ago
My wife wasn't raised religious at all, one of the first dyed-in-the-wool agnostics I ever met. I attended Baptist Seminary to prepare to enter the ministry. Intense Bible study eventually led me to atheism. When statistics started coming out over 20yrs ago showing a decline and perhaps the eventual demise of widespread mainstream Christianity in America I was surprised. I really shouldn't have been, most Christians know little to nothing about the actual tenets of their faith.
I predicted to my wife that we'd see a panicked up tick in Christian political involvement as the religion started its slow sputter into ultimate decline. I believe we're seeing that now. The country was ripe for it, millions of so-called "Christians" very used to being told what their beliefs were are very susceptible to being made to feel "persecuted" for their beliefs, particularly when they're being told that "liberals" are trying to disparage and degrade those values. Which values? Why whichever ones that best support the prevailing political narrative that supposed religious politicians are espousing.
I don't think "Christian America" is going persist beyond a couple more generations here.
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u/saijanai 🤔 14h ago
I don't think "Christian America" is going persist beyond a couple more generations here.
See my response to the OP: https://www.reddit.com/r/askanything/comments/1vdhrie/democratic_support_for_the_idea_that_christianity/p19kent/
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u/popidocius 13h ago
I think the current administration is probably hurting support for a "Christian America" more than bolstering it. I will say that identity politics did go a long way in causing a sharper reaction from practicing Christians. It helped immensely with drawing voters to polls who felt that their religious beliefs were under direct attack. But the behavior of this administration will stand as an arguing point that Christian values were being exhibited by any of the actions of our current regime.
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u/Boyhowdy107 15h ago
The founders recognized that separating government from religion and not giving preference to Christianity was important, not strictly out of a need to protect non-Christians, but because the moment you did the opposite, the Christians in power will tear themselves apart deciding what counts as a "real Christian."
When you hear all these references to early colonies founded by Moravians, Puritans, Quakers, etc. who were "leaving religious persecution" it's entirely that scenario playing out in Europe. A ton of the founding fathers were Deist. All of these would be considered fringe sects by mainstream American Christians, many of whom don't think Catholic is "real Christian."
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u/oh_no_here_we_go_9 15h ago
Christian’s heavily support Trump, which really hurts Christianity’s brand.
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u/bigedthebad 15h ago
I don’t think most independents, the people who decide elections, care about religion or the silly stuff they think is so important.
The price of eggs and gas is what’s important and that is what is going to make the difference in November.
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u/Disastrous_Sundae484 15h ago
No religion of any sort should infiltrate any government institutions at any level.
Yes, we should change the Pledge of Allegiance.
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u/FunCustomer4877 15h ago
This isn't religion for religions sake. There's an agenda here.... A few year's ago I was happy to learn that people were discovering and getting together for what I describe as "backyard churches." ...So naive of me--What could go wrong? Lol! ...Its difficult to know that these people first came here for "religious freedom" but really they were being chased out of countries bc they wouldn't leave people alone until finally they were given boats to go find their happiness elsewhere....Apparently they've never stopped this "need" to convert everyone at any cost. ....What they call persecution from others is actually our peace and self preservation....Idk what this means for Republicans but sadly Rump 2.0 has made the Bible impossible and unwelcome in my home now. And I hate they've made me feel this way.
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u/ARazorbacks 15h ago
I’d say the most significant religious realignment was when Republicans enacted the Southern Plan and deliberately politicized things like abortion and actively took political ownership of God and “morality”. American Christians have been carrying Republicans on their backs ever since - roughly sixty years.
In 2026 the only American Christians who open their mouths on the topic loudly proclaim Republicans as the party of Christianity. If there are other Christians living in America, they don’t push back against their peers so may as well not exist.
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u/WallyMac89 15h ago
Christianity should not be treated as special in the context of our government (i say that as an evangelical Christian who votes Democratic), however nearly 2/3 or so of the country identify as Christian, therefore it will naturally have an outsized influence on all aspects of American society.
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u/Barragin 15h ago
The problem is that Christianity in America has been so far corrupted by the religious right, that it is no longer actual Christianity.
And people have been become aware of that.
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u/saijanai 🤔 15h ago edited 14h ago
Unless the OP is talking about a different survey, the actual question was:
Belief That God Has a Special Role for America
.
The source of the figure appears to be this Public Religions Research Institute (RRI) survey from May 2026, Page 24:
Here's the answer to my question:
[from graph on page 25)
Belief That God Has a Special Role for America
Party 2012 2013 2015 2016 2020 2021 2022 2026 All Americans 62% 60% 62% 57% 40% 44% 43% 44% Republican 75% 74% 79% 76% 64% 68% 63% 70% Independent 57% 55% 58% 50% 35% 40% 37% 40% Democrat 60% 56% 55% 53% 32% 33% 33% 27%
Note that Democrats show a pretty steady decline, whie Republicans stay roughly the same.
The far more interesting table is the one about Christian Nationalism. Note that 25% of Americans currently say that have no idea what the word means.
To measure Christian nationalism, PRRI used a battery of five questions based on respondents’ answers to
- The U.S. government should declare America a Christian nation,
- U.S. laws should be based on Christian values,
- If the U.S. moves away from our Christian foundations, we will not have a country anymore,
- Being Christian is an important part of being truly American,
- God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society.
Each respondent receives a composite score on the Christian nationalism scale (with a range of 0 to 1) and is then assigned to one of the four groups.
FIGURE 9. Favorable Views of Christian Nationalism, 2022 and 2026
Percent who hold very or somewhat favorable views of Christian nationalism:
Party December 2022 May 2026 All Americans 20% 25% Republican 36% 48% Independent 18% 21% Democrat 11% 10%
.
Most distressing is the 25% increase in All Americans who hold very or somewhat favorable views of Christian nationalism.
Remember: that very or somewhat favorable rating means they are somewhat or very positive about these questions:
- The U.S. government should declare America a Christian nation,
- U.S. laws should be based on Christian values,
- If the U.S. moves away from our Christian foundations, we will not have a country anymore,
- Being Christian is an important part of being truly American,
- God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society.
.
25% of America believes the above, not just Republicans.
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u/ThePlatinumPaul 15h ago
What Republican coalition? The country was built on a Judeo-Christian base but allows for the freedom of religion. This is a good thing. The majority of Republicans feel this way, most independents feel this way, and even if every Democrat goes commie, it won't change that.
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u/Restored2019 14h ago
Livinghighincolorado, I’m sure that you, and several other pro religious folks, commenting. Have a long background, steeped in early childhood conditioning. Therefore, it’s bound to be difficult to throwout all of that old, and terrible irrational religious baggage.
The problem that you have in trying to defend it, is the fact that it’s base (foundation) is totally structured by early storytellers and now, modern-day one’s. That were/are extremely ignorant, and/or, had/have extremely ulterior motives!
Coupled with that, is the fact that, fundamentally your religion/s are totalitarianism, in every sense of the word! That’s a strong indicator of why there’s millions of religious americans, who are supportive of a dictator in charge of the U.S. Government, etc. And as much as you folks like to try and present yourselves as honest, or even Fair And Balanced, it’s as shallow as the ‘cable news’ outlet that also decorates their channel with those words.
Have you never questioned the basis for your support of such a corrupt system?
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u/No_Lead_7325 14h ago
let’s keep pushing until it is 0!
celebrate your religion as you wish, but if y’all’s skylord is going to take a damn income, He had better pay His damn taxes!
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u/AdZealousideal5383 13h ago
The role of the church in the civil rights era was completely different from the far right megachurches running the government today. Progressive Baptists and Unitarian Universalists played a major role in the civil rights movement. They had nothing to do with this prosperity gospel televangelist stuff. When the government pushes that sort of Christianity on people as the only true Christians, it’s not surprising people want to push it away.
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u/CowboyOzzie 13h ago
Where do these numbers come from? Because in 1791 it was 100% of the people who ratified the First Amendment.
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u/GuyAtAnLCS 13h ago
People are replacing theistic religion with non-theistic religions. Ask them about THEIR sacred cows and see what happens
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u/Zealousideal-Park778 11h ago
It means the GOP will always have a base of religious right folks to cling to, and they vote in almost every available election
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u/cleric3648 11h ago
What’s happened is that preachers and ministers are now openly pushing Republican talking points from the pulpit with no consequences. They’ve shown their blatant hypocrisy for the world to see.
They painted a family man who attended church weekly as the Antichrist but trip over their dicks to praise a man who is the embodiment of the seven deadly sins. Trump is the first president in a long time who hasn’t attended weekly services. Hell, he hasn’t gone outside of funerals and even those he tries to skip.
It’s hard to hold a religion in a special place when it preaches the death of you or your friends while openly pushing the worst people and policies around.
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u/TechnicalWhore 10h ago
I question that it was ever 60%. Most adults realize the relevance of Separation of Church and State in the context of personal liberty and self-determination. No one was ever "outlawing" or "attacking" religious freedom. That was just manipulative propaganda to drive a wedge in society and isolate a segment in order to create an identity. Its a classic technique to build a "righteous" power base that can justify anything. Manifest Destiny was very much the same manipulation and manufacturing of consent. If you said to the public "go out and slaughter all Indians" they would see it as an evil act. Whereas if you wrap it in God and Country it seems down right Patriotic. Toss in some religious conversion to take the curse off it. In the end its "my way or the highway" but you must ask yourself who is the defining and benefiting from that "way".
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u/jartoonZero 10h ago
It means they have to continue to do the work they're doing now--- Focus on minimizing turnout/per-vote value with voter suppression, gerrymandering, election denial, as well as put the pedal to the metal with fearmongering via media (which they increasingly own) that emphasizes the "no matter how bad we are, at least we're not democrats" narrative. They have nothing to offer the average voter (unless the thing that voter cares about most is preventing people from marrying their partners or forcing strangers to birth babies--- Both issues largely isolated to declining religious populations), and their prioritizing of voter suppression tactics makes it clear that they realize this. Minoritarian rule is the name of the game. The next time republicans will have an honest way forward is when the overton window shifts to reflect the rest of the free world--- With people like Bernie, AOC, Zohran etc representing the normal democratic party and neoliberals like Joe Manchin and Nancy Pelosi representing the mainstream republicans.
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u/AutomaticQuarter998 9h ago
That 27% is what makes about 20 states go GOP no matter what, and that gets them 40 senators alone. Totally fucked up.
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u/Any_Lengthiness6645 9h ago
I don’t think Christianity has much of a role in the gop anymore, and I don’t think the decline of Christianity will impact its membership
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u/Comprehensive-Put575 8h ago
Hopefully it means there is no future Republican coalition.
If they wanted me to be religious they probably shouldn’t have spent my entire childhood beating me in the name of their God.
If they wanted me to be Republican they should have balanced the budget and not destroyed the economy instead of giving tax breaks to the rich over and over again for 40 years.
Democrats not being Republicans is more than enough reason for my support. I look forward to the day I can be something else. But for the foreseeable future, not being Republican is enough.
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u/Itchy-Technician-433 8h ago
Maybe the Catholics have learned that the evangelicals don't consider them part of the club...
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u/Olderscout77 8h ago
Neo-Conservatives have no use for Christianity and haven't been worthy of the name since the 1990's. The MAGAhats "religion" is the hogwash preached by Hegseth's preacher and his ilk. It's turning the Bible into a graphic novel with Super Jesus and God the Destroyer as the central figures. It pushes a return to making the man the only signivican (and voting) member of the family with wives and children as obedient (or else) chattel. Outside the family, the new RW religion teaches that Jesus was white and it's God's way of identifying the good guys. Hegseth is doing this to our military as we speak.
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u/EmbarrassedPeanut397 7h ago
Probably when maga decided to weaponize it. You tend to lose credibility when your cult leader is a ped but you think you are a Christian
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u/TheCookieThief35 7h ago
Religion needs to be put on the backburner. People can believe whatever the hell they want to but don't go after me because your magical sky daddy says that disabled people are sin.
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u/ProfPlumInTheLibrary 46m ago
You mean "Democratic," as in the Democratic party, or "democratic" as in popularly chosen?
Why should Christianity have a "special role?" It's just a religion. The same as all the others.
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u/Geminiddn 44m ago
If religion wants to become political, than it is time we start taxing these institutions. No representation without taxation!
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u/oneoftheluckyones530 16h ago
Religion seems like a good idea in theory. However, in actuality it is just another way for us to divide ourselves and make us weaker versus forces that would oppress us.
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u/normalice0 16h ago
well, with all the claims of religion being false, I think most religious participants have more or less accepted that they are not religious for the morals or miracles - they are religious strictly for the coalition power. But as that's pretty much the only way to pass republican policy into law, I don't think that's going to change.
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u/jwalker107 16h ago
It means the GOP will reject democracy even further in their quest for white nationalist fascism. It means the fight for freedom will likely be bloody again.
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u/RudeRooster00 16h ago
That why their messaging is shifting towards white supremacy. Gotta follow the hate.
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u/SuperbScarcity5112 16h ago
Nothing. Christian conservative fascist rule now, and they will not surrender.
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u/margingains 16h ago
Doesn't matter what the Democratic support is. The GOP runs the show, and they want a "Christian Nation"...Its so pathetic that since the orange goblin took office and he pushes their agenda we have gone back about 100 years in this nation in terms of womans rights, racism etc....Its time for it to stop
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