Searching for the Christian America

In a recent session of US Politics, my professor challenged the class to confront the commonly held belief that we are living in a Christian America. He presented us with various studies and surveys which reveal that in the past decade, the percentage of Americans who identify themselves as Christian have dropped more than 10 percent while the numbers of Americans identifying themselves with other major religions such as Islam and Judaism have remained stagnant, barely even 2 percent of the population between them. These statistics further indicate that the vast majority of the recently defected now place themselves in the 'unaffiliated' category, not to be confused with agnostics or atheists. Class discussion soon became consumed with debates on what the political ramifications of such a mass exodus from Christianity would be.

The bigger question to me, and the one I spent the next several weeks coming to terms with on my own, was why such an unexpected shift from Christianity had occurred in the first place and what that meant for the nation as a whole.

After spending a great deal of time thinking the matter over, I began to see some major similarities between the U.S. and my very own school. Transylvania University is one of colleges affiliated with the Disciples of Christ, and while connected to the church, it is by no means simply a private, Christian institution. Every new student is obligated to fill out a questionnaire that, among other things, asks about any particular religious affiliation students have. After consulting the campus minister, I learned that the overwhelming majority of students (over 80%) marked a Christian connection, while the number of students active in local churches and on-campus religious programs was substantially lower. Even looking at my own friends, almost all were raised Christian although most of them were not religiously active except on major occasions with their families such as Easter or Christmas. I've had religious discussions with many of my fellow students at Transy and most admit to being on a 'hiatus' from the church during their college years because, as some put it, they've been doing the whole 'church thing' their whole lives and just need a break. Although some would condemn such a decision, I support their breaks from organized religion because it's not as if they are also putting their Christian morals and principles on hold; everyone in this group that I know still remain profoundly spiritual and constantly seek to grow closer to God.

I also feel that many Americans have adopted a similar spiritual strategy by becoming 'unaffiliated' which frees them up to explore their spirituality in new ways. While it would be nice if that group of people eventually found their way back to churches and formally declared themselves apart of Christianity in the U.S., I truly believe that most will continue to hold fast to the core teachings of the church that they were taught regardless of which bubble they fill in on the next census. One thing is certain; the Christian America I grew up in is still alive and growing today with no signs of crumbling.