Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Religious "Nones" are Largest Group in US

Perhaps hierarchical religions are turning people off. So many religions think they are the one and only true viable alternative, placing themselves on top of a religious hierarchy that they create.

NPR reports that the Pew Research finds that the religiously unaffiliated – a group comprised of atheists, agnostic and those who say their religion is "nothing in particular" – is now the largest cohort in the U.S. They're more prevalent among American adults than Catholics (23%) or evangelical Protestants (24%).

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/24/1226371734/religious-nones-are-now-the-largest-single-group-in-the-u-s

Gene Robinson: "I felt God called me out of the closet"

Gene Robinson was the first openly-gay bishop in all of Christendom.

Robinson is quick to point out that there have always been gay bishops in the Episcopal Church. "There have been a lot of us, let's just be clear," he said. "I'm just the first openly-gay one."

 "We forget what a big deal it was and how hard it was and how many people were opposed, and the pain it caused a lot of people," he said.

"I can tell you from my own experience, and it's one of the things that led to my coming out: it's an awful thing to stand in a pulpit and encourage people to live authentic lives when you know you're not being authentic," Robinson said. "It's why I felt God called me out of the closet."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bishop-gene-robinson-on-why-god-called-me-out-of-the-closet/