42% of Americans attend church weekly, up from 41% last year (Islam, Baptist, ghost)

[flguy1192]

Mississippians Go to Church the Most; Vermonters, Least

[rifleman]

Interesting that the Gallop organization allows between 1 and 4% error rate in their numbers on this particular study, and yet the differences in their numbers between 2008 and 2009 is well inside this error rate. (That means it tends to be statistically the same between those two cited years)

What is interesting would be to look at the trends over decades rather than over just one year. "Sample duration far too short!" would be the response of my stats teacher.

Other reliable polls reported here have shown significant declines for religion over the past 20 to 30 years, with changes in the demographic (baby boomers having shown a distinct and measured lack of interest in church attendance, for example. And their children are following the same trend, being far more interested in texting and their iPods than in Jesus).

Other polls have correctly (but menacingly, IMHO) noted that Islam is on the rise in the world, coincidental with the rising populations of illiterate peasants, often under significant ecological distress (starvation, repression, wars, disease, etc.). This by no means signals some great spiritual awakening, but rather the predictable result of non-critical thinking and the appeal of some promised "nirvana" or "72 virgins" in the face of persistently intolerable living conditions.

The general accomplishment of a quality Grade 12 education in the US coordinates well with a decline in religious participation and of course beliefs. Those numbers also show significantly lower rates of high school matriculation in those same (typically) Southern Baptist states that continue to show stable or possibly rising congregation numbers. These states also show the least output of university graduates per capita. No particular surprise there.

WWW.HIGHEREDUCATION.ORG

What does that suggest I wonder?

[MontanaGuy]

I don't doubt the figures for Tennessee. When I was at Home Depot one Sunday I asked a guy working there if it was usually this slow and he told me that everybody was at church and the place will be packed when the services are over. The smaller towns here are like ghost towns on Sunday. Alot of the businesses like restaurants and shops aren't even open until later in the day.
As far as the long term trend concerning religion is concerned I don't believe that this poll proves anything and from everything I've read the younger generations are becoming less religious than their parents or grandparents.

[Lamplight]

Originally Posted by MontanaGuy

I don't doubt the figures for Tennessee. When I was at Home Depot one Sunday I asked a guy working there if it was usually this slow and he told me that everybody was at church and the place will be packed when the services are over. The smaller towns here are like ghost towns on Sunday. Alot of the businesses like restaurants and shops aren't even open until later in the day.
As far as the long term trend concerning religion is concerned I don't believe that this poll proves anything and from everything I've read the younger generations are becoming less religious than their parents or grandparents.

Yes, Sunday morning is a great time to go for a bike ride here, because the roads are deserted. But heaven help you if you're out there when church lets out! Sunday morning would be a great time to go shopping, except nothing is open until 11, and by then most of them are getting out of church and they're usually irritable for some reason.

[noland123]

Originally Posted by rifleman

Interesting that the Gallop organization allows between 1 and 4% error rate in their numbers on this particular study, and yet the differences in their numbers between 2008 and 2009 is well inside this error rate. (That means it tends to be statistically the same between those two cited years)

What is interesting would be to look at the trends over decades rather than over just one year. "Sample duration far too short!" would be the response of my stats teacher.

Other reliable polls reported here have shown significant declines for religion over the past 20 to 30 years, with changes in the demographic (baby boomers having shown a distinct and measured lack of interest in church attendance, for example. And their children are following the same trend, being far more interested in texting and their iPods than in Jesus).

Other polls have correctly (but menacingly, IMHO) noted that Islam is on the rise in the world, coincidental with the rising populations of illiterate peasants, often under significant ecological distress (starvation, repression, wars, disease, etc.). This by no means signals some great spiritual awakening, but rather the predictable result of non-critical thinking and the appeal of some promised "nirvana" or "72 virgins" in the face of persistently intolerable living conditions.

The general accomplishment of a quality Grade 12 education in the US coordinates well with a decline in religious participation and of course beliefs. Those numbers also show significantly lower rates of high school matriculation in those same (typically) Southern Baptist states that continue to show stable or possibly rising congregation numbers. These states also show the least output of university graduates per capita. No particular surprise there.

WWW.HIGHEREDUCATION.ORG

What does that suggest I wonder?

If you are going to do an intellectual analysis at least spell Gallup right,even a southerner can do that.

I prefer Multivariate Statistcs or Hypothesis Testing myself.

[catman]

Lamplight: Right you are! Sunday morning in Texas is a great time for a motorcycle ride. I got stuck in a small town when church let out recently, and it was a BIG mistake.