美国国家公共电台 NPR--The importance of religion in the lives of Americans is shrinking

The importance of religion in the lives of Americans is shrinking

Transcript¹

The importance of religion in the lives of Americans is on the decline.

However, for people who do still attend religious services, they say they're optimistic about the future of their house of worship. Those are among the findings of a new report from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI).

Just 16% of Americans surveyed said religion is the most important thing in their lives, according to the PRRI study, down from 20% a decade ago.

Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, says that this data reflects another trend in American religious life. "Americans," she says, "are becoming increasingly likely to become religiously unaffiliated."

For Catholics and mainline Protestants, the importance of religion has declined somewhat in the last decade, according to Deckman. The drop isn't as steep, though, once broken down by other demographics. For example, 38% of Black Protestants and 42% of white evangelical Protestants say religion is most important.

Deckman isn't surprised that religious salience is highest among those groups. "But certainly it's less than 50%," she says. "And that's a change from perhaps earlier decades of findings."

The report, titled "Religion and Congregations in a Time of Social and Political Upheaval," surveyed more than 6,600 adults from all 50 states. Despite the deep political divides in the U.S., the majority of churchgoers — 56% — do not believe their own church is more politically divided than five years ago.

Deckman says that this could be due to sorting that has already taken place: People tend to affiliate² with congregations that align³ with their political beliefs, in part to avoid conflicts they experience in broader society.

The research also shows that Black Protestants are the only Christian⁴ group in which a majority — 63% — believes that congregations should get involved in social issues even if doing so means having difficult conversations.

Deckman says that this comparatively higher percentage is likely due to the historic connection between Black churches and the Civil Rights Movement. "And so," she says, "Black churches are more open to having these conversations in their pews."

Deckman credits the racial justice movement over the last several years as fortifying⁵ the resolve of some congregations to preach, "Black Lives Matter," even if it upsets some people. That message has long been heard from pulpits in many predominantly Black congregations.

PRRI found that Christian congregations are still largely racially segregated⁶. Even though the U.S. as a whole is becoming more racially and ethnically⁷ diverse, the vast majority of Christian churchgoers report that their congregations are "mostly monoracial." Eighty percent of white mainline Protestants, such as Episcopalians and Presbyterians, say their churches are mostly white. The same is true for 77% of white Catholics and 75% of white evangelical Protestants.

The research also found that religious Americans are on the move.

Twenty-four percent of respondents said they previously⁸ followed a different faith tradition from the one they practice now, mostly leaving Christianity or religion altogether. That figure is up significantly from just a couple of years ago. In 2021, only 16% said they had changed religions.

Among those who've left a religion, more than one-third say they were formerly⁹ Catholic.

Participation¹⁰ in houses of worship continues to decline, according to the study. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they "seldom" attend religious services, and 29% of respondents said they "never" attend religious services. A decade ago, those figures were 22% and 21%, respectively.

The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have influenced a larger trend. In 2019, 19% of Americans said they attended a religious service once a week. That percentage has now dropped to 16% attending weekly and 13% saying they attend "a few times a year."

Yet despite the downward trends in overall church attendance, PRRI found that those still going are happy. Eight-two percent say they're optimistic about the future of their church.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 affiliate   

vt.使隶(附)属于；n.附属机构，分公司

参考例句：

• Our New York company has an affiliate in Los Angeles.我们的纽约公司在洛杉矶有一个下属企业。
• What is the difference between affiliate and regular membership?固定会员和附属会员之间的区别是什么？

3 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

4 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

5 fortifying   

筑防御工事于( fortify的现在分词 )； 筑堡于； 增强； 强化（食品）

参考例句：

• Fortifying executive function and restraining impulsivity are possible with active interventions. 积极干预可能有助加强执行功能和抑制冲动性。
• Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face, fortifying himself against still another disappointment. 文戈不再张望，他绷紧脸，仿佛正在鼓足勇气准备迎接另一次失望似的。

6 segregated   

分开的； 被隔离的

参考例句：

• a culture in which women are segregated from men 妇女受到隔离歧视的文化
• The doctor segregated the child sick with scarlet fever. 大夫把患猩红热的孩子隔离起来。

7 ethnically   

adv.人种上，民族上

参考例句：

• Ethnically, the Yuan Empire comprised most of modern China's ethnic groups. 元朝的民族成分包括现今中国绝大多数民族。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Russia is ethnically relatively homogeneous. 俄罗斯是个民族成分相对单一的国家。 来自辞典例句

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

10 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。