Tue
Jul 10 2012
08:08 pm
Fewer than 55% of Tennesseans are Christian?
By: onetahiti

Here is a table of census data from 2010: (link...) (via the Tennessean).

-- OneTahiti

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I suppose that depends on the definition of "adherent"

Submitted by WhitesCreek on July 11, 2012 - 8:48am.

How many people of any religious tradition are true "adherents"? I have a friend who is a Jew and who claims to only eat Kosher pork. One of my Methodist Sunday school teachers was straight forward about not believing in the virgin birth of Jesus and yet was an ordained minister and went on to pastor several churches over his career. I met a Catholic priest in Atlanta who told me that in truth he was agnostic. Looking at the results of the study, I don't have any problem with the 55% number.

The study defines adherent

Submitted by smalc on July 11, 2012 - 8:51am.

The study defines adherent as “all those within a congregation,” including members, children and attendees who are not members.

I would suspect there a many people not within a congregation that would self identify as a Christian.

Adherent

Submitted by groane on July 11, 2012 - 3:54pm.

I suspect that most people not within a congregation would self-identify as agnostic or atheist.

I highly doubt it. I have

Submitted by smalc on July 12, 2012 - 8:40am.

I highly doubt it. I have never seen or heard of a poll or study that puts atheists and agnostics over 15-20%, in any age group. I think the poll/census above defined adherents as regular attenders. I know it is just anecdotal, but I know a lot of people who do not attend church regularly (and may or not subscribe to "Christian values") who would still call themselves Christian.

I also think that "some people within" a congregation

Submitted by WhitesCreek on July 12, 2012 - 9:31am.

...would self identify as agnostic or having religious doubts.

I'm somewhere between on this, but I don't think it is a black and white question or answer. I realize that it's put to folks as a "you believe in Santa and you'll get presents" or else, but the reality is that religious positions are a process and journey in the thoughtful. There are very few who are 100% believers or 100% unbelievers when the white hot light of inquiry is shined directly in the eyes. Studies like this one try to coalesce things into easy categories that in fact don't exist.

Many are like me. I consider

Submitted by RICK on July 12, 2012 - 6:42pm.

Many are like me. I consider myself a Christian, but I do not like going to places to worship that have become(most have) as political as our government.

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