13.12.2: Characteristics of Religious Groups

13.12.2: Characteristics of Religious Groups 

Let’s turn to major characteristics of the religious groups in the United States. Diversity Two of three Americans (63 percent) are members of a church, synagogue, or mosque, but with hundreds of denominations, no religious group comes even close to being a dominant religion in the United States (Statistical Abstract 2019:Tables 79, 80). Table 13.2 illustrates some of this remarkable diversity. Table 13.2 How Americans Age 18 and Older Identify with Religion

Table 13.2 How Americans Age 18 and Older Identify with Religion NOTE: These data are based on a telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of 35,000 adult Americans. The population base of adults on which I computed the numbers of members is 246,745,000. Because of rounding the totals do not equal 100. SOURCES: Totals computed by the author based on America’s Changing Religious Landscape. Washington, D.C.: Pew Research Center, May 12, 2015.; Statistical Abstract of the United States. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019. Published annually. Table: 10. Pluralism and Freedom It is the U.S. government’s policy not to interfere with religions. The government’s position is that its obligation is to ensure an environment in which people can worship as they see fit. Religious freedom is so extensive that anyone can start a church and proclaim himself or herself a minister, revelator, or any other desired term. The exceptions to this hands-off policy are startling. The most notorious exception in recent times was the attack by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms on the Branch Davidians, an obscure religious group in Waco, Texas. The eighty-two victims remain a dark blot on the history of the United States. A second example is the government’s infiltration of mosques to monitor the activities of Arab immigrants (Awaad et al. 2019). This stopped in 2015. Other limitations to this policy were discussed in the preceding Cultural Diversity in the United States. 447 Toleration The general religious toleration of Americans can be illustrated by three prevailing attitudes: (1) “All religions have a right to exist—as long as they don’t try to brainwash or hurt anyone.” (2) “With all the religions to choose from, how can anyone tell which one—if any—is true?” (3) “Each of us may be convinced about the truth of our religion—and that is good—but don’t be obnoxious by trying to convince others that you have the exclusive truth.” Like other aspects of culture, religion is filled with background assumptions that usually go unquestioned. In this photo, which I took in Amsterdam, what background assumption of religion is this woman violating? Credit: James M. Henslin The Electronic Church What began as a ministry to shut-ins and those who do not belong to a church blossomed into its own type of church. Its preachers, called “televangelists,” reach millions of viewers and raise millions of dollars. The most popular televangelist is Joel Osteen, the senior pastor of a church in Houston attended by 52,000 people each week. Another 7 million people view Osteen’s weekly televised sermons. Other televangelists are Paula White, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyers, and Pat Robertson. Many local ministers view the electronic church as a competitor. They complain that it competes for the attention and dollars of their members. Leaders of the electronic church reply that the money goes to good causes and that through its conversions, the electronic church feeds members into the local churches, strengthening, not weakening them.