Surprise, America!

"Part of what's going on here is that the stigma associated with not being part of any religious community has declined.  In some parts of the country, there is still a stigma.  but overall, it's not the way it used to be."
John Green, religion politics specialist, University of Akron, Pew survey adviser

For a country known for its evangelical robustness, and its export of same to other countries, to spread the Good Word, it is somewhat surprising to discover that the most religious country in the Western world appears to be winding down its reputation.  In the not-so-distant past, political contenders for the presidency or vice-presidency of the United States would have had to present their credentials as life-long, devout Protestants.

And then, the remarkable occurred, a Roman Catholic became president; an anomaly to be sure, but one that would be repeated when suddenly the barriers that ensured no alternatives to Protestantism would ever grace the White House, came crashing down with the challenge of a Mormon to the seat of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  Of course before that occurred women and also a Jew were placed on the vice-presidential ticket.

If this kind of relaxation of vital standards continue, will it be all that long before a woman is accepted to lead the country?  Or will a gay president make the cut before a woman finally does?  All this speculation becomes a possibility with the newly emerged statistics telling one and all that the percentage of Protestant adults in the U.S. is now at 48%.  More amazing, there are currently none on the U.S. Supreme Court.

The current Republican ticket has a Roman Catholic and a Mormon as nominees.  The Pew study from whence these statistics have arisen, state also that fully 20% of Americans are now comfortable admitting that they have no religious affiliation, an incremental 5% increase in the past five years alone.  No affiliation does not necessarily equate with no religion.

It may include those who consider themselves to be "spiritual", others who may pray to a divine entity, but have no use for organized religious institutions.  Although when driving through any town or city one is confronted with an array of tightly-packed churches, their pews are no longer tightly packed with parishioners. 

And as Americans become less religious in character, they are more relaxed in social attitudes.  Those claiming no religious affiliation mostly support abortion rights and gay marriage as opposed to the general public's more modest rate of acceptance of those once-social deviations.  Those who claim no religious affiliation are more likely to vote Democratic.

Pew instructs the curious that the religiously unaffiliated represent a vital constituency within the Democratic party, just as evangelicals represent a vital constituency to the Republican party.  Should we be surprised?