About That Religious Literacy Survey

September 30, 2010 By Jason Pitzl-Waters 7 Comments

So the big religious story right now is how little most Americans know about religion, even our own religion. This comes from the newly released Pew Forum U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey.

“On average, Americans correctly answer 16 of the 32 religious knowledge questions on the survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life. Atheists and agnostics average 20.9 correct answers. Jews and Mormons do about as well, averaging 20.5 and 20.3 correct answers, respectively. Protestants as a whole average 16 correct answers; Catholics as a whole, 14.7. Atheists and agnostics, Jews and Mormons perform better than other groups on the survey even after controlling for differing levels of education.”

This has led to a lot of conjecture, some gloating, and some defensiveness from different corners of our society.

“The secular elite has provided most of us with wretched religious education by all but banning it as a topic for serious enquiry or discussion. Meanwhile, they know just enough about religion to get some “facts” right on a pop-religion quiz, but have no grasp on why, despite all temptations, some thoughtful folk remain religious. They know some of the lyrics of religion, but cannot hear the music.”

But I don’t think these results are because atheists are smarter, or more inquisitive, or that Christians are all unthinking sheep who follow the leader and don’t explore faith.  I think instead that this religious illiteracy is partially due to poor secular education regarding religion, and partially because religious minorities, of any theological or political stripe, defensively work harder to learn about the dominant religious realities of where they are living. Let’s look at the data.

Who does well? Atheists, Jews, and Mormons, do well. Also, the “unaffiliated” score higher than most in the “World Religions” category (I’d be interested to see how Pagans would have scored). The reasons for each group doing well might differ slightly, but all share the experience of living in a country where Protestant and Catholic forms of religiosity dominate. Now, many (theologically and politically) conservative Christians will tell you that we live in an age of secular decay, and that Christianity being shut out is the culprit of this current ignorance, but that isn’t the how religious minorities living here see the situation.

“It is axiomatic that illiteracy has consequences. Academic illiteracy dulls a society’s future; religious illiteracy stunts pluralism that is the cornerstone of a multi-religious society. And the nightmare scenario is with us today: witness the recent spate of violence against Muslims, Siikhs and Hindus.

While we search for solutions, we must avoid the trap of false introspection. Look deep and religious illiteracy’s undercutting of pluralism is but one whirl on a vicious circle. Those who presume to know Truth fail to accept other versions of that Truth. See no need to seek and share other perspectives on Truth, ignorant we remain, and the rickety wheel turns until the axle goes too…”

I don’t fully agree with all of Aseem Shukla’s conclusions, but he does bring up an important point, which is that our current inability to have robust religious literacy courses isn’t due to atheist intransigence (who aren’t that politically powerful), but (usually) Christian attempts to shape such courses to their benefit and use them as evangelization tools, leading to lawsuits and the courses (usually Bible history and literacy-based) being shut down. If our nation was truly interested in religious literacy, a course would be developed that didn’t cater to any single faith’s whims, and was truly robust in what it taught. Imagine if all Americans had some basic knowledge about modern Paganism, I think the coverage of Christine O’Donnell’s “dabble-gate” would have been a lot more like this, than what we got. However, if a new era of religious literacy is to begin, we need to go beyond “study the Bible” and truly explore our nation’s diversity.

Filed Under: Paganism, Religion Tagged With: , , , , 7 Comments

Quick Note: There Are How Many Pagans?

July 11, 2010 By Jason Pitzl-Waters 2 Comments

There are two types of people who tend to over-estimate the size of the modern Pagan movement. Those who are advocates of Pagan religions and want to emphasize our vitality and popularity; and those who are hostile to Pagan religions and want to frighten (or at least dismay) their audience with the specter of Pagan dominance. Of these two, polemicist Melanie Phillips falls into the latter camp.

“Some of Ms. Phillips’ data may startle those of us who think of ourselves as reasonably normal people. “What previously belonged to the province of the quack and the charlatan have become mainstream,” and “‘Wicca’ – or witchcraft – and paganism constitute the fastest growing religious category in America, with between 500,000 and 5 million adherents.” Throw in New Age spirituality, and the number reaches 20 million.”

First off, we have the “fastest growing religion” meme, which isn’t true, though often parroted. While modern Pagan religions are growing, in North America the fastest-growing religious category is “none”/”unaffiliated”. Now between 15-16% of the population in America. I can’t imagine how Ms. Phillips missed this, as it was a big religion story covered in several major newspapers.

“The only group that grew in every U.S. state since the 2001 survey was people saying they had “no” religion; the survey says this group is now 15 percent of the population. Silk said this group is likely responsible for the shrinking percentage of Christians in the United States.”

Now maybe some of  those unaffiliated folks are Pagan-friendly, but I wouldn’t bet on a significant percentage leaning in that particular direction. Next is the “between 500,000 and 5 million adherents” line. Recent Pew Forum and ARIS data has modern Paganism hovering somewhere around a million adherents (give or take a hundred thousand or two) in the US. That’s nothing to sneeze at, but it isn’t Pagans taking over numbers either. If she had wanted to low-ball the estimate she could have gone with the ARIS data estimates which says Wiccans and Pagans combined are just under 700,000, but where did she get 5 million?

Now a lot of folks have estimated that there are several million Pagans, but few of them have any hard data to back it up. They are mostly guesses made from incomplete data or their hopes/fears. My guess at the source is the famously anonymous Barnes & Noble marketing executive who opined that the Pagan book-buying market was an astounding 10 million. Half it to seem more reasonable, and presto! Of course, who buys a book and who identifies as Pagan are two very different things. I’m currently staying at my mother-in-law’s house, and while she is no Pagan (at least not in the religious sense), she also owns “Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs”, “The Politics of Women’s Spirituality”, and Jean Bolen’s “Crossing To Avalon”.

So what does it matter that Melanie Phillips is trying to sell copies of “The World Turned Upside Down: The Global Battle over God, Truth, and Power” by overestimating the influence and growth of modern Paganism? Well, aside from the fact that she thinks modern Pagan religions are somehow a symptom of growing irrationality while civilizations “built on the values given to us by Christianity and the Hebrew Bible” are somehow a religious bulwark against irrationality (an interesting assertion to say the least), there’s the fact that she is littering the chattering classes with more bad data. If you want to argue that the world is going to hell, and Wiccans chanting is a symptom of it, be my guest. But lazy research not only distorts factual information about Paganism, it also undermines the larger points works like these try to make. It calls into question all the other assertions and “facts” used to make a case for a growingly irrational world.

So if you want to use Pagans to build your “irrational world” straw-man, at least look up the Pew and ARIS data when citing numbers, and hey, maybe actually reading a book or two on Pagan theology and belief might not hurt either.

Filed Under: Paganism, Religion Tagged With: , , , , , , 2 Comments

Religion Coverage is Going to the Blogs

March 27, 2010 By Jason Pitzl-Waters 10 Comments

The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism and The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life have released a study that analyzes news coverage of religion for 2009. The take-home message? Mainstream media coverage of religion continues to shrink (0.8% of the news, as opposed to 1% last year), and new media (blogs, web sites, podcasts, etc) is taking up the slack, and becoming the primary outlet for religion news, debate, and discussion.

In 2009, religion attracted significantly more attention in new media sources than in the mainstream media.in a sample drawn from millions of blogs and social media finds that religion was a top story in nearly a quarter of the weeks studied (11 out of 45 weeks) … The blogosphere and other social media tools have grown over the past few years. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 51% of internet users post online content that they have created themselves. Eleven percent of all adults use blogs. The use of Twitter has tripled since 2008. At the same time, the number of reporters assigned to the religion beat in the mainstream media has been shrinking. According to Debra Mason, executive director of the Religion Newswriters Association, at least 16 major print news outlets have reduced or abandoned their religion beats since 2007. At the same time, she says, online newspapers such as The Huffington Post and Politics Daily have increased their religion staff. “We’re in the midst of growth of the [religion] beat online,” Mason says, “but newspapers haven’t kept up with the trend and have instead let religion coverage languish.” An analysis of nearly a year’s worth of commentary

Not only is new media now dominating in coverage of religious news, we’re more diverse as well. While MSM religion coverage, when it happened, was primarily focused on Pope Benedict or religious angles to developments within the Obama Administration, new media religion stories “were broad in scope”, and wildly successful in engaging their audience.

Another interesting tidbit I found is that while new media sources continue to rely heavily on mainstream media as a jumping-off point for opinion and analysis, a growing number of bloggers are creating their own content.

“The blogosphere and other social media tools have grown over the past few years. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 51% of internet users post online content that they have created themselves. Eleven percent of all adults use blogs. The use of Twitter has tripled since 2008.”

As this shift to new media continues, you’ll continue to see the professionalization of the religious blogosphere. If you take a quick look at the Social Science Research Council‘s study “The New Landscape of the Religion Blogosphere”, you’ll see that a good number of the leading blogs and web sites driving religion coverage on the web are either run by journalism professionals, are extensions of non-profits, or are part of for-profit ventures (even The Wild Hunt is attempting to evolve into an NPR donation-supported model).

There’s a reason why The Huffington Post has dived into religion coverage, the public is hungry for news and analysis on this large and unwieldy subject, and the mainstream media doesn’t seem to have the inclination or resources to do the job properly. In the future, the “big” religious stories will be reported on the Internet first, and “trickle up” to cable news and newspapers. So it makes sense that we’ll see more new media start-ups, like HuffPost and Patheos.com who want to be a part of driving that discussion. For minority faiths (and minority groups in general), it’ll be more important than ever to have a strong Internet news-making and reporting presence. Without one, we’ll have little to no say in how news about our communities gets reported, and groups that have no desire to participate in a link-based economy will find themselves increasingly marginalized.

Filed Under: Paganism, Religion Tagged With: , , , , 10 Comments

The Kids Are Alright and other Pagan News of Note

February 17, 2010 By Jason Pitzl-Waters 57 Comments

Top Story: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has released a new study, entitled “Religion Among the Millennials”, that tracks the beliefs and views of the generation born after 1981 (and who largely came of age in the year 2000, hence the name).  The report asserts that Millenials are far more “unaffiliated”, religiously speaking, than the previous two generations, and less concerned about “culture war” issues like gay marriage and abortion than their predecessors.

“Young people are more accepting of homosexuality and evolution than are older people. They are also more comfortable with having a bigger government, and they are less concerned about Hollywood threatening their values. But when asked generally about morality and religion, young adults are just as convinced as older people that there are absolute standards of right and wrong that apply to everyone. Young adults are also slightly more supportive of government efforts to protect morality and of efforts by houses of worship to express their social and political views.”

As for Millenials and modern Paganism, 2% of adults aged 18-29 adhere to a Pagan, New Age, Unitarian-Universalist, or “eclectic” faith (the “other faiths”). Outstripping adherence to Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and roughly tied with Judaism and Mormonism. Further, Millenials are about tied with Baby Boomers in adherence to an “other” faith, with Generation X making up the demographically largest grouping. You can download the entire report, here. You may also want to take a look at Pew’s 2007 Religious Landscape Survey, something I’ve covered in depth here, which much this data is culled from.

What does it all mean? It could certainly mean a more tolerant world, as an overwhelming majority of this generation believe there is more than “one true way”, and that the Bible isn’t the literal word of God. Less than half even believe that religion is important. Millenials, along with Generation X, represent a sea-change in attitudes that have so bitterly divided previous generations. A “post-Christian” future, one where Christianity is only one voice among many, seems ever more likely. A world where religion may be female-dominated and largely private. Sounds like a future I’d like to stick around for.

In Other News:

Did the Founders Mean Pagans Too? The Newsweek/Washington Post religion site On Faith features an editorial from Dr. Barbara McGraw, Director of the Center for Engaged Religious Pluralism at Saint Mary’s College of California. In it she addresses the now-infamous WallBuilders amicus brief in McCollum v. California that argues the Constitutional religion clauses only applied to monotheists.

“…perhaps Richard Henry Lee put it best when he said in 1787: “It is true, we are not disposed to differ much, at present, about religion; but when we are making a constitution, it is to be hoped, for ages and millions yet unborn . . . .” In other words, those who differ about religion in ages and among millions yet unborn are included in the protections of the Constitution. What is especially sad about the narrow way that Barton wants to interpret the founding era is that Barton’s approach obscures the real contribution of Christianity to America: support for a political system that protects the individual’s relationship with the Divine (however understood) … genuine Christianity supports religious rights for all. Christianity was not at the founding, nor is it now a monolithic “ism” that justifies the domination and suppression of others–not even Wiccan/Pagans.”

I’d recommend reading all the various quotes she offers, building the case that the founders meant for religious freedom to apply to all Americans, at all stages of its existence, no matter what that future may bring. You can expect to hear a lot more about Patrick McCollum’s case in the near future, when I spoke to him at Pantheacon it was clear that a lot of attention and interest is building in this case. Expect things to break out into the mainstream media very soon.

Anti-Pagan Smears: WorldNetDaily, where no nutty conspiracy theory goes unloved, touts the new book by its managing editor David Kupelian, entitled “How Evil Works: Understanding and Overcoming the Destructive Forces That Are Transforming America”. Along with the usual stuff, Obama is a Marxist, Hollywood is bad, public schools are turning boys into big sissies, mental illness is a scam, etc, we get a whole section on the dangers of Paganism and the “New Age”.

“Why are neo-pagan and New Age religions like Wicca becoming so popular? (America’s increasing disillusionment with Christianity has created a giant cultural and spiritual vacuum, into which alternative religions are being drawn.)”

Now, I’ve covered WND’s anti-Pagan stuff before, but I usually just ignore it nowadays. However, since Kupelian’s new book is being promoted by a major publisher, and he’s making the publicity rounds with conservative heavyweights like Sean Hannity, I thought this deserved a bit of attention. It matters in this instance, because the folks who like to gobble up those pop-journalism partisan books (from the left and right) that burn up the bestsellers lists will be getting a bit more than political opinion. They’ll also be getting anti-Pagan talking points. It’s not very pretty when political populism starts mixing with intolerant religious ideologies, so we should keep our eyes open.

Bob Barr Recants Recanting His Anti-Pagan Views: If you all were wondering what conservative/libertarian politician-turned-pundit Bob Barr thinks about the Air Force Academy building a Pagan worship area, wonder no longer!

“A few years back, when I was in the US Congress, I took the Army to task for permitting the practice of Wicca on its bases, including at Ft. Hood in Texas.  After speaking with a number of officers and military leaders, and meeting with several former military who adhere to the practice of Wicca, I was convinced that a belief in or practice of witchcraft, was not necessarily incompatible with the good order and discipline essential to a military lifestyle.  However, one might legitimately wonder just how far such tolerance should extend … the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, has taken the notion of religious tolerance to a new level, in creating an outdoor worship area for pagans.  The site, apparently sacred to pagans, consists of an inner and an outer circle of large stones.  I’m sorry, but this truly is hilarious … if I were in the Air Force and was being commanded by an officer who practices hedonism as a religion (another part of the definition of “pagan”), and who dances around a circle of stones in the woods carrying a lighted candle, I would be more than a little worried about following him into battle.“

I like how he talks out of both sides of his mouth there, saying he doesn’t think Paganism isn’t “necessarily” incompatible with military discipline, but then saying he would be worried about following a Pagan soldier into battle (note: Bob Barr has never been in battle, or served in the military). Barr, of course, is famous in our communities for his attempts to get Pagans banned from military service, a position he kinda-sorta recanted while running for president (as a Libertarian) in 2008. Looks like he’s reverting back to his full-throated anti-Pagan ways now that he doesn’t have to woo the libertarians any longer.

Gatesville Muder-Suicide Involves a Pagan? On monday, outside the Gatesville, Texas County Courthouse, David Louis Henry shot and killed his ex-girlfriend Carrie Dean Stroope, then preceded to shoot himself. While that’s tragedy enough, expect the story to soon be adding a Pagan angle, as commenters who claim to know the shooter are alleging he’s Wiccan.

“I have read some things I know to be true about the killer. I have also read he was a wonderful father. Really because I don’t think “wonderful fathers” kill someone’s mommy in cold blood. The guy gave me the creeps and talked about the Wiccan religion at work. Frankly his act of cowardness doesn’t surprise me at all. To bad for the kids they never had a chance with a parent like him.”

“First off, he WAS MARRIED, he ans his wife were swingers and they were open Wican Worshippers. This is in my opinion VERY sad, and “Kay” says did she push him to this? Please, Why is it a woman has to be at fault of pushing because a crazy non Christain man snaps? His religion would not ever condem him for murder. His Myspace page comments from his wife ask him to shoot her in the head, the man was a nut case and society is better off without him sad but true…”

If these comments are showing up in my news feeds, you can bet local journalists are also reading them. With lurid accusations of “swinging” and Witchcraft, you can expect things are going to get ugly, and the press sensationalist, real soon. I’ll be keeping track of this story as it develops.

Thorn has Moved! In a quick final note, T. Thorn Coyle’s blog has migrated to a new home.

http://www.thorncoyle.com/musings/

Be sure to update your links and RSS subscriptions.

That’s all I have for now, have a great day!

Filed Under: Paganism, Religion Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 57 Comments
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