New Bedford Faith Leader: Believe in God Is Belief in Ourselves
How important is belief in God in your life?
Even though the smallest number of Americans believe in God nowadays, Gallup's May 2-22 Values and Beliefs poll shows the vast majority of Americans still believe in a higher power. One major takeaway from the poll is that 81 percent of Americans are fast and true believers, but that's down from 87 percent in 2017, and it's the lowest number ever.
If this trend continues, what will happen to the blessing "God bless you" after sneezing?
Gallup reported that belief in God has fallen the most among young adults and people on the left side of the political spectrum. On the flip side of that, I see a lot of people, young adults and others, exclaiming "OMG!" on social media all the time. So are they being sincere?
Pam Cole is the President of the Church Women United of Greater New Bedford, and has been a member of the local faith community for 59 years. She said people should believe in God because it’s a belief in equality.
“Each person is made in the image of God, and each of us has a little part of that in us – and that’s where our equality comes from,” she said. “If we don’t believe in God, then what do we have as a basis to believe in each other?”
So then why is the number of people that don’t believe in God rising?
“They don't realize the connection of how believing in God fits into our world,” she said.
There is also a trend with the younger generation to be spiritual and believe in God, yet not attend church or other houses of worship. Cole said attending services are key to understanding.
“We have to have some way to learn about God,” she said.
If this trend gets worse, do you think it's possible that God-phrases (and there are lots of them), songs, books, movie titles and such will start to go away? Help me out here, who then made those "little green apples?"
If belief in God among adults has reached a new low, is that only in the United States? Getting an accurate answer may give behavioral researchers a little more insight into our present state. Is it possible that government, now more involved with many more lives, has reclaimed its jewel in the crown?
The phrase "What goes up must come down," is a term that usually means see-saw, yo-yo and to-and-fro. Polls are familiar with this principle, too – meaning declines don't last forever.