RELIGION

Half of Americans Unsure if God Exists

By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer

Research from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) has found that the religious landscape of the United States has changed a lot in the last few decades.

Researchers say the United States is becoming less religious, more diverse, and politically divided, leading to significant cultural changes.

While churches have returned to in-person services after the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans are dealing with the continuing consequences of other significant events, such as national protests for racial justice, a divisive 2020 presidential election that led to a deadly uprising at the U.S. Capitol, and renewed state legislative battles over reproductive and LGBTQ rights.

The new survey examined how religious people in the U.S. act in this uncertain culture and political climate.

PRRI analyzed religious affiliation trends, the significance of religion in Americans’ lives, and how frequently they attend spiritual events and engage in prayer.

They also looked at trends in “switching” religions, which means leaving one faith for another, and considered why Americans do this.

According to a separate survey by NORC at the University of Chicago, 50% of Americans expressed uncer-

5 According to research from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) half of Americans expressed uncertainty about God’s existence. (Courtesy Photo) tainty about the existence of God.

That’s less than in 2008, when it was 60%.

PRRI said that in 2022, 27% of Americans said they didn’t believe in any faith, up from 19% in 2012 and 16% in 2006.

According to the study, the remaining 6% of Americans who follow other religions have stayed the same over the past few years.

Individuals who identify as Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Unitarian Universalist, or from any other world religion are a part of this group.

“The past three years were a period of great trial and change for the United States. Understanding how these times affected Americans’ thoughts, beliefs, and opinions is critical to understanding social change,” René Bautista, director of the GSS and associate director of Methodology and Quantitative Social Sciences at NORC, relayed in a news release.

Researchers found that many Americans practice more than one religion, and nearly one in five (19%) consider themselves “a follower of the teachings or practices of more than one religion.”

Followers of non-Christian religions (26%) are the most likely to be multi-religious, followed by Hispanic Catholics (24%), white mainline/ non-evangelical Protestants (24%), and Protestants of color (16%).

White evangelical Protestants (18%) and Protestants of color (16%) are the least likely to follow the teachings of multiple religions.

Aside from weddings and funerals, more than 40% of Americans said they went to religious events "at least a few times a year" in 2022.

More than four in ten Americans said they went to religious services at least a few times a year, not including weddings and funerals.

Seven percent said they went more than once a week, 16% said they went once a week, seven percent went once or twice a month, and 13% said they went a few times a year.

Most Americans say they rarely (28%) or never (29%) go to religious services, according to the PRRI study.

In 2019 and 2013, most Americans said they attended religious services more than once a week (9% and 11%), once a week (19% and 20%), once or twice a month (both 9%), or a few times a year (17% and 16%).

About four in ten said they rarely went (21% and 22%) or never (24% and 21%).

“The COVID-19 pandemic is most likely a factor in these shifts,” researchers said. WI the debt crisis, and pledged more work from the Biden-Harris administration towards empowering small businesses, advocating for women’s reproductive rights, and improving Black maternal health outcomes.

Harris Weighs In On The Bipartisan Budget Deal

Harris was integral to the negotiations in helping to reach a bipartisan deal so America could avoid defaulting on its debt obligations.

“One of the most important aspects of where we are – and our goal was to avoid the kinds of losses [Republicans] had initially proposed – and that’s very significant,” Harris said of the bipartisan budget deal reached earlier in the week.

The deal places caps on spending for the next two years, claws back about $28 billion in unspent COVID-19 relief money, and strips $20 billion of funds earmarked for the Internal Revenue Service.

President Joe Biden had slotted $80 billion for the IRS to help curtail tax cheaters, but the GOP sought to protect wealthy taxpayers who primarily seek loopholes to avoid paying federal taxes.

The debt ceiling agreement restarts federal student loan payments even as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to rule on the legality of the Biden-Harris forgiveness plan.

Congress hopes to vote this week on the deal, which also added new work requirements for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Association Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits.

Veterans and the unhoused are exempt from such requirements.

“We’ve been able to maintain what we needed to do to preserve social security, Medicare, and veterans’ benefits. As a result, we actually see increases there,” Harris said.

With a steady eye on the present and future, the vice president noted the administration sought to protect the economic gains made during its first two years.

“In two years, we’ve created 12.7 million jobs and 800,000 manufacturing jobs,” Harris declared.“A lot of these issues were what we were fighting to preserve. For example, if they required [new] work requirements, we would preserve many exceptions to the requirements.”

Harris noted that any requirements for veterans and those who are housing insecure were non-starters.

“Veterans and housing-insecure people, not just the homeless, would be exempt. We were not willing to compromise,” she insisted.

The vice president emphasized that the debt ceiling crisis and subsequent deal reminded voters of the significance of choosing candidates who have their constituents’ best interests.

“So many of the issues have to do with who is in elected office. It comes down to the power of the people to elect representatives who reflect their values,” the vice president proclaimed.

“When the majority of people on legislative bodies understand that you shouldn’t create policies on the backs of poor people, that’s policy that most respect our values,” she continued.

She pledged that the administration would keep pushing forward, stand up, and speak up about the needs of working people and families whom she said have been on the outside of politicians’ priority lists for too long.

“We’ve had to keep them on the inside of the priority list,” she said of the Biden-Harris administration.

SMALL BUSINESSES: A PASSION AND PRIORITY

In the fast-paced 20-minute interview, the vice president declared small business a passion.

She said her mother and “second mother,” Ms. Shelton, who lived two doors down and ran a nursery school above her childhood home, helped show her the importance of small businesses.

“Ms. Shelton was a small business owner, matriarch to the community. She was a community leader, a civic leader, who mentored people in the community,” Harris recalled.

“I was raised with an understanding of the importance of small businesses. They aren’t just business owners. They are civic leaders and community leaders and are so much a part of the community’s cultural fabric.

“When I was in the U.S. Senate, I was able to work with my colleagues to get an extra $12 billion put into community banks, which are banks that are in the community who understand the community and its needs and who will create access to capital often where the big banks don’t give access to capital for our startups, young entrepreneurs, and small businesses.”

She maintained that the work has continued in her role as vice president.

Harris helped to create the Economic Opportunity Coalition, where private sector funders put money in community banks and where access to capital has increased for small business owners.

Harris gushed about a recent gathering she convened that consisted of young entrepreneurs and business leaders in tech, space, and climate work.

“They were mostly young Black men doing such innovative and good

The Master Mind principle — or what I refer to as having the "Right People to Guide You" — teaches how successful people select persons who have achieved the object of their desire as someone to emulate, someone to follow, to get advice from, to learn from. Wherever two or more minds come together, a higher mind is created; greater than one's own. This mind may be harmonious, in which case it can truly be called a Master Mind.

In any endeavor you wish to succeed in, it is beneficial to link up with others of like mind and purpose. The pooling of your individual resources is very valuable.

An example of a Master Mind is an effective marriage. The woman can often stimulate and encourage her husband to achievements that he would not normally be capable of, and many women have succeeded through the support and understanding of her husband. Without the pairing, each would have achieved far less.

Many of the greatest minds of the human race freely admit they did not originate the ideas and creations that made them world-famous. Rather, it was like tuning into a cosmic radio station, and gaining the inspiration direct from the mind of God. Scripture reminds us in the Gospel of Matthew 18:20: "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

This principle is therefore like setting up an extremely powerful receiving station; a huge radio telescope tuned to the depths of the heavens, with which to receive every signal pertinent to the goal in mind.

Those who utilize this "people" principle will definitely become

WITH LYNDIA GRANT

great beyond even their wildest dreams. Those who do not will have a much harder time, and may never succeed at all.

Carefully select people who are likely to be in harmony with your life's purpose. The importance of harmony in the group cannot be stressed enough. Infighting will hinder your growth.

Hence, you must regularly review the people in the group. If a member is not in harmony with the common purpose, that person must be removed, and replaced by someone who is.

Meet with your group regularly to discuss and brainstorm ideas. Though it is not good to discuss your aspirations with all people in your life, those inside your group are your confidantes, and therefore can be trusted. Jesus has His team of 12 disciples. They worked together as a team. Judas' betrayal of Jesus is an indication that people can change or mislead you. As soon as you discover a person's loyalty toward your goal is no longer there, stop working with them immediately.

Your goal must benefit every person who works on your team. No one will work for free. Give them money, recognition, or give them an assignment they are likely to enjoy. Why ask someone to do something that is not in agreement with their spirit, they will hate that assignment. How much do you really think will get done, that person will likely be-

Shiloh Church of God 7th Day

gin to gossip with their own confidantes, which is where the Scripture about life and death are in the power of the tongue. So make wise selections, and don't throw someone a bone, either — they will feel you have belittled them, and they will not be a happy camper!

My three sisters and I formed our group, it worked well, and I could trust my people — aka my Master Mind Group — to work closely with! When we were in business together, we lived together as a family and had daily morning meetings at home over breakfast and coffee. We rode in the same car together, heading for our office daily, and planned the entire way there. We worked together in this manner for 10 years. What a powerful team we made. My Master Mind group.

Eventually we became known as "The Grant Sisters," as we improved the annual Georgia Avenue Day Festival and Parade to a higher level each year. What began at 1,000 attendees ended with over 200,000, along with the Caribbean Festival, a spinoff from our festival!

It cannot be all about you, either. Each member must matter. You must show them love. You must show them respect. As my pastor would say, "I'm not making this up, it is not coming from me. This is a principle researched by Napoleon Hill. If you don't believe me, get the book and read this chapter for yourself. You might get a big surprise!" WI