Religion in the US today

Three different people (edit: four...and counting) have sent me a link to this article in the past day. Please read it. You can find the actual study here, and if you really want to dive in the data tables are here.

A couple of things that jumped out at me:
-the article begins "The US religious marketplace..." When did truth become something we buy and sell?
-the fourth largest religious affiliation in the US is 'none,' with 16% of the total population.
-most of those had an affiliation as children.
-only 1.6% of Americans are atheists, and only 2.4% are agnostics.
-that means that 12% (unaffiliated minus agnostics and atheists) believe in God but are unaffiliated.
-'no affiliation' is the fastest growing affiliation in the country.
-one in every ten Americans is an ex-Catholic...yikes!
-44% of Americans have changed affiliation during their life.

What does all this say to me?

First, 16% unaffiliated isn't all that bad. But when it's the fastest growing group, that's no so good for how we do church in America. Second, the last numbers I heard were that 40% of Americans go to worship (of any religion) on any given week. So there's 44% of the population that are affiliated but don't show up anywhere on a given week. That includes folks who go every other week, once a month, and a couple times year, so it's complex. But there are still lots of folks who are affiliated but not very active. I wish the study would have gotten into that.

Overall, this study shows me that there would be a tremendous market for The River if I thought truth was something to be bought and sold. But I don't. I'm also not all that worried about the numbers of 'unaffiliated' or the 44% who have switched affiliations. I don't care if folks who are The River view themselves as unaffiliated, Lutheran, or African Methodist Episcopal Spinach Tossing Bagel Munchers. Call yourself whatever you like. Truth is not something we're pouring from a denominational tap. It's a cup we're offering to anyone who is thirsty. Have a sip, chug it down, whatever. Stay for a swim or just dip a toe in, whatever. Because Jesus gives the water of life, not a denomination. And those who drink of the water he gives will never be thirsty, regardless of the tap it comes from.