Washington – The economic recession has not led to an increase in attendance at U.S. houses of worship, according to Gallup pollsters.
Despite anecdotal evidence cited in high-profile media outlets, Americans’ worship patterns have held steady in 2008, the Gallup Poll reports. Since mid-February, Gallup said, it has asked 1,000 adults a day how often they attend church, synagogue or mosque.
About 42 percent have said they go weekly or almost weekly, with no increase in September through December, when the recession tightened its hold on the U.S. economy.
Gallup also said there have been no significant change in the percentage of Americans who say they attend church about once a month, seldom, or never.
“The available data on self-reported church attendance among American adults do not appear — as of mid-December — to support the hypothesis that on a society-wide basis, the current bad economic times have resulted in an increase in Americans’ churchgoing behavior,” Gallup’s Dec. 17 report said.
The pollsters said they conduct about 30,000 interviews per month on church attendance, which results in a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point for the surveys.
By, Daniel Burke
Religion News Service
Beliefnet
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posted December 30, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Interesting, and good news.
posted December 30, 2008 at 8:02 pm
I mean, would the increase happen that fast anyway?
posted December 31, 2008 at 11:03 am
Is there any reason to expect that people would go to church more often?
posted December 31, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Church is cheap, a great way to meet people, and a chance to give voice to higher aspirations. That, and learning how to pray is a good thing. Come on down – we are there every Sunday – good economy or bad, rain or sun.
posted January 1, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I think church can bring out the best in people but I wouldn’t call it cheap, at least not if you’re tithing, which I do.
posted January 3, 2009 at 12:23 am
Given the many astounding ways people have find to spend their money, even taking tithing into consideration, church is cheap – but not inexpensive. Money helps, but what is really called for is your heart, mind, and spirit. Now THAT costs – and the investment is repaid in ways money managers can only envy.
posted January 5, 2009 at 4:36 pm
The bible has more advice about money than anything else.
posted January 16, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Wicca is cheap. No buildings, tithing, passing of the plate, changing of ministers, harm none, do as ye will, nature based, cleansed, protected, power of three, elemental, animal lovers, enviromentalist, sunlight, moonlight, altar bearing, blessed, believers.