Column Introduction: When Faith and religion builds bridges in our community
It is easy to become cynical about the role of religion in public life.
News stories about religious intolerance dominate the national headlines, and some politicians openly call for a movement toward Christian nationalism, while recent court rulings chip away at the divide between church and state.
Contrast this with a survey by the Pew Research Center earlier this year that found 80 percent of U.S. adults think religion’s role in American life is shrinking. That number is as high as it’s ever been, and Americans’ membership in houses of worship has dropped to an all-time low. Gallup polling in 2020 reported just 47 percent of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from half the population in 2018 and 70 percent in 1999.
Why, then, should the Toledo Free Press be concerned with including a religion column in its newly relaunched publication?
Even though formal membership in houses of worship is declining, Americans continue to seek supernatural answers to the deeper questions in life. Pew reported last year that seven in 10 U.S. adults describe themselves as spiritual in some way, including 22 percent who do not consider themselves religious. Other notable findings from that survey showed:
- 83 percent of all U.S. adults believe people have a soul or spirit in addition to their physical body
- 81 percent say there is something spiritual beyond the natural world, even if we cannot see it
- 74 percent say there are some things that science cannot possibly explain
One does not need to be religious to do good, but some of the people doing the most good in our community happen to be those who are motivated by faith in a higher power. These individuals and groups are often the ones on the frontlines of feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless and reaching out to aid other vulnerable populations and important causes.
Faith — and yes, religion — remains a powerful community-building force in our region, and Toledo has a proud history of religious tolerance and welcoming people of diverse faith backgrounds.
This columnist hopes to showcase those people and places of faith that are building bridges in our community, and to celebrate and share the diverse religious perspectives and traditions that make our region stronger.
As a publication dedicated to community journalism, we invite our readers to let us know: How do houses of worship bring light to our region? Who are the unsung heroes working day in and day out to share a sincere love of their God with their neighbor? And as formal church membership shrinks, where are residents today seeking spiritual inspiration and growth? And how does spirituality play into non-religious people?
