American religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American religion - Essay Example The use of the term softening is a strategy to balance the increasing religiosity and the decline in certain religious aspects. The softening of religion in America has become an issue of debate. There are many reasons put forth to support the softening of religion. Although some scholars do not support the softening ideology, certain factors prove the idea of softening true. This paper will focus on describing what has caused the softening of religion in America. Religion diversity is one of the reasons why some authors believe that American religion is softening. In the early 1900s, there were many people who professed to be members of different religions. Specifically, there were many Americans who proved to be staunch Protestants and Catholics. In the 1970s, the number of such people had decreased immensely. Many Americans have let go of their religious affiliations and opted to become atheists. Although such people recognize the existence of God, they prefer to stay away from any specific church. Currently, there are different types of atheism exhibited by people in America. Chaves, one of the authors who have explored the softening of religion in America believes that American atheists who have distanced themselves from religious groups are more than people who are stuck to the religion. In addition, the increasing popularity of other religions such as Hinduism and Islam has contributed to increased softening of religion. The American p opulation no longer fits a homogeneous description of religion (Chaves 18). The reasons for this are because people exhibit diverse faiths and appreciate the value of religious diversity. Notably, there was a time when America registered a remarkable increase of Protestants. The increase was after different Protestant groups received much popularity. Many people joined the Protestant groups leaving behind the traditional Christianity groups. It emerges that the current trend depict a decline of Protestants. It is no