Christ First Forum

How many South Dakotans celebrated Christmas on Sunday? Probably not as many as you think, and certainly fewer than a generation ago.

In 1990, 95 percent of South Dakotans identified themselves as Christian. In 2008, 78 percent said the same, according to the American Religious Identification Survey, which asked: “What is your religion, if any?” The survey tells us South Dakota was the 17th-most Christian state in the country three years ago. In 1990, we trailed only Louisiana.

So, what happened? Some of it is due to an increase, from 1 to 4 percent, in residents from non-Christian religions. Another factor is that for some reason, 5 percent of those who answered the survey either refused to answer or didn’t “know” their religion, up from 1 percent last time.

But the most significant change in 18 years was in people who identify with no religion at all. In 1990, 4 percent of South Dakotans claimed no religion; in 2008, 12 percent.

So, when you offer the inclusive greeting of “Happy Holidays” in South Dakota, know that you’re more likely referring to Festivus than Hanukkah.

It’s not just South Dakota where heathens are proliferating. Nationwide, the percentage who answered the question with “none,” “agnostic” or “atheist” climbed from 8.9 percent in 1990 to 16.6 percent in 2008.

The most Christian states now are Mississippi (91 percent), North Dakota (90) and Louisiana (88).

No state has a higher percentage of non-religious than Vermont, which might explain why Gen. Waverly’s lodge had so many available rooms in Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.”

http://www.argusleader.com/article/2011 ... adlines%29

With figures such as these, why are our missionaries leaving the country? Guess that's why foreign missionaries are coming here instead.