A less-and-less Christian nation

Hypocritical blowhards have damaged the Christian “brand.” [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP4QTAWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS90ZW1wbGF0ZS9vYWt2Mj91cmk9bnl0Oi8vbmV3c2xldHRlci83YTFkNTllMy1lNmQ4LTQ3NGQtOTlhMi1jZTlmYWZmYTgxMzAmdGU9MSZubD1uaWNob2xhcy1rcmlzdG9mJmVtYz1lZGl0X25rXzIwMTkxMDI2P2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTQ1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTEzNDA4JnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTgyODAmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyVwNueXRCCgAby5q0XfYIF_dSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0SyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP3RlPTEmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ua18yMDE5MTAyNj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD00NSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMzQwOCZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE4MjgwJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYxOTkwJmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDE5MTAyNlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ [NYTimes.com/Kristof](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0TIaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS9jb2x1bW4vbmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZj90ZT0xJm5sPW5pY2hvbGFzLWtyaXN0b2YmZW1jPWVkaXRfbmtfMjAxOTEwMjY_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NDUmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTM0MDgmc2VnbWVudF9pZD0xODI4MCZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3JnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTJXA255dEIKABvLmrRd9ggX91IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) October 26, 2019 Audra Melton for The New York Times [Author Headshot](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vY29sdW1uL25pY2hvbGFzLWtyaXN0b2Y_dGU9MSZubD1uaWNob2xhcy1rcmlzdG9mJmVtYz1lZGl0X25rXzIwMTkxMDI2P2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTQ1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTEzNDA4JnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTgyODAmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyVwNueXRCCgAby5q0XfYIF_dSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) By [Nicholas Kristof](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vY29sdW1uL25pY2hvbGFzLWtyaXN0b2Y_dGU9MSZubD1uaWNob2xhcy1rcmlzdG9mJmVtYz1lZGl0X25rXzIwMTkxMDI2P2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTQ1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTEzNDA4JnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTgyODAmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyVwNueXRCCgAby5q0XfYIF_dSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) Opinion Columnist A new Pew survey finds that just 49 percent of young adults in America identify as Christian. There’s no good historical data, but this just may be the first time since the founding of the United States that a majority of young Americans do not consider themselves Christians — and that’s [the topic of my Sunday column.](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0TraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAxOS8xMC8yNi9vcGluaW9uL3N1bmRheS9jaHJpc3RpYW5pdHktdW5pdGVkLXN0YXRlcy5odG1sP3RlPTEmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ua18yMDE5MTAyNj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD00NSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMzQwOCZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE4MjgwJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) Some conservative Christian commentators will fulminate that faith is suffering because of out-of-control liberalism, or lack of freedom of religion, or a “war on Christians,” or whatever. But I argue that young people in particular are disenchanted by hard-line, preening, moralizing blowhards who don’t seem particularly moral. The Christian right has thundered against gays, resisted women’s rights and embraced the philanderer who is now our president. I’ve periodically written about all the good that some Christian missionaries and others do around the world, selflessly living out the gospels. If they were the face of Christianity, its reputation would be golden. But the blowhards have hijacked the face of the church, particularly its evangelical wing, and they are causing it enormous damage. This will be controversial, so [please read the colum](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0TraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAxOS8xMC8yNi9vcGluaW9uL3N1bmRheS9jaHJpc3RpYW5pdHktdW5pdGVkLXN0YXRlcy5odG1sP3RlPTEmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ua18yMDE5MTAyNj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD00NSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMzQwOCZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE4MjgwJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)[n](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0TraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAxOS8xMC8yNy9vcGluaW9uL3N1bmRheS9jaHJpc3RpYW5pdHktdW5pdGVkLXN0YXRlcy5odG1sP3RlPTEmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ua18yMDE5MTAyNj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD00NSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMzQwOCZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE4MjgwJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) and then weigh in on the comments. Brexit I’m in Europe as I write this, covering the Brexit that may not be an exit, and I’m thinking of doing a piece about how the United States would be covered by a foreign correspondent. I’m thinking of the times I parachuted into some chaotic dictatorship when I was a foreign correspondent and gently poked fun of what I found; what outrages would such a correspondent highlight about America today? I welcome your thoughts by email here: kristof-newsletter@nytimes.com. ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYxOTg3JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDE5MTAyNlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYxOTg5JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDE5MTAyNlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYxOTg4JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDE5MTAyNlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ Even here in Europe, everyone is closely watching President Trump and the impeachment investigation. As one senior politician told me: “If your president isn’t a Manchurian candidate, he’s doing a pretty good imitation of one.” Europeans were particularly irritated that they were not advised of the Syrian pullout before it happened. Some British troops were initially left behind on bases in Syria when the Americans left. That should never happen. Trump’s Cancellations The White House is canceling subscriptions to The New York Times and The Washington Post and advising other federal agencies to do the same. I just find that sad. And truly, I wish President Trump understood that he’s not going to intimidate any reporters with that move. Journalists are jailed for protecting sources and are committed to the truth, despite being called “the enemy of the people.” They’re not going to stop doing their job because of a few canceled subscriptions. We will continue to do what we can, however imperfectly, to hold politicians accountable. Early Book Reviews Some of you know that Sheryl and I have a new book coming out in January, [“Tightrope,”](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0T8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucGVuZ3VpbnJhbmRvbWhvdXNlLmNvbS9ib29rcy81ODg5OTkvdGlnaHRyb3BlLWJ5LW5pY2hvbGFzLWQta3Jpc3RvZi1hbmQtc2hlcnlsLXd1ZHVubi8_dGU9MSZubD1uaWNob2xhcy1rcmlzdG9mJmVtYz1lZGl0X25rXzIwMTkxMDI2P2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTQ1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTEzNDA4JnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTgyODAmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyVwNueXRCCgAby5q0XfYIF_dSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) and we’re thrilled that Publishers Weekly just did [an advance review](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0TMaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucHVibGlzaGVyc3dlZWtseS5jb20vOTc4LTAtNTI1LTY1NTA4LTQ_dGU9MSZubD1uaWNob2xhcy1rcmlzdG9mJmVtYz1lZGl0X25rXzIwMTkxMDI2P2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTQ1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTEzNDA4JnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTgyODAmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyVwNueXRCCgAby5q0XfYIF_dSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) praising it as a “stark, fluidly written portrait” and says “this essential, clear-eyed account provides worthy solutions to some of America’s most complex socioeconomic problems.” It’s partly about the struggles of my beloved hometown in Oregon, so it’s particularly meaningful to get praise from reviewers. And we hope the book will help inform some of the presidential campaigning in 2020. ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTI4ODA4JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDE5MTAyNlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTI4ODA5JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDE5MTAyNlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTI4ODEwJmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDE5MTAyNlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ Now [here’s my column on religion and the decline of Christianity in America.](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0TraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAxOS8xMC8yNi9vcGluaW9uL3N1bmRheS9jaHJpc3RpYW5pdHktdW5pdGVkLXN0YXRlcy5odG1sP3RlPTEmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ua18yMDE5MTAyNj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD00NSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMzQwOCZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE4MjgwJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) (Judaism and Islam are holding steady, by the way). [Please read](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0TraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAxOS8xMC8yNi9vcGluaW9uL3N1bmRheS9jaHJpc3RpYW5pdHktdW5pdGVkLXN0YXRlcy5odG1sP3RlPTEmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ua18yMDE5MTAyNj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD00NSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xMzQwOCZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTE4MjgwJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MlcDbnl0QgoAG8uatF32CBf3Uht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). What I’m Reading My colleague Timothy Egan has written a new book, [“A Pilgrimage to Eternity.”](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0TzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucGVuZ3VpbnJhbmRvbWhvdXNlLmNvbS9ib29rcy81NTgzMDUvYS1waWxncmltYWdlLXRvLWV0ZXJuaXR5LWJ5LXRpbW90aHktZWdhbi8_dGU9MSZubD1uaWNob2xhcy1rcmlzdG9mJmVtYz1lZGl0X25rXzIwMTkxMDI2P2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTQ1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTEzNDA4JnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTgyODAmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyVwNueXRCCgAby5q0XfYIF_dSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) Tim has won the National Book Award and writes on any subject with an elegance that I’ve always admired. He now turns his lens to faith, exploring religion as a source of comfort in a secular age. He reflects as he undertakes a physical and spiritual journey, and this phrase particularly sticks with me: “malnutrition of the soul is a plague of modern life.” Likewise, Jim Wallis, the liberal evangelical writer I mention in my column, has a new book out, [“Christ in Crisis: Why We Need To Reclaim Jesus,”](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRflx_LP0TPaHR0cHM6Ly9oYXJwZXJvbmUuY29tLzk3ODAwNjI5MTQ3NjcvY2hyaXN0LWluLWNyaXNpcy8_dGU9MSZubD1uaWNob2xhcy1rcmlzdG9mJmVtYz1lZGl0X25rXzIwMTkxMDI2P2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTQ1Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTEzNDA4JnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MTgyODAmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyVwNueXRCCgAby5q0XfYIF_dSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) which seems very much in tune with my column. 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