Ep. 613: The Revival Myth Persists, NPR Blunder, Texas Schools Bible Readings, iPhone Degrees
Christina
Hello, everyone, I’m Christina Darnell, the managing editor of MinistryWatch. Welcome to the MinistryWatch podcast.
In today’s extra episode, I talk with Warren Smith about some news items that are slightly (even significantly) outside of our normal charity and philanthropy “beat.”
So, Warren, what’s up first?
Warren
William Bennett famously said, “The plural of anecdotes is not data.” Journalists who write about religion often forget that reality.
Christina
The latest example came from Carson Daly of the Today Show. He wants us to believe that young people are packing Catholic Churches, and they are leading a Catholic resurgence in this country. But you’re not buying it.
Warren
I’m not. The data tell a different story.
I turned to the 2023–24 Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Study, based on nearly 37,000 randomly selected American adults, for a reality check.
Among its findings: About 19 percent of U.S. adults identify as Catholic, unchanged since 2014 — but well below historical levels. Even more telling: 43 percent of Americans raised Catholic no longer identify as Catholic. Only 1.5 percent of American adults have become Catholic after being raised in another religion or with no religion. Catholics have experienced the largest net losses of any major Christian tradition through religious switching.
Christina
What about young people? That seemed to be the focus of the Carson Daly piece.
Warren
It was, but even among young people, the data don’t support that conclusion.
Among Americans ages 18–24, 12 percent have left Catholicism, while only 1 percent have converted into it. Pew concluded there is “no clear evidence” of a nationwide religious revival among young adults.
Christina
Why has this revival narrative been so persistent. We’ve been seeing it in the Protestant church as well.
Warren
Journalists want to find unusual stories. The slow secularization of religion over the past 50 years is not unusual. It’s been told, and journalists are looking for a new story.
As the old saying, “Dog bites man” is not a story. “Man bites dog” is a story. As for the Catholic resurgence story? Well, to torture the metaphor: “That dog won’t hunt.” Carson Daly might be able to find a parish whose young adult Mass grows from 50 to 400 people, but that does not make up for the thousands of parishes experiencing gradual (and sometimes significant) decline.
Christina
Years ago, David Letterman had a routine that he called “Stupid Pet Tricks.” The first story we did, plus the next one, might qualify this episode of the podcast for its own “Stupid Media Tricks” segment.
Warren
You’re right. This week saw another significant media story that caused me to wonder.
In this case, veteran National Public Radio Supreme Court reporter Nina Totenberg wrote a story that Justice Samuel Alito had retired.
Christina
And, to be clear, Justice Alito has not retired.
Warren
That’s right. But the story that he had retired made it through NPR’s editing process and onto the website before someone discovered the mistake. And, of course, if it makes it to one website, the algorithms soon have it everywhere.
Christina
About an hour after publication, NPR retracted the story, issued a correction, and apologized. But the damage had been done.
Warren
To be fair, the damage was not severe – except, perhaps, to the credibility of NPR. But it does provide a lesson in how modern media work.
Charlie Warzel, writing for The Atlantic, does a fascinating post-mortem on the episode, saying the error highlights several habits of modern journalism that are pathological. Among them: “That a breakneck news cycle is forcing even the best reporters and editors to move too fast, that modern beat reporting itself has become too consumed with being first to report stories.” Warzel’s story is a smart look at how the journalistic sausage is made. I recommend it. You can find a link in today’s show notes.
Christina
Our next story is also a media story, of sorts.
Warren
I had not thought of it that way, but I think you’re right.
Our friend Joseph Slife forwarded me a story that Michigan’s Cornerstone University was offering a degree that could be completed “100%” on a smartphone.
Christina
Warren, did you check the date on that story. Are you sure it’s not an April Fools Day prank?
Warren
I did check, because that was my first thought.
Alas, it is not. According to The College Fix, “Cornerstone University, located in Grand Rapids, is offering an associate degree and bachelor’s degree in strategic business management along with a master’s in organizational leadership through its new program. Students pay a fixed rate of $2,400 per four-month term or $3,750 for graduate level work. The intended audience is working adults.”
Christina
That’s pretty cheap, and – as a working adult – I couldn’t imagine trying to get to a nearby college a couple of nights a week for classes.
Warren
I get that. 100 percent. I am not a Luddite. I use my iPhone for a lot of things – including learning. YouTube videos have helped me learn new licks on the guitar, have helped me repair my toilet, and have helped me gain new insights into the human condition.
Christina
But learning via iPhone is a different experience than face-to-face, in classroom learning.
Warren
That’s exactly right. Especially from a wise and well-qualified teacher, in a community with other learners who are grappling with the same ideas — both in class, but also around the dinner table in the dining hall.
Christina
So what you’re saying is that virtual learning is not worthless. It is just different.
Warren
I do not oppose colleges offering programs virtually, but to offer accredited degrees that carry all the prestige and credentialing power of an in-person degree…well…that is just bearing false witness.
Christina
Let’s conclude today with news that the Texas State Board of Education passed a new required reading list that includes Bible passages.
Warren
On Friday, June 26, the Republican-controlled board voted 9-5-1 to approve a first-of-its-kind list that will affect more than 5 million public school students. Required readings for younger students include illustrated Old Testament stories such as Noah’s Ark and David and Goliath. By upper elementary school, students read New Testament passages about Jesus’ teachings and parables. Middle school and high school lessons pair scriptural themes with classic literature.
Christina
Most Christian groups are praising this decision. But you say…not so fast.
Warren
I will have to say that net-net I am glad they are reading the Bible in the classroom. You simply cannot understand most of Western literature – from Dante to Shakespeare to Faulkner to Eliot – without some biblical literacy. And I know that there are a lot of great public school teachers who will handle these texts with care and respect.
Christina
I sense a big fat…however…coming on.
Warren
Ha. So I’ll say it. However…
I do wonder what will happen when you put scripture into the hands of militantly secularized teachers, and you give them a platform to air their grievances. They may be forced to read the bible, but what if the teacher spends the rest of the class presenting arguments for its unreliability?
Christina
So are you opposed to reading the Bible in classrooms?
Warren
Absolutely not. I’m very much in favor of it, but I do wonder how it’s going to be taught. I would recommend that parents in Texas remain vigilant. Time will tell whether this was a positive innovation for the classroom, or one full of unintended consequences. Until then, though, I know that “God’s word will not return void.” So, I trust that the positive impact of scripture reading will be greater than any efforts to undermine it.
Christina
Any final thoughts before we go?
Warren
If you have not discovered our YouTube channel, check it out here. We now have nearly 200 videos there, and they have attracted tens of thousands of views. Subscribe, like, and share to spread the word about our work.
I am in Albuquerque next month. If you live in the Land of Enchantment, one of my favorite states, reach out to me. I would love to share a meal or a cup of coffee with you. My email is [email protected].
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Christina
The producer for today’s program is Jeff McIntosh. I’m Christina Darnell, along with Warren Smith.
Until next time, may God bless you.
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