Protestantism
The Protestant churches, born of the Reformation movement in Europe in the 16th century, are numerous in the United States. They were established and developed from the various colonies that were established from 1607 on the East Coast. Many of them were founded much later.
Despite differences, and with rare exceptions, they differ from Catholicism in the following main points:
Protestants refer only to the Bible as their source of doctrine. They do not recognize the authority of the Pope or cardinals, but rely on the authority of bishops or presbyteral councils.
There are only two sacraments in the Protestant churches (baptism and eucharist) and seven in the Catholic Church (baptism, eucharist, confirmation, reconciliation, anointing of the sick, marriage, ordination).
Pastors (whose real name is Minister of the Gospel) can marry and women are commonly given access to ministry.
Protestants recognize only Jesus Christ as an intermediary with God. Mary and the saints are not part of their prayers.
Transubstantiation (the conversion of bread and wine into the blood and body of Christ) is not recognized.
Protestantism is more stripped down than Catholicism in its rites. For example, there is no sign of the cross or use of holy water.
There are nocrucifixes in the temples. Since Jesus has risen, his representation on the Cross is superfluous. The cross is therefore empty.
The main protestant churches are the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Reformed, Methodist and Evangelical (Anabaptist, Baptist, Pentecostal...) churches. The largest Protestant denomination in the Bilble Belt is the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Midwest and the Bible Belt
The majority of Midwesterners are Protestant, with an estimated 48% in Illinois and up to 63% in Iowa. Lutherans are based in the upper Midwest (Michigan, Minnesota, Dakota and Wisconsin) with large populations of German and Scandinavian origin.
The Bible Belt corresponds to an extremely large geographical and sociological area covering 18 states, 7 of which are partially in the south of the country. From east to west, this means all the states from West Virginia to the eastern fringe of Arizona, and from north to south, all those from Missouri to Louisiana. As for Route 66, southern Illinois, Missouri, southeastern Kansas, Oklahoma, most of Texas and eastern New Mexico are part of it. Protestantism is in the majority outside of Chicago.
39% of Midwesterners attend religious services weekly and 15% attend at least once a month.
Judaism and Islam are practiced by 2% of the population, with a greater concentration in the larger cities. Muslims are particularly well established in the northeastern U.S. (the largest mosque in the country is in Lanham, Maryland) and have a very high percentage of practicing Muslims in Illinois.
The percentage of people with no religious affiliation is 22% of the Midwest population.
All of these figures should be taken with caution, of course, because of the multiple sources from which they were gathered and the difference in population size and total number of churchgoers per state.
Chicago and Los Angeles
The two largest cities on Route 66, Chicago and Los Angeles, merit special study because of their size and importance. The percentages given here are based on the total number of people who claim a religion.
In Chicago, the second largest metropolitan area in North America after New York and Los Angeles, Christianity predominates, with 38.7 percent Catholic and 15 percent Protestant and other Christian denominations. The city is home to the third largest Catholic archdiocese in the country, after New York and Los Angeles. Its seat is the Cathedral of the Holy Name (730 North Wabash). Consecrated in 1875, it is the successor to St. Mary's Cathedral, which was completely destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The Muslim religion ranks second with 3.9% of churchgoers, followed by the Jewish religion with 1.1%. Located at 448 S. Wabash Ave, the very modest Al-Sadiq Mosque is the oldest remaining mosque in the United States. It dates back to 1922. The Loop Synaguogue (16 C Clark Street), whose current building dates from 1957, is particularly notable for its beautiful stained glass "Let There Be Light" window, the work of Abraham Rattner.
In the vast Los Angeles area, the Christian religion is in the majority with 37% Catholics and 11.9% Protestants and other Christian denominations. With 5 million members, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles is the largest archdiocese in the United States. Its headquarters are in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown (555 W. Temple Street). It was consecrated in 2002, having replaced the Cathedral of St. Vibiana as its mother church, which was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1994. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church) is the second largest religion in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, with 1.6% of the population attending. Its temple, opened in 1956, is located at 10777 Santa Monica Blvd. The Jewish religion, with 1.1% of practitioners, is next. One of the most beautiful synagogues in the city is the one on Wilshire Boulevard (3643 Wilshire Blvd), which dates from 1929, and belongs to the oldest Jewish community in Los Angeles. The beautiful Audrey-Irmas Pavilion, with its futuristic shape, has been facing it since 2021.
Focus on the Mormon Church
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormon Church, was founded in the United States in the 19th century.
The history of the LDS Church's beliefs can be traced back to 1820, when Joseph Smith, then 14 years old, had a vision of God and Jesus near his home in Manchester, New York. Both apparitions would have told him not to join any Christian church, as the truth lay elsewhere. Three years later, the angel Moroni appeared to him, telling him that he was the chosen one to translate texts written on golden plates, written in large part by Mormon, Moroni's father, buried in the forest near his home since the fourth century. This translation,The Book of Mormon, gave birth to the Church of Jesus Christ in 1830, which a few years later became the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Driven out of Ohio and Missouri, the Mormons moved to Illinois, where Joseph Smith founded the city of Nauvoo on the banks of the Missouri River. After his death in 1844 under violent conditions, it was Brigham Young who led the Mormons to the Rocky Mountains during a long journey of 17 months and 1,800 km. In 1847, they founded Salt Lake City in the Great Salt Lake Desert. Brigham Young became the first governor of the state of Deseret and later of Utah Territory. Since the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, different movements have emerged from Mormonism. None is recognized by the official Church.
The Mormon faith is based on the Bible, the Book of Mormon (which traces God's relationship with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas - Nephites, Lamanites and Jaredites - from 600 BC to 420 AD), The Pearl of Great Price (a selection of Joseph Smith's writings) and the book Doctrines and Covenants (a collection of revelations received by Joseph Smith with additions made by successive prophets leading the Church).
The SDJ Church has 16 million followers worldwide, including 6 million in the United States. Salt Lake City, Utah, is both the state capital and the main religious center of the SDJ Church. Salt Lake City has the largest membership in the United States (over 60% of the population). It is a religion that claims to be Catholic.
The SDJ Church recognizes Jesus as a prophet, of whom Joseph Smith was the first successor. Its religious buildings include churches, which are open to all, and temples, which are open only to members of the SDJ Church with a pass. There are more than 150 temples built around the world and as many more in the process of being built.
During the 19th century, the Mormons explored a large part of the American West with the conversion mission, especially the Four Cornes area (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona). Today, along Route 66, the Mormon Church is particularly present in the cities of Gallup, New Mexico (13.4% of religious adherents) and Flagstaff, Arizona (12.6% of religious adherents).
According to a recent study by the religion research center, Pew Research (www.pewresearch.org), here are several specifics that can be attributed to church members:
Of all the Christian religious traditions in the United States, Mormons are among the most involved in their congregations (67%).
While nearly all Mormons consider themselves Christians (97%), only about half (51%) of U.S. adults say Mormonism is a Christian religion.
Nine out of ten Mormons believe that the current president of the Church (Thomas S. Monson, as of 2008) is a prophet of God (94%) and that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets (91%).
Mormons are among the most politically and sociallyconservative religious groups in the United States. For example, two-thirds of Mormons say they oppose gay and lesbian couples marrying legally, and seven in ten say they think abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.
58% of Mormons say a marriage in which the husband provides for the family and the wife stays home is preferable to one in which both spouses have jobs. Among the general public, most people (62%) express the opposite view.
Mormons are relatively young and less diverse compared to other Christian groups, and they are younger than the U.S. population as a whole. The median age of American Mormons is 43, while the median age of the general population is 46. As a religious group, they are also much less racially and ethnically diverse than the U.S. population as a whole, with 85% of American Mormons identifying themselves as non-Hispanic white.
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(entdossierthemarub)18678:texteOn Route 66
You will certainly be surprised by the emphasis on religion on the Road itself, mainly in the states of Illinois and Missouri. Fences covered with slogans call for the Love of Jesus Christ. In Raymond, Illinois, on the side of Route 66, in a private property, is Our Lady of the Highways Shrine, which is a replica of the statue of the Virgin of Lourdes. She was placed there (22353 West Frontage Road) in 1949 to watch over travelers. In Hamel, Missouri, St. Paul's Lutheran Church (9400 Church Rd) has a giant blue neon-lit cross, donated by a family to honor their son's death in the 1944 Battle of Anzio. In Webb City, Missouri, the Giants Praying Hands dominate a small hill (Dawson Dr). They were erected in 1974 in memory of the 1960s, which, according to their creator, local artist Jack Dawson, was a bad time for the country. In Groom, Texas, it is a giant cross of 58 meters that catches the eye. It stands in the center of a Stations of the Cross with giant figures (Hwy 295 & CO Rd BB). It was erected in 1995 by the religious community of Cross Minestry to protect travelers who see it from Route 66 but also from the nearby I-40interstate. More amusing, but still related to the faith that inhabits a large part of the population: The Precious Moments Chapel, in Carthage, Missouri (4321 South Chapel Road). A place shaped by Samuel Butcher who received a call from Christ in the 1970s. It feels more like an amusement park than a place of worship, because everything is done here for family tourism.
