The Fall of Traditional Faith

Our relationship with religion in the United States is quickly changing.

The US is a country that prides itself on freedom of religion. This has been a central theme of our identity as a nation. People in the US are more than three times as likely to say that religion is very important in their lives compared to people in other advanced industrial democracies, including France, Britain, and Germany.

The way we practice our faith in the US, however, is rapidly changing with the growth of “nones,” people who consider themselves unaffiliated with any religion, according to data from the Pew Research Center. With each generation there has been an increase in the percentage of “nones,” with 35 percent of millennials now describing themselves as unaffiliated. In total, over 20 percent of the US population is now categorized as “nones.”

This category of “nones” is much more diverse than one would originally think. Many people may conflate this category with atheism; however, 68 percent of “nones” do in fact believe in God. Furthermore, 37 percent of these people describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” Even more shocking is the fact that 20 percent of the “nones” pray every day.

People who list their religious affiliation as “none” may seem ripe for conversion, as they have many of the characteristics that people commonly associate with religion: a belief in God, participation in prayer, and spirituality. This however, is far from the truth. Surprisingly, 88 percent of people in the “nones” category say that they are not looking for a religion. This trend continues to grow, with much speculation regarding its root cause.

I believe that there are four main reasons for this growing trend. The first is that religious institutions are slow to adapt to changing societal dynamics and social views. The second is that society is becoming more and more focused on the “now” and getting immediate gratification (think of smartphones and all the information you can easily get in one minute), while organized religion is inherently “inconvenient” and time-consuming. The third cause is that many people are increasingly skeptical that religious institutions should be dictating morals and ethics to us. The final cause is that in an age of increasing identity politics, people are no longer as willing to put religious labels on themselves. Doing so may make them feel that they have to take responsibility for any misgivings associated with their religion.

Religious institutions tend to be too slow in adapting to the rapidly changing dynamics of society and societal views on social issues. For centuries, religion often dictated social views, and in many places it still does. In America today, however, social opinions are no longer consistently aligned with many traditional religious views. Not all religious denominations and houses of worship are at odds with common societal views, but there is a public perception, especially from the left, that mainstream religion is incompatible with their social views on issues like same-sex marriage and abortion. People who oppose such policies often cite their religion as a reason for their disagreement, while advocates of such causes do not cite religion as a motivating reason, but prefer citing general rights or ethics. This increases public perception that religion is the root cause for opposition to policies that a growing segment of the public now favor. While many individual houses of worship support the same progressive policies as the public-one could easily confuse Central Reform Congregation, a reform synagogue in Clayton, for a social justice rally with the amount of “Black Lives Matter” and rainbow-colored paraphernalia present-they have failed to effectively make their voice heard to the general public. This failure to connect has led to the exodus of many people who might otherwise remain religiously affiliated. In addition to this social disconnect, more than two-thirds of “nones” believe that religious organizations are too concerned with money and power, and furthermore, are too involved with politics. This widespread belief exemplifies the failure of these institutions to create a positive public image. The psychic reading online is what is preferred these days as one can access to world class psychics to help them with their life decisions and to take the right path.

It is no surprise that religion is intrinsically inconvenient in the modern world. People are becoming less and less patient in the 21st century, and instead are looking for immediate results. The rapid growth of technology has enabled people to be able to instantly find a plethora of information within seconds by simply using their smartphones. We increasingly demand to see some sort of a result for even the briefest of efforts. Moreover, we have begun to take it for granted that almost everything is now convenient, easily accessible through the internet, and is there exactly when we want it. Inherently, religion does not work that way. Religion takes a commitment of time before the rewards can be reaped. Someone who is observant has to attend religious services, which tend to be at inconvenient times like weekend mornings or evenings. People may no longer be willing to give up their valuable personal time for something that may not yield immediate dividends. It may also take a while for someone to truly feel part of that religious community, causing people to leave prematurely. Furthermore, religions may dictate some laws and practices (like dietary restrictions) that many people don’t see the reason for, and don’t want to follow. This is evidenced by the fact that two-thirds of “nones” believe that religious organizations are too focused on rules. Of course, many people do not follow all the laws and practices of their religion, but that still does not change the perception of organized religion in the eyes of the non-religious. Furthermore, the Internet itself can provide people with a variety of ways in which to be spiritual. Within minutes online, people can find a wide range of websites and books teaching them how to connect with God or be spiritual without organized religion. Simply put, it is increasingly easier to not be religious and still have a spiritual relationship. People today may not have the patience required for organized religion.

Traditionally, organized religion has been a source of moral authority in this country. Recently, however, its influence in this regard is slowly declining. Many people no longer believe that organized religion should dictate their morals and values. As a matter of fact, 48 percent of “nones” feel this way. In an increasingly complex modern world, people are no longer as comfortable seeking moral guidance from ancient books. This may also stem from the disagreement between religious institutions and the public on social issues. Many of the people who disagree on social issues do so based on moral beliefs, like equality and human rights (no matter your race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation). People often feel that if they have a disagreement with a religious law or policy, it prevents them from fully embracing the religion, making them feel that they can no longer be part of that religion. If people see houses of worship and religious institutions as places where morals are dictated, rather than places for the debate and discussion of morality, they are simply less inclined to be part of that religion.

Finally, in an age of increased identity politics, people are becoming more conscious of how they identify themselves. This strongly impacts religion, because it becomes increasingly difficult for people to say that they are loosely affiliated with a religion. People who may seldom come to services, but previously have identified with the religion, may no longer identify with that religion. In short, they may fear the label. They may see religion represented in the media in ways they disagree with, and thus fear being associated with that religion. For people on the outskirts of their religious communities, this may be the final straw that pushes them completely away.

In the 21st century, the prevalence of religion in the US has already declined dramatically. It will continue to do so unless organized religions can adapt to the new challenges they face in the modern world. Throughout history, organized religion has shown the ability to adapt to the public’s changing moral values, and adjust with the times. If these religious institutions want to flourish once again they will have to contemplate serious changes in order to address the new dynamics of 21st century America.