Change is certain in all aspects of life, faith

If there is one thing that is certain in our world, it is change. Just stand still for a moment and things will change. In fact, some things change so fast that it makes one dizzy. Consider the fact that computers are almost out-of-date before you can get them home and hooked up. Mobile phones are the same. And, unfortunately, so is religion.

When I was growing up, religion was at the center of our lifestyle. We weren’t just given permission to attend church; it was expected of us. And it didn’t include just Sunday. Attending on Wednesday night was almost as obligatory. As a Christian family, we also were taught not to take the Lord’s name in vain. By some estimates, 85 to 95 percent of the people in the United States were at least somewhat religious.

Such is not the case today. According to the Pew Research Center, the fastest-growing religion in the United States today might be called the “Nones”—that is, people who do not identify with any religion. The American Family Survey indicates that their numbers increased from around 16% in 2007 to 35% in 2018. Over the same time period, those who identified themselves as Christian dropped from 78% in 2007 to 65% in 201819. The rise of the “Nones” is even more startling when it is reported that 44% of people aged 18-29 are “Nones.”

So what’s going on here? For one thing, there is a lot less pressure today to be identified as religious. As I have reported before, other groups have effectively taken over the time normally restricted for religious activities. The pressure is not to attend religious services; the pressure is to attend other groups — e.g. various sports activities.

Secondly, parents today are far more prone to allow their children to make their own decisions about religion when they are old enough to decide for themselves. Ironically, they do not give their children the same freedom regarding health issues, school, personal hygiene, the use of drugs, when they may drive a car, and their diets. You get the picture. Religion used to be taught at home, but not anymore.

Interviewers also have discovered that there are some things that tend to drive people away from religion. Around 60% question many of the religious teachings from the olden days. And, around 49% really don’t like the positions many churches today take on political and social issues. Top this off with the “Nones” objecting rather strenuously to religious teachings regarding sexuality and science. They have specific viewpoints about women’s reproductive rights and any sexuality outside of heterosexuality. They also question religious views regarding evolutionary theory and climate change.

Obviously, “Nones” probably do not have an educated perspective about religion and are instead opting for the least offensive position. They lean toward being liberal in their thinking but, ironically, the more liberal churches are not attracting them. Neither are the conservative churches. Instead, they appear to have chosen the pathway of least resistance and have not become challenged by the great theological questions that have confronted mankind from the beginning. While Christians may think this is simply tragic, more pointedly is the fact that it causes these people to ignore a significant portion of their lives that needs exploration — e.g. universal origins and meaning, both personally and collectively.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in our country that are correct in their assessment of our churches. Churches surrendered their religious times without a struggle, and too often prefer to simply go the way of society instead of insisting upon good theology and Biblical teachings. Too many times the “voice of God” is not heard in our churches, while the sounds of music, theatrical programming, and various group activities are loud and clear. Genuflecting and crossing oneself before the Cross have become archaic, and utilizing theater screens, musical instruments (especially the drums), and highly sophisticated audio visual technology have taken their place.

Now please do not misunderstand me. I am not necessarily against any of these things as long as God is sincerely worshipped. I am simply pointing out that there is significant change going on in religious circles, and most of us are a part of it.