"Why most people leave religion? They just ‘stop believing’"

[Skwim]

"It’s bad news for organized religion: A majority of the religiously unaffiliated — the so-called “nones” — say they fell away from faith not because of any negative experience, but because they “stopped believing,” usually before the age of 30.

Gloomier still for religion is this — nones now make up 25 percent of the American population, making them the single largest “faith group” in the U.S., ahead of Catholics (21 percent) and white evangelicals (16 percent).

And only a fraction — seven percent — say they are looking for a religion to belong to at all.

The study challenges the assumption that the unaffiliated are leaving religion because they are offended by religious institutions’ treatment of gay and lesbian people or clergy sex abuse scandals, said Daniel Cox, PRRI’s research director.

“Those things matter but they are dwarfed by this central idea that people no longer believe in religious teachings,” he said.

Nones do not generally leave religion due to negative experiences. Sixty percent said they simply “stopped believing” in their childhood religion, while 32 percent cited their family’s lack of religious commitment. Less than a third — 29 percent — said negative religious teachings about gays and lesbians was important to why they left their childhood religion and only 19 percent cited the clergy sex-abuse crisis.

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So, has your church, synagogue, or whatever shown any concern about this?​

 

[George-ananda]

I think this points out the steady decline of the Abrahamic religions throughout the entire westernized world. Our families' traditional religions no longer meet the intellectual and spiritual needs of people raised in the modern era. They contain ideas and concepts that no longer fit with modern reasoning and logic. The Abrahamic religions had their place for many centuries but I feel their run is ending.

I see the future as being turned over to a new era focusing on the so-called new-age and eastern thinking that is more in-line to meet the intellectual and spiritual needs of people raised in the modern world. Concepts considered new-agey and eastern have increased dramatically in popularity and consideration just in my one lifetime meaning they are more and more meeting the needs of a new era.

 

[Sunstone]

I don't see this happening anytime soon, but long term -- say, over the next 50 to 100 years -- I think we'll see a marked rise in "secular spiritualities", such as Sam Harris and many others are already pioneering.

A lot will depend on whether such spiritualities can become supported, furthered, and promoted by new (and perhaps some existing) institutions. It's hard to keep a movement going generation to generation unless its institutionalized.

 

[Skwim]

I think this points out the steady decline of the Abrahamic religions throughout the entire westernized world. Our families' traditional religions no longer meet the intellectual and spiritual needs of people raised in the modern era. They contain ideas and concepts that no longer fit with modern reasoning and logic. The Abrahamic religions had their place for many centuries but I feel their run is ending.

I totally agree. And I think you hit it on the head when you said. "They contain ideas and concepts that no longer fit with modern reasoning and logic." That plus the fact that people in general don't seem to have the troubling issues that needed the comfort and reassurance that religion provided in past years.

Personally, I'm no longer a Christian because:

1) My parents never stressed it: "My family was never that religious growing up."
2) I concluded that it doesn't make sense: "I stopped believing in the religion's teachings."​

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[George-ananda]

I totally agree. And I think you hit it on the head when you said. "They contain ideas and concepts that no longer fit with modern reasoning and logic." That plus the fact that people in general don't have the troubling issues that needed the comfort and reassurance that religion provided in past years.

Personally, I'm no longer a Christian because:

1) My parents never stressed it: "My family was never that religious growing up."
2) I concluded that it doesn't make sense: "I stopped believing in the religion's teachings."​

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But then for most of us the more interesting question becomes; 'then what do we believe'? Atheism? Agnosticism? Apathy? Eastern? New Age? Our own eclectic mix?

I've been hearing each of those things from people raised in these modern times. Might make for a good poll?

 

[Skwim]

But then for most of us the more interesting question becomes; 'then what do we believe'? Atheism? Agnosticism? Apathy? Eastern? New Age? Our own eclectic mix?

I've been hearing each of those things from people raised in these modern times. Might make for a good poll?

Go for it.

I remember in the past, before RF was reconfigured, just about everyone displayed their religion or lack thereof under their avatar. Don't recall if it was required or not, but it was nice to know where people stood. In fact, I think it should be required of everyone.


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