The Faith of Our Fathers is Fading Fast (Thank God!)
It has been said that roughly 80-90% of people share the same religion: the one that their moms and dads had. I've always thought that a very sad commentary on our willingness or ability to apply our "God-given" capacity of reason--our ability to think for ourselves. It's also suggested a very dangerous number of people willing to subject their young to brainwashing tactics.
Hopefully, according to the Pew Forum's newly released US Religious Landscape Survey,(http://religions.pewforum.org/) the winds of change have begun to loosen organized religions' hold on their formerly indoctrinated members. By overwhelming percentages, Americans are changing their religious affiliations rather than remaining with a faith that no longer makes sense to them or gives them peace. Perhaps--just perhaps--humans are beginning to think for themselves about what really makes sense, what gives their lives meaning and purpose and, oh! by the way, doesn't contradict itself at every other turn.(OK, I said maybe--and for those that actually are beginning to use the brains they were born with, it's only fair to expect a few wrong turns along the journey, hence the multiple changes throughout some people's lives.)
It is of no surprise to this writer (an ordained minister) that the Christian churches are among those losing the greatest number of former true believers. Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses and other Protestants are among the other religions whose lifetime members are leaving their family pews and either migrating to other affiliations or--by another dramatic leap in numbers--to no affiliation at all.
In fact, when migration from one protestant religion to another is factored into all the statistics, a full 44% of adults no longer practice the faith of their youth. Mind you, it's not that the numbers of people attending church has dramatically dropped although, as noted, a much larger percentage of people than ever before now desire no affiliation to any church and atheism is also on the rise. The changes most evident in this very comprehensive and respected survey show up in the numbers of people who have continued to search for a God they can fully accept and find comfort in and worship in church--just not the one they started with.
(Hmmm…seems maybe some of those churches might need to redesign their brainwashing techniques after all. ;-)
Many will ask: why is this happening? Why isn't the faith of our fathers enough for us these days? Hard-line evangelical Christians will take these facts and come to the conclusion, "that's what's wrong with the world today and that's why the world is about to end!" Meantime, they are busily praying to their jealous, vindictive god that their enemies be wiped from the face of the planet and are doing their part to insure that happens by sowing ever greater disharmony, anger and suspicion among those of other faiths. (Right, Georgie? Isn't that what Jesus told you last time you talked?)
Could it be that we are finally beginning to look around us and see the damage the most radical and fundamental religions have inflicted on one another and society as a whole? Are we becoming disenchanted with organized religion's irreverently narrow understanding of God and the Universe and reaching out for something more--something much greater--something our souls tell us exists "out there somewhere?" Are we really starting to think for ourselves? Finally brave enough to refuse to allow another person to dictate what to believe? Could we be learning to trust ourselves (rather than organized religion) to dictate right and wrong? Developing FAITH that we are able to find the Truth of What Is on our own--without having to find those answers in a building or some antique book?
Ye gods! What if those "silly New Agers" are right!? What if we each possess, deep within us, a spirit capable of reaching out to its Original Source of it's own volition. Could we really hear the small, still voice of that Source as it responds to our pleas for Truth--communicates to us directly rather than to some priest, pastor, rabbi, imam, shaman, or guru?
I can only PRAY that this IS what's happening. That we, as a species, are evolving past our superstitious, narrow understanding of the Universe and beginning to embrace an infinitely larger and consistently more realistic view of the Universe and our place in it.
God (by whatever name you choose to refer to Him/Her/It) need not be separated from rationality and science. If we are willing to open our minds to their fullest extents, and open our hearts and souls to real truth, we find God in the middle of it all. Right there. Right in the middle. God IS the middle point of it all. But as always, don't take my word for it. (That would contradict everything I've tried to show you.) Try it yourself. Think for yourself. Question EVERYTHING. Allow nothing to stop your search for Truth. And then be AMAZED……
Blessings,Rev. Jesse
Pew Forum's full report is available in PDF form at http://religions.pewforum.org/
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