Why are people abandoning traditional religions?

RELIGIONS THAT REFUSE to base their teachings on those of Jesus Christ have approximately 1.7 billion followers. Christianity is considered the greatest religion in the world, surpassing even popular religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. Reports show, however, that in many professing Christian countries, Christianity is losing its grip on the masses.

People from all walks of life are leaving their churches. Ronald F. Inglehart, a researcher at the University of Michigan and director of the World Values ​​Survey, said religion is playing an increasingly small role in developed countries. Bible Review quotes him as saying, “Not only has weekly church attendance declined, but Latin American countries are now sending missionaries to save the souls of their former colonizers. He says that "the collapse of religion" is particularly striking in some countries of northern Europe. In Norway and Denmark, only 5% of the population attend church regularly. In Sweden, this figure falls to 4% and in Russia to 2%.

German reports show that between 1984 and 1993 the number of regular faithful among registered Catholics increased from 25.3% to 19%. In 1992, only 4% of Protestants regularly attended Sunday services. In 1999, Christianity Today reported: "Only one in ten Germans go to church every week."

As for the decline of believers in Britain, The Guardian newspaper says: "Christianity has never been worse". The article states that "for the priest and the elderly, 1950-2000 was the worst for half a century". Referring to a special report on religion in the UK, the newspaper shows that not only young people but also older people are losing faith in institutional religion. He says, “Older people lose faith in God as they age. New research confirming this trend will shock UK churches in crisis, which have so far viewed older people as the backbone of their declining congregations. "

Outside of Europe, there are similar trends. For example, the Canadian magazine Alberta Report states that Canada is experiencing a "collapse of faith and institutional worship" and that "three times as many Canadians prefer their own subjective imagination of God to submission to a clear belief."

Many people just don't feel spiritually enriched or enlightened by attending church services. According to Canadian magazine Maclean's, both Jews and Catholics interviewed at a Himalayan ashram, or Hindu religious retreat, expressed the opinion: "We were no longer moved or touched by the wooden rituals." In fact, even after many years of church faithfulness, some ask, “What have I really learned in church? Therefore, am I closer to God? It is not surprising that, as Gregg Easterbrook wrote, "in the West, spiritual poverty has replaced material poverty as the major gap of our time."

Of course, there are many countries where church attendance figures are higher. However, going to church does not always mean loyally adhering to the teachings of the church. For example, the Australian newspaper The Age states that in the West “the proportion of Christians who practice their religion is declining rapidly. In much of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Christianity is a veil behind which many people continue to adopt more exotic tribal or cultural beliefs that have nothing to do with the Orthodox Christian teachings, often contradicted and officially rejected long ago. years. "

Why are so many people, young and old, leaving their churches? A major factor, it seems, is disappointment.

SAD RECORD OF RELIGION

The Guardian observes: “The Roman Catholic Church has had a deplorable history of collusion with fascism throughout the 20th century, from the congratulations addressed to General Franco after the Spanish Civil War, to his recent efforts. on behalf of General Pinochet: "The Guardian also noted that Pope Pius XII, the pontiff of war," was happy enough to come to terms with [Hitler] and to avoid possible limitations, such as the revelation of the Holocaust. "

The Age says, “Claims of Christianity have repeatedly sounded empty. Christians have not been able to preserve their inner peace and unity. . . . This is evidenced by the many wars of plunder and conquest justified in terms of victories converted to Christ. Faith, hope, and love may be the preeminent Christian virtues, but those who should aspire to these virtues may be cynical, prone to discouragement of non-Christians and no longer be charitable. . . . It was a Christian country that gave birth to the Holocaust and another that sparked the horrors of atomic warfare in Japan.

Some might argue that Christianity has long promoted virtues such as prudence, strength, temperance, and justice. However, The Age comments: “As a rule, Christians in Europe, North America and Australia consume far more than their fair share of Earth's resources and have not ceased to tolerate exploitation, oppression and violence. degradation of the environment of its neighbors. weaker. to feed your appetite. "

Regarding the future of Christianity, The Age continues: “Without solid institutional expression, Christianity can never hope to regain the social power it had in centuries past. It can be good or bad, depending on your perspective. But this is the reality that Christianity will have to face in the years to come. "

Due to this decline of the world of organized religion, many are moving away from established churches. But does the alternative you find really meet your needs? Is this the answer?