like Millions gather in churches All over the country for the services of the Holy Week, a quiet revolution reveals: more Americans leave the seats – not because they lost faith, but to find it on their own conditions.
A major new study showed that belief does not disappear, but it changes. Decadelong’s research project found that while a number of people attending or learn about religion attend, many still pray, meditate and adhere to their faith, only on their own conditions.
The representative and probability study at the national level, published in “Sociological Research for a Dynamic World”, followed more than 1,300 teenagers from 2003 to 2013, and followed it to adulthood.
Researchers used survey data, interviews and education records to understand how religious beliefs and practices have evolved over time.
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People join the hands in prayer during the study of the Bible. The researchers reported a noticeable shift in generations, as younger Americans showed a decrease in participating in both public and private religious practices. (Istock)
What they found indicates a major shift: people move away from religious institutions, not from spirituality.
The attendance of the weekly church decreased from 26 % to 8 %. The number of young people who said they did not bring services from 17 % to about 58 %.
Religious affiliation – whether it is a Christian identification, Catholicism, or others It decreased from approximately 89 % to 60 %.
But faith in God did not fall sharply. It decreased from 83 % to 66 %.
While fewer people were praying every day, the decline was not like the presence of the Church. Meanwhile, the number of people practicing meditation or other spiritual routine has doubled.
A recent study found a decrease in generations in private prayer, especially among younger Americans who are less likely to engage in religious practices outside the official worship areas. (Istock)
The researchers call this “uniqueness”. Instead of belonging to a church or follow -up a religious group, more people form their spiritual paths – while preserving what echoes, and leaving the rest behind them.
One of the biggest reasons why people have left the organized religion? It contradicts political values, especially on issues such as gay marriage and traditional gender roles.
Many participants described walking away from the churches they saw as a trial or outside their beliefs.
One Catholic one former He said he stopped going to the Mass after hearing speeches against gay marriage.
“I used to love to come to the church,” he said. “I am no longer.”
Another post said that she believes in God, but “not the way the churches tell you.”
Despite the decrease in the presence of the Church, the study showed that many elderly people continue to pray, which is usually not common among younger age groups. (Istock)
The study also found that political opinions made a difference.
The liberals were more likely than conservatives to leave religion, and support for gay marriage and abortion was linked to more declines in the presence of the Church and religious affiliation. But the trend was not limited to one political group; The attendees decreased in all fields at different rates.
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Instead of describing this as secularism or becoming less religious, the researchers argue that this is a transformation in how people practice faith.
The belief moves away from official institutions and towards the most personal expressions, often for spirituality. Many of those who left the organized debt still pray, meditate, or say they believe in something greater.
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