It is thought that many people leave the church for strong, deep reasons – but after all they may just be “boring” reasons.
Why does a person stop going to church? Or, later, why would a person Do you really abandon your religion?
It is thought that many people who leave the church for strong, deep reasons – but after all they may be just “boring” reasons.
The description comes in , which begins by speculating what some people will think: parties, orgies, wine, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll! “That’s what people who have abandoned religion do, right?” – since they are no longer linked to the moral restrictions of religion. And since they have more time…
But not after all. In the book, released last month, sociologists Ryan Cragun and Jesse M. Smith analyze the causes of this “goodbye to religion”.
And after all, reality is more peaceful e banal than you think. At least in the USA.
Americans don’t want to sin. The now atheists use the extra time on Sunday to… wash more clothesbasically.
“They’re just doing normal things, okay? Nothing extraordinary. They’re not spending hours and hours in bars. They’re spending a little more time with family and a little more time outdoors. They go walking, watch more television and do more tasks at home,” analyzed Smith.
Another conclusion: the idea that anyone who abandons religion is a man is wrong young, white and well-educated. Maybe that idea was never right, actually. But today the non-religious are as diverse as the general population. Just focusing on demographics doesn’t tell you much.
Of course, education, the changing society itself, also interfere: “People are increasingly realizing that religious teachings are not aligned with their real political and social beliefs.” It is called “misalignment of values” – which is seen a lot in opinions about homosexuality, for example.
Others leave the religious community because they see various aspects of religion that they find unattractive. In other words, they think they can take advantage of that time to do something more productivewhich makes them more satisfied. It also has to do with autonomy to make decisions and to be able to adopt a modern worldview.
And, unsurprisingly, the great commanders of this departure from religion are the young people. And it’s not a failure to pass on religion – it’s parents giving their children autonomy. The younger ones, if they can choose between going to mass or staying at home playing games or on the internet… Guess what the majority chooses.
One last idea, equally important: the atheists are not “defective”nor do they lack the presence of God or religion. Most don’t feel that way, says Smith.
“They find meaning in life, they find beauty. They make grand statements about the majesty of the cosmos itself and about their smallness in it. They talk about how people have to take responsibility for their own destinies and their own lives. They say: ‘Not only is it not bad to be without religion, but I haven’t lost anything. In many ways, I gained a broader view.’”, concludes the sociologist.
Oh, and some atheists now have more sexual relations. Maybe between cycles of the washing machine.
