Another of those surveys of American religious attitudes has recently appeared. Its highly predictable conclusion is that religious affiliation and belief continue to decline in the United States, although it remains the most religious country in the Western world. However, I am always skeptical of such surveys, because their questions are usually formulated in such reductive ways that they obscure the interestingly complex variety of attitudes people really have about religion. What do people want from religion? What needs does it fulfill? The answers are less obvious than it might appear.
April 28, 2023
April 28, 2023
April 28, 2023
Another of those surveys of American religious attitudes has recently appeared. Its highly predictable conclusion is that religious affiliation and belief continue to decline in the United States, although it remains the most religious country in the Western world. However, I am always skeptical of such surveys, because their questions are usually formulated in such reductive ways that they obscure the interestingly complex variety of attitudes people really have about religion. What do people want from religion? What needs does it fulfill? The answers are less obvious than it might appear.