Public confidence in religion at an all time low (America, church, atheist)

[mordant]

U.S. Confidence in Organized Religion at Low Point

This Gallup poll documents a couple of interesting trends:

Bottom Line

Two major findings apparent in Gallup's confidence in the church and organized religion trend are, first, the long-term decline in Americans' confidence in this societal institution since 1973, and second, the suppressed confidence among Catholics relative to Protestants starting in 1981, and becoming more pronounced by 2002.

While various sex abuse scandals involving U.S. clerics have likely played a role in Americans' growing skepticism about the church and organized religion, the decline in confidence does not necessarily indicate a decline in Americans' personal attachment to religion. The percentage of Americans saying religion is very important in their lives has held fairly steady since the mid-1970s, after dropping sharply from 1952 levels.

For me, the most interesting part of this is that attachment remains steady even while confidence drops. In other words, people don't have any brighter ideas, apparently, than continuing their reliance on religion. Rather like a bad marriage, but you're too old and damaged to think that you're going to do better with some other life partner. As if you've decided that you have zero confidence in the opposite gender so what is the point of ditching the devil that you know.

[cupper3]

There is no doubt that a plethora of polls have indicated a trend to less belief than in previous decades. The largest group of non-believers is the younger generation. It is doubtful that they will "convert" when older.

Things are looking up!

[hd4me]

Originally Posted by cupper3

There is no doubt that a plethora of polls have indicated a trend to less belief than in previous decades. The largest group of non-believers is the younger generation. It is doubtful that they will "convert" when older.

Things are looking up!

I thought this was of interest. It seems that atheists are made as adults (there are always exceptions but no surprise there). What is of interest however is the low retention rate of children of atheists. a sizeable minority of children of atheists grow up and contribute to the next generation of believers.

Nineteen Sixty-four: The Reverts: Catholics who left and came back

[mordant]

Originally Posted by hd4me

I thought this was of interest. It seems that atheists are made as adults (there are always exceptions but no surprise there). What is of interest however is the low retention rate of children of atheists. a sizeable minority of children of atheists grow up and contribute to the next generation of believers.

Nineteen Sixty-four: The Reverts: Catholics who left and came back

There are plenty of folks on this very forum and the A&A forum who have been atheist from the cradle and have never even understood the point of theism, even a little. I think it is a conceit of theists to think that children are born theist.

Science currently points away from the child as pure tabula rasa, in that there are some fundamental instincts and reflexes, such that we are only a "blank slate" in certain areas, and nurture is far less an influence than nature compared to what was once widely thought. However, there is no reason to think that metaphysical beliefs aren't part of an essentially "blank slate" area.

One of the things that confuses people is that magical thinking is an early-stage attempt to manage the disturbing parts of self awareness and to explain the inexplicable. It is a stage that everyone passes through on the way towards more nuanced ways of understanding reality, but one can pass through it very quickly or get stuck in it partially or completely for a long time, and even for life in certain compartmentalized areas. The success of religion is that it reinforces and nurtures magical thinking and embeds itself there. There is a "window of opportunity" during the magical thinking phase where notions of invisible beings and realms are plausible. This is why it is so important to theists to indoctrinate their children, before they develop healthy skepticism, and it is why the Bible constantly warns against the puny "wisdom of man" and extols faith as if it were a virtuous thing. It is why we have to patiently explain empiricism, rationalism and science to people later in life, rather than it being self evident to all.

Which is why many atheists ARE made as adults, and why their children are still subject to the predominant theistic influence of the society around them -- amplified by the normal process of differentiation as children grow up and tend to abreact to whatever their parent's philosophies are, and experiment with other ways of being.

Theists may enjoy comforting themselves with speculative narratives of imagined fatal flaws in unbelief, but the fact remains that overall, theism is on the wane. It is too early to predict whether it is an inexorable general decline or if it is part of a more undulating, cyclic phenomenon which will still see some significant upticks. But religion is, at a minimum, going to have to adapt itself to survive. When even the Catholic church is contemplating dropping at least overt opposition to contraception, homosexuality, and divorce, you know the game's afoot.

[Phil P]

That's really interesting about the window of opportunity you mentioned mordant. A large portion of religious institutions is dedicated to Sunday school or other religious training of children. It's certainly the age with the largest return on investment. I heard the other day that education ages pre-K through 3rd grade are the most influential.

My observations have been that general trends of belief haven't changed all that much, but the act of going to church and donating funds has decreased significantly among the average younger person.