That Worship Has Sailed

Here is the church. Here is the steeple. Open the doors and, wait, where are all the people? Does the decline of church attendance signal a decline in religious belief or does it just reflect the fact that our modern life leaves little time for things like human interaction? The Atlantic: Why So Many Americans Have Stopped Going to Church. “The problem in front of us is not that we have a healthy, sustainable society that doesn’t have room for church. The problem is that many Americans have adopted a way of life that has left us lonely, anxious, and uncertain of how to live in community with other people.” (I knew my personal characteristics would eventually be mainstream). I have an additional theory. Politics has become the new religion, one that inspires ideological fervor, an unyielding belief (no matter how insane the claims), tribal clans convinced that non-believers and false god worshippers are determined to destroy the world, megachurch-like rallies, and a whole lot of passing of the collection plate. Want to change this trend? Start praying.