There are probably a thousand and one answers to that question, depending upon the individual. Religion is not a priority as it was in previous generations. In a secular world, the movement has been away from the church. Some people have felt abused in a variety of ways, found it boring, not spiritually stimulating, or has too much emphasis on dogma, etc.

A lot has to do with a person’s mindset. Do they reach out to others, or do they focus primarily on themselves? If you’re totally self-absorbed, you will only spend time where you get something from it. The break-up of the family is probably due to cause and effect. Without religious values, there is little to hold a family together other than sex, economic benefits, and social norms. Why even bother getting married, except for the tax benefits?

"Humanity before religion." Paris rally in support of the victims of the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting.

The U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, which at that time meant freedom from state-sponsored religion that was common in Europe. A portion of your taxes could be involuntarily applied to pay the expenses of the state religion. You could not belong to another church, and if you wanted to express your beliefs that didn’t follow church doctrine, you had to buy a dissenter’s permit. When the state dictates religion, it is called a theocracy. They still exist today.

New Year’s Day usually makes us think of college football bowl games that have occurred all week. New Year’s resolutions often are forgotten within a few weeks, so they may seem pointless. But what if 2024 really brought something new? What if we were not just changing bad habits for good, but actually making significant changes?

It can be the psychological basis for second chance. That’s really the theological concept of the Christian religion. We call it salvation, but that word scares some people. Such dramatic changes usually occur over time.