Weekly church worship is declining

A lot has been written about the decline in “organized religion” and the mainstream Protestant denominations in the United States. This occurred even before WWII in Europe with their state religions. The growth here has been in “non-denominational” mega churches that are focused on the personality and showmanship of the pastor.

This genre for decades was the outgrowth of television preachers and their widespread reach and ability to generate lots of money. The recent revelations of the scandals involving some of these preachers dimmed the status of some of them who became famous before becoming infamous.

I recently wrote about the split between progressive and conservative Christians and their different interpretations of the Bible. The split has been between a world view that looks forward and another than looks backward. The invasion of politics into religion (or vice versa) also has added to the conflict.

To quote from Wikipedia:

Organized religion, also known as institutional religion, is religion in which belief systems and rituals are systematically arranged and formally established. Organized religion is typically characterized by an official doctrine (or dogma), a hierarchical or bureaucratic leadership structure, and a codification of rules and practices. Organized religion is distinguished from the broader idea of religion especially in anthropology, sociology and philosophy.

Is it dogma or bureaucracy that is creating the tension? Have we become so divergent in our beliefs that we no longer are part of a community? The WASP (white, Anglo-Saxon protestant) majority is losing its majority status. They are reacting in fear and fighting to retain that status.

Is it more of a sociological and cultural shift than specifically a religious shift? Clearly the rapid advances in technology have had a significant impact on society. We have become more global, not only in our economies, but also less focused on a nation state in terms of leadership. That has produced a reaction with a focus on national identity and a scorn of other countries. The war in Ukraine again has separated us into a clash between democratic versus autocratic forms of government.

Has the clash over religious practices and beliefs made it irrelevant to the concerns of most people? Some claim the clash is the result of a divide between the educated and uneducated. I reject that claim because my experience has been that science only expands our understanding and wonder of the universe that God created.

That leads to the broader question of our understanding of who God is and how can we describe “him.” Personification leads only to more confusion and limitations of our understanding. Is God a unifying force in the universe, or does God exist only in the world of the spirit? We also get trapped when we talk about a spiritual (mystical) world that is separate from the physical world.

The debate goes on ... and on ... and on.

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