Personal disconnect with religion, personally out-growing religion, unbelief and skepticism, belief that religion is against reason and science, busy lifestyle, increased mobility, increased secularism, increased individualism
Hypocrisy of those in religion, scandals on the part of religious figures, and personally encountered negative experiences with religious leaders are the commonly cited reasons why people are drifting away from religion.
Religion doesn't seem to have much to do about the increase in distrust and skepticism. The same is true about the increase in secularism and individualism. Mobility has increased as part of globalization. Many people are not in the same place two consecutive weeks. Therefore, participating in a local church becomes possible and many people fall out of their habit.
People need to be encouraged and trained to live a slower, more mindful lives, distancing from their busy lifestyles.
A discussion about what religion really is can help to dispel the idea that religion is against reason and science.
What can be done about the hypocrisy of religious figures and the negative experiences people had from those in religious leadership? Except that we foster the dream for a more sincere and organic religious system!
However, there is more to be done about the scandalous deeds by those in religious leadership. The first thing to do is to approach wrongs against others, especially those against the weak, with the utmost seriousness. The second thing is to screen, examine and scrutinize as rigorously as possible those who are likely to come to any position in religion. Thieves and robbers are likely to come to the leadership through the back door. Jesus had hinted and warned against them and that they must be stopped! (John 10:1).
It is quite natural for individuals to reach a higher level of personal growth than what the official religion demands. This is a situation where religion becomes insufficient.
When religion does not welcome everyone and when some people are excluded for various reasons, many people feel disconnect to such a religion. This is an instance of failure of religion. If religions are unable to lead people, if religions become smaller than people, then what is their relevance? Wouldn't it be better that they disappeared!?
