Great Unchurching

The common perception that the world, especially in Western countries, is moving away from religion is largely valid, though the phenomenon is complex and varied. Many churches in the US, for example, are being converted to buildings for other uses as the presence of worshippers has dwindled. In North America, Europe and some parts of East Asia, organised religion has fewer people than, say, a hundred years ago. The shift away from religion is not, however, observed in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, where religious populations continue to grow.

The Pew Research Centre has published a report analysing shifts in religion across countries and highlighting certain trends. Firstly, there is increased secularisation in many countries, and the number of people affiliated with any religion has declined significantly in these places. This trend is obvious in the US, Australia and Europe. The religiously unaffiliated people are now commonly called “nones”. It must be noted that this process has been observed in modern, economically developed countries. Materialism and an individualistic preference over the collective are factors that cannot be overlooked when analysing the reasons for moving away from religious beliefs and practices.

The second trend that has been demonstrated through research is that there is a generational shift as younger adults are more likely to give up the religion of their parents, opting for atheism or agnosticism instead. Thus, the religiously affiliated are mainly older people.

The third trend concerns global population growth. While the share of the population that is non-religious is growing in the West, it will decline as a share of the global population because the world’s most religious countries are also those with the highest population growth, high fertility, and younger populations. Non-religious populations are associated with older ages and lower birth rates, as in Europe, China and Japan.

New research by a group of international scholars describes the shift away from religion in three stages of secularisation: early, middle and late.
Using data from the Pew Centre’s surveys in 111 countries and territories, the research says that this process is affecting almost all countries, including those in which Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism is the largest religion.

According to the authors, religion generally declines between generations in three steps:
1. People participate in worship services and rituals less often.
2. The importance of religion declines in their personal lives.
3. Identification with religion becomes less common.

In this three-step sequence, generations first give up aspects of religion that are time-consuming and require resources, such as travel expenses or almsgiving. Shedding religious identity comes much later since it is not as difficult and can be left to a later stage.

Many African and Middle Eastern countries are currently in the early stages. For example, in Senegal, 78% of older adults attend the Friday worship services, but 64% of younger adults are less likely to do so. Despite this, almost all adults in Senegal still identify as Muslims and consider religion very important in their lives.

In the medium stage of secular transition, generations differ in their participation in religious rituals, the importance of religion to the self, and their belonging to a specific religion. In moderately religious countries, all three steps are visible. Adults under 40 attend religious services less frequently than their elders, are less likely to have religion as an important aspect of their lives, and are less likely to identify with any religion. This is the case in the U.S. and many other countries in the Americas and Asia.

In the late stage of secular transition, generations differ primarily in religious identity. The authors argue that this is because the first two steps have been completed. In the least religious countries, the main difference between age groups is that younger adults are less likely to identify with any religion. In Denmark, 79% of older adults remain religiously affiliated, but adults under 40 are 56% less likely to identify with any religion. Participation in religious practices and the importance of religion in their personal lives are low across all age groups.

Countries in the middle or late stages usually have Christianity or Buddhism as their main religion. Muslim-majority countries and Hindu-majority India are in the early stage, and their progression to the middle and late stages is uncertain.

While religion might be losing out in its form, its substance still remains at the centre of human attitudes and behaviours

Renowned Islamic scholar Javed Ahmad Ghamidi believes that while materialism and scientific progress have led to a rise in secularism and atheism, the world is not abandoning religion. He argues that the essence of religion and its basic tenets remain intact, though its external expression and the role it plays in people’s lives in the form of societal rules are changing. Morality, good deeds, and ethics are still promoted and form the basis of humanity, although belief in rituals is receding. He further argues that religion primarily focuses on the spiritual purification of the individual, while worldly matters are left to humans to decide depending upon their intellect. Scientific and material progress, therefore, does not negate the need for spiritual and moral guidance. For many people, science, in fact, reinforces the existence of laws made by a Divine Entity.

According to Ghamidi, the increase in atheism is due to human arrogance and rejection of religious oppression and authority rather than a rejection of God. While fundamental tenets of faith and morality are eternal, the societal laws of the Sharia can change as society evolves. In a similar vein, Dr. Farhad Shafti, an Iranian Quran scholar, says that even atheists admit to having some sort of spiritual experience. Thus, while people may question religious beliefs and practices, they still seek the meaning of their existence, and the human spirit remains confronted with questions of spirituality.

Thus, while religion might be losing out in its form, its substance still remains at the centre of human attitudes and behaviours.