daato

Religious participation is decreasing in the modern day because our current religious institutions, technology, or overarching religious outlooks don't seem to be equipped to deal with modern problems. More people are choosing to simply not think about it or actively not participate in any given institution for many reasons. I think this has to do with religious institutions no longer serving as cultural centers, faith-based maxims falling short of the many questions of our increasingly absurd time, and the return of spiritual ambiguity and peer-to-peer discussion. Institutions, not just of the religious variety but of everywhere are facing resistance and tiny communities that serve similar purposes and niches are dominating thanks to their flexibility, among other things. What you're seeing is not a decrease in religion, but a decrease in reported religious participation. People still look to the divine, they just don't listen to any one person talk about it and either explore it themselves or wait until life hits them.