The Internet and the Trend Away From Religion: A Transition from Tradition

By: Teren Christensen

In partial fulfillment of COMM 3480, New Social Media, Fall 2013 Eric Young

Anybody can easily self-publish anything they wish. With this comes a wealth of information too large to ignore and with that comes a barrage of opinions, beliefs, claims, facts, and so forth. With the accessibility of this ocean of information many are seeing the world differently, many are challenging their beliefs, are asking how valid their traditions are, and are changing their lives. Amidst the billions of internet users, you can find what you are looking for, and you can be convinced. Among these billions there are those who turn to the internet for answers that they nor their local friends, family, and leaders can or will answer. Now more than ever there is a generation as well as culture that is open to, and will nourish, questioning. The antagonist to religion, or any other person or organization, has risen. What is now available and is manifest through social media and citizen journalism is beginning a mass extermination of tradition, the fall of religion. But how much of the blame of this exodus from organized religion should be placed on the web, on social media? And wait, isnt this a good crisis of faith? Among surveys from Aljazeera, Pew Forum, and UC Berkley the trend away from religious organizations is obvious. One-fifth of the U.S. identifies as religiously unaffiliated.1 Is the crux of these recent departures the web? This is what we are going to explore. Lets get down to business here. Why are people leaving their childhood religious traditions? I offer plausible answers according to my experiences and observations, as well as the study of others. Traditional answers to straight-forward questions arent working much anymore; most religious leaders cant answer the questions that objective truth seekers desire. Religion is simply un-appealing, its boring. The stimulus offered by modern entertainment, sexual appeals, drugs, and even just work or a service project is better than church sermons, commandments, and activities.
1

Religions impose too many restrictions.

Pew Research, Nones on the Rise. p. 8

Most religions claim exclusive, illogical, and demagogic dogmas. Churches are turning away from pure religion and toward business, programs, rules, movements, exclusive claims, praise of men (church leaders), and a tendency to separate people more than unite.

More people arent being raised religious. Its getting easier culturally for people to identify themselves with no religion. There is a large move toward political liberalism and political moderation. In my opinion, the internet and social media has been a catalyst for the rapid

decline of religion. Much of the blame is due to social media, citizen journalism, and the huge library of archived sources available online. Why? (1) Now, more than ever there is an open field of information available online, (2) technology has softened the borders for investigators as well as opened up the borders for skeptics and for religious faults to appear, (3) religionists cant hide historical follies, doctrinal obscurities, or doctrinal reasoning anymore - they are beginning to be backed up against the wall. (4) It is now much easier for inner conflicts to arise. Here are some great examples of this in a piece of citizen journalism: A lot of Christians know that too much honest thinking about your faith is harmful. In theory, Christianity does not require you to switch off your brain, but in practice thats the safest thing to do if you want to keep on believing. And its not just me saying it. This elder in the church, and many others like him, have all told me the same thing. Questions are dangerous. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Of course, in apologetic/evangelistic situations, every Christian will defend the theory. Apologetics is all about claiming that Christianity has all the answers. But thats the theory, not the practice. Behind the scenes, when Christians

themselves start asking real questions, theres a problem. Sunday school answers are just for show, for those who do not seriously question their faith. They cant bear up under the weight of real, sustained scrutiny.2 Many actively contribute to the inter and intrapersonal conflicts: As for history, the fact that, in some cases, the fact that the church actively hides some elements of its history is worse than the actual events themselves.3 A few months ago New York Times released an article about a former high-ranked LDS church leader experiencing a crisis of faith because of the lack of answers about his faith. Though his questions were brought to him as a leader, many get these questions burning in them from the web.4 Most religions are intricate systems that insulate believers against free inquiry--you are taught that doubt comes from the devil, or that criticism makes you an enemy. The information is out there, and thanks to the internet and public libraries, it's free.5 The issues compound each other until you realize that there is something fundamentally wrong with the picture and the stories you have been fed and the emotions you have been feeling were all based on falsehoods.6 But, religious skepticism proved to be an unlikely explanation: Most people with no preference hold conventional religious beliefs, despite their alienation from organized religion. In fact, these unchurched believers made up most of the increase in the no religion preferences.7

2 3

Duncan, "Gospel Disproof Dehlin, Respondent #113 Mormons and the Internet. 4 C.f. Goodstein, Some Mormons Search the Web and Find Doubt. 5 Ibid, comment from G, New York, NY 6 Dehlin, Respondent #113 Mormons and the Internet. 7 Fischer, Americans Weakening Ties to Organized Religion, 1973 -2012: Generations & Politics. Slide 1

If the reason is not largely doctrinal skepticism, what is it? Does the internet support the social apostasy as well as the intellectual? Yes, I see most people leaving their church for interpersonal reasons, not doctrinal or intellectual. These interpersonal religious conflicts are not as common on the web they occur mostly in the church community, in person-to-person interactions within churches. Thus it seems that the web contributes more to the intellectual apostasy than the social apostasy. Our culture, along with much of the rest of the world, is evolving into a more open world; it is kind of a fad to be unaffiliated; and many have just had enough. The internet augments all of those reasons as well. Our perceptions are changing as the internet opens up our world. We are seeing a mass flocking towards the internet for social survival and business. With this flocking comes a link between the necessity of being on the internet and the intellectual and social apostasy from religion. Why are so many religiously or spiritually concerned people turning to social media? There is an open field of individuals from all walks of life those in faith crisis, full fellowship, exs, and antis. Social media offers a freedom of speech not likely beyond the screen. This offers people to worship in a more open, authentic, and often more meaningful way. They have people to talk to that have the same concerns and passions, no matter where they are in their faith journey. Is social media replacing religious services? Can it? I came across some very good statements in forums and discussions about this topic. In discussing whether religion is being replaced by the internet and social media, one man wrote, The early Jewish followers of Christ (later called Christians) met in each other's homes and shared a meal and encouraged each other with songs and prayers... It wasn't until the 3rd century that they began building temples. I wonder if folks had similar discussions when pews were introduced, or running water, or

electricity, I bet they hated air conditioning...and microphones... we all know that electric musical instruments are evil, now we have iPads and bible apps, hashtags and qr codes on church bulletins, and live worship service streaming on church facebook fan pages.8 REAL LIFE AFFECTS What are the psychological, social, cultural, and temporal effects of social media in context of the decline of organized religion? How do these times vary from the past? Will they vary in the future? Psychologically, many are beginning to rely on the internet for their spiritual needs because it is easier and more open to their lifestyle. Socially, the communication of religion is being replaced from person-to-person to computer-to-computer; many are losing the meaning and fulfillment that has come from in-person contact. Social media has put up a protection for those who are afraid of in-person contact; the internet thus fulfills their need for social contact. While they are in the comfort of isolation, they are also feeling the illusory fulfillment of social connection. As I see it, the culture is moving away from authentic relations in all areas of life, the religious relationships with leaders and fellow believers is no exception. Socializing about religion on the web has turned into citizen journalism. We see this in the form of blogs, posts of leaders quotes, developing websites as exegeses on religious matters, developing websites for any kind of believer/non-believer, developing and running podcasts, and free forums. What are people experiencing in this socio-religious realm? There are people experiencing very positive and negative results. I will outline five demographics briefly to enlarge your understanding on the stories and emotions that people are experiencing. Church Leaders Leaders feel vulnerable with so much information available online. If a member of their congregation discovers opposing information, they will likely lose them.
8

The Stream Team, comment by Carlosvf, Branch Conversation: Religion and Social Media

If someone wishes to leave their church, they will make them feel that they will have a big black hole in their life as well as make them feel as guilty possible. On the other hand, many see social media as a gateway to reach and preach. Churches who embrace social media are among the fastest growing in America. (Is there anything for the traditional or conservative religionists to worry about if people still have a genuine interest in spirituality?) Full Believing Church Goers Full believers have a great resource online. Most wont ever click on anything that even seems that it will oppose their faith, and if they happen to read something opposing, they will dismiss it immediately they wont even consider it. This tenacious way of staying fixed in a belief permeates most church goers and thus keeps church attendance up. Middle-Wayers A middle-way member of a church is one who does not believe in much of a religions ideologies but is stuck in the middle of a decision to stay or leave. According to a study done by Mormon theologian John Dehlin, this is the most difficult and most emotionally taxing state. Middle-wayers have a barrage of factors to consider. The pull from their beliefs in contrast to the beliefs of the culture and family creates for a myriad of what should I dos. Should I just leave? What effect will that have on my family? What effect will it have on me if I stay? Should I just stick it out every week at church and in my church responsibilities? Should I fake my beliefs in order to keep others comfortable? Who can I talk to that wont criticize me? Are there others in this same situation with me? Does anybody else think about these doctrinal, historical, and epistemological issues? Social media offers a haven for support and love from others in similar situations.

Many are staying in the church because they have no other choice leaving means doom, a betrayal, and a cultural weight that is too heavy. They are trapped in a culture that shuns any other way, that is focused on fixing any other way, on judging and condemning any other way, and never even entertaining the possibility of another way. Family ties in religion make it nearly impossible for one to leave without having everyone else become very worried, depressed, anxious, fearful, and also vulnerable that what they are doing or believing is wrong. According to my questions and studies, the middle-way is impossible. Here is a great article on middle-way membership.9 Unaffiliates According to my understanding those who consider themselves unaffiliated can be the most comfortable psychologically. Personally, unaffilates have the least reasons to worry, to be anxious. They also use the internet and social media the least for religious purposes. They may stay largely unaffected, but the road to unnaffiliation may utilize the social web heavily. Anti-Religionists Antis love the internet and social media. Its the most constant and probably the most effective means to excite people curiosity and its really easy for a believer or anybody else to be sucked in to viewing or reading a simple message online. What demographics are more apt to doubt, question, research, challenge, and leave? The largest demographic making this change is the Millenials age 18-24, and closely behind is Generation Y 1980-1990s births. These moderns are having quite the cultural impact upon religion, and social media is a head player in this shift. The modern culture is characterized as moving away from exclusivity, analyzing, doubting, being skeptics, not afraid to be authentic, not afraid to leave an organization, is looking for proof, and is leaning towards science. Though

C.f. http://www.scribd.com/doc/82217625/Walking-an-Impossible-Path

these things are happening, the surveys shows that most young people have not lost their interest in spirituality. If anything is available online, one can find anything. And if one is looking for a particular opinion they will find it, and even evidence for it not matter how true or false. And when it comes to religion, hardly anything is provable. THE TREND TOWARD UNIVERSALISM Americans in almost every demographic group increasingly claim no religion since the trend began to accelerate in 1990. Preferring no religion is not atheism which is still very rare; in 2012, just 3 percent of Americans said they did not believe in God.10

11 12

10 11

Hout, More Americans Have No Religious Preference. Abstract Ibid. p. 1 12 Pew Research, Nones on the Rise. p. 10

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Young people now are shaping the religions of the future. If the trend continues away from organized religion to un-affiliation, churches will suffer financially, doctrinally, and socially. And, if the young people are making the change, its only a matter of time for the change to be widespread. And to clarify, this trend in America is far behind other countries, some of which has been culturally unaffiliated for centuries. There are six countries where the religiously unaffiliated make up a majority of the population: the Czech Republic (76% are religiously unaffiliated), North Korea (71%), Estonia (60%), Japan (57%), Hong Kong (56%) and China (52%).1415 Why do the Millenials like this idea of un-affiliation? Looking back through history it is easy to see that the moderns (18-30 yr. olds) have always had an open mind to new ideas, and the older generations have always been resistant. This fact is no different within the realm of religion. The new ideas are only taking longer to expose because religious beliefs and traditions are so heavily embedded in are psychology, in our mind patterns, and in our social omnibenevolent world-view. In other words, traditionalists cant imagine a world of peace and

13 14

Pew Research, Nones on the Rise. p. 11 Pew Research, The Global Religious Landscape. p. 26 15 The United States has an unaffiliated population of only 16.4% (ibid. p. 25)

happiness without church, and moderns dont see why we cant, as well as cant accept the illogical traditions of religion. In a Pew Forum discussion on religion trends in the U.S., a lot of these ideas were portrayed: Recently, for many non-conservatives, it is organized religion as a whole that has disappointed them, and many of the disappointed now opt for labeling themselves as spiritual, but not religious.16 the so-called greatest generation is passing away and being replaced by Millenials who have much less attachment to organized religion and organized anything else, as near as we can tell.17 we should bear in mind that even though its true that Americans become more religious as they age, in some ways, religious affiliation is not one of those ways.18 Once someone considers themselves a nothing most dont want anything to do with a religion, most arent looking because they have nothing they need to find.

19

16 17

Fischer, Event Transcript: Religion Trends in the U.S. Hout, Ibid. 18 Smith. Ibid.

Back to the Millenials. College-age Millenials (age 18-24) are more likely than the general population to be religiously unaffiliated. One quarter of Millenials identify as religiously unaffiliated.20 Despite their relatively young age, Millenials report significant levels of movement from the religious affiliation of their childhood. By far, the group seeing the highest increase in membership due to this movement is the religiously unaffiliated. While only 11% of Millenials were religiously unaffiliated in childhood, one-quarter currently identify as unaffiliated, a 14point increase. This means that most of todays religiously unaffiliated Millenials were raised in a specific religious tradition. Among those who are currently unaffiliated, 35% were raised unaffiliated, 21% were raised white mainline Protestant, 23% Catholic, 8% other Christian, and 4% non-Christian affiliated.21 From this study, results show that every organized religion except non-Christian have more that leave than come. With this finding, I purport that there is a direct correlation between the Millenials, social media and the internet, and the decline rather than increase or religion in whole. Millenials breath the social technologies, and if they are making the largest exodus, social media must be a factor.

22

19 20

Smith, Religion Trends in the U.S. Jones, A Generation in Transition. p. 7 21 Ibid. pp. 7-8 22 Ibid. p. 12

One-fifth of the U.S. public and a third of adults under 30 are religiously unaffiliated today, the highest percentages ever in Pew Research Center polling. In the last five years alone, the unaffiliated have increased from just over 15% to just under 20% of all U.S. adults. Their ranks now include more than 13 million self-described atheists and agnostics (nearly 6% of the U.S. public), as well as nearly 33 million people who say they have no particular religious affiliation (14%).23 MY OPINION/STORY The web facilitated my search and provided an open field for my questions to be answered as well as for more questions to come. Did the social web cause my personal intellectual apostasy? I dont think so; my questions originally arose from within as I read and studied official church publications the internet facilitated my search and sometimes added to my personal spiritual philosophies. I see most people leaving their church for interpersonal reasons, not doctrinal or intellectual. These interpersonal conflicts are not as common on the web they occur mostly in the church community. Thus the web contributes more to intellectual apostasy than social apostasy. Many discover historical facts and others are confronted with oppositional doctrines. As for me, I never searched conflicting doctrine - I just wanted truth, pragmatic and un-biased truth. So I asked a lot of questions, most of which eventually couldnt be answered by church doctrine. I then got to turn to other sources in my studies and began searching philosophy, psychology, science, and history. I found a great deal of intellectual and soul-satisfying material. Answers! (Even if they are not as spectacular or aggrandized). What are some of my intellectual conflicts that were exposed or augmented through the internet?
23

Pew Research, Nones on the Rise. p. 8

Audacious historical, mystical, exclusive, and literal doctrinal claims Misinterpretation of scripture Hidden historical facts The demonization of anything outside the religion Scientific inaccuracies Roles of women in church False imposed characteristics of God Realization of self-fulfilling prophecy possibly explaining the existence of religion itself as well as most religious phenomena being only a psychological phenomenon.

Epistemology - the study or science of knowledge and how it is acquired Limited world-view of nearly all religious sects Embodiment Why does one have to worship a being to be saved or experience true joy and peace?

Faith an excuse for not being able to explain something Fear The basis for religious obedience around the world

In conclusion - Does social media ameliorate or exacerbate these contexts? Social media is an augmenter of good and bad, and if most people are inclined to the negative, then it will be so. If most people are inclined to be skeptical and question, then it is probably doing more harm to religions then good. The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on

a religious sense arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a meaningful unity.24

24

Einstein, http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Theology-Albert-Einstein.html

Bibliography Fischer, Claude and Michael Hout. "Americans Weakening Ties to Organized Religion, 19732012: Generations & Politics." August 19, 2013. Accessed October 2, 2013. http://www.pewforum.org/2013/08/19/audio-and-slides-religion-trends-in-the-u-s/ Duncan, Deacon. Gospel Disproof #45: A self-fulfilling prophecy. Athien Worldview, April 30, 2012. Accessed October 18, 2013. http://freethoughtblogs.com/alethianworldview/2012/04/30/gospel-disproof-45-aself-fulfilling-prophecy/ Dehlin, John. Respondent #113. Episode 343-344: Mormonism and the Internet with John Dehlin, Scott Gordon (FAIR) and Rosemary Avance. May 2, 2012. Accessed July 22, 2013. http://mormonstories.org/uvu-mormonism-and-the-internet-johndehlin-scott-gordon-fair-and-rosemary-avance/ Goodstein, Laurie. Some Mormons Search the Web and Find Doubt. The New York Times, July 20, 2013. Accessed July 20, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/us/some-mormons-search-the-web-and-finddoubt.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 The Stream Team., comment by Carlosvf. Branch Conversation: Religion and Social Media. August 22, 2013. Accessed September 26, 2013. 22 http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/the-stream/the-latest/2013/8/22/branchconversationreligionandsocialmedia.html Pew Research Religion and Public Life Project. Nones on the Rise: One-in-five Adults have no Religious Affiliation. October 9, 2012. p. 8-11, Accessed October 2, 2013. http://www.pewforum.org/2012/10/09/nones-on-the-rise/ Pew Research Religion and Public Life Project. The Global Religious Landscape. December 2012. pp. 25-26. Accessed October 9, 2012. http://www.pewforum.org/files/2012/12/globalReligion-full.pdf FISCHER, CLAUDE and MICHAEL HOUT and GREG SMITH. Event Transcript: Religion Trends in the U.S. Pew Research Religion and Public Life Project. August 19, 2013. Accessed October 9, 2013. http://www.pewforum.org/2013/08/19/eventtranscript-religion-trends-in-the-u-s/ Smith, Greg. Religion Trends in the U.S. August 19, 2013. Accessed October 2, 2013. http://www.pewforum.org/2013/08/19/audio-and-slides-religion-trends-in-the-u-s/ Jones, Robert and Daniel Cox and Thomas Banchoff. A Generation in Transition: Religion, Values, and Politics among College-age Millenials Public Religion Research Institute and Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. pp. 7-8,

April 19, 2012. Accessed October 9, 2012. http://publicreligion.org/site/wpcontent/uploads/2012/04/Millennials-Survey-Report.pdf Hout, Michael and Claude S. Fischer and Mark A. Chaves. More Americans Have No Religious Preference: Key Finding from the 2012 General Social Survey. University of California, Berkley. March 7, 2013. Accessed October 2, 2013. http://sociology.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/faculty/fischer/Hout%20et%20al_ No%20Relig%20Pref%202012_Release%20Mar%202013.pdf