Recently a spate of articles have come out showing, yet again, the rise of “The Nones”, who have no religious affiliation, while traditional religions continue to decline. While there is truth to this trend-- predominantly white Christian expressions in the USA are in decline in terms of numbers-- this is not the whole story. For a better insight into the polling data, I would look at Pew Religion. They offer some explanations to go along with the current American data, which is reflective of the European decline of religion last century, but not reflective of the growth of religion in Asia, Africa, and much of South America. However, there is no definitive explanation of why the decline in some places, and rise in others. So, let's take a look at one theory...
My own personal opinion is this: Our ruling American ideology is Consumerism, which seeks to divide people up as isolated individuals, get them addicted to all kinds of material stuff (from drugs to gadgets), and then profit from their addictions hand over fist. Any kind of authentic community building is bad for the profit making model of Consumerism. So, we create a society of constant movement, constant change, constant stimulation, and constant consumption that seeks to keep people from building authentic communities. Thus, not only does religion decline, but so does all kinds of community organizations, from Rotary Clubs to Fraternal Organizations to Labor Unions.
Furthermore, disconnected individuals who have no significant belief systems or ethical commitments outside of vague notions of personal fulfillment and “happiness” are incredibly easy to manipulate into consumption of goods and services. People who make decisions based on “feelings” rather than analysis of facts, within a framework of firm beliefs, are remarkably susceptible being dragged along wherever manipulators are able to tug their heartstrings. Religion and community organizations provide such a network of beliefs and values beyond selfish fulfillment, and therefore it is in the best interest of the Consumer system to paint them as quaint, old fashioned, out of touch, and irrelevant to the “REAL” human task of finding fulfillment for the self. Thus the real becomes the fake, and the fake becomes the real.
The same trends hold for fragmentation of families. Isolated people tend to be less stable and more in need of the Consumer system for material and psychological sustenance. So, dividing up and destroying families is good for profits. Earlier versions of Capitalism did this to the families of workers who were in the factories and sweat shops: Long hours, staggered shifts, lack of family time. It made people more “productive”, more dependent on the corporations, and less likely to go on strike. Now, in Consumerism, what was done to laborers is being done to everyone: Divide and conquer the family and all forms of community. Enslave then to endless, mindless consumption as disconnected individuals so more profits go to the Reptiles* that run the system.
*Metaphorical: I’m not a literal Lizard people conspiracist.
The only communal organizations that are growing-- and taking the PLACE of Church-- are athletic clubs that worship at the altar of “winning”. And these are based on getting people to pay money to support the clubs and buy the athletic gear in a non-ending loop of consumption. The “religion” of athletics thus takes on all the cultic and community forming functions of religion within the Consumer system, but without actually forming real community. The crowds come together for the Gladiator games, and then disperse again, giving the “feel” of temporary community without any of the support, mentoring, or responsibility functions of authentic communities.
Add to this that many American Churches— Left and Right— are idolatrous and spend a lot more time preaching the American Dream of prosperity and personal fulfillment rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ's self-sacrificial Love and call to service. Thus the churches try to compete with the Consumer system in terms of entertainment value and excitement, only to get decimated by the power of the media, technology, and athletics to supply entertainment better for longer time periods. Religion simply cannot compete with Consumerism on its own grounds. All combined: Religion is tanking among the demographics most enmeshed with Consumerism.
When Gen X grew up, it was the godless Commies who were the enemies of Religion and the Family. And this is true. They were. But history will look back and see Communism as little league small potatoes compared with the all out assault that Materialist Consumerism is unleashing on Religion and Culture and the Family. It seeks to destroy your family, warp your values, addict your kids, and replace your God with Mammon.
Religion was helpful to the establishment of the Neo-Liberal Consumer world order in the middle of last century (God and Country against the Ruskies!). But now that all the Collectivist foes have been defeated and Consumerism is the only game in town, it is showing its true colors. It has used religion, and now it is discarding it to establish its own Cult.
If this was all there was to it, it would make this simply a conspiracy being done TO us as consumers. And while it is that, we are also willingly and joyfully complicit in our own enslavement to Mammon. We are addicted to our stuff, our comfort, and our mode of life, and we will willingly sacrifice our time, effort, ideals, ideologies, and relationships for the privilege of being cogs in the machine. So as much as I blame Corporations for their rapacious tactics, and I blame Government for accepting their bribe money (whoops! I mean contributions), I also blame the guy I see in the mirror. I find it hard to imagine another mode of life other than the Matrix we are currently in, and even harder to act in any significant way to counteract the downward spiral. To use the phrase of social theorist Mark Fisher, I am one of countless millions held captive to "Capitalist Realism". I can more easily imagine the end of the world than I can the end of Consumerism. And that saddens me. So, perhaps, like the generation in the Exodus, we will just have to die in the wilderness so our offspring can inherit the promised land.
Now, this entire essay is obviously hyperbolic and is probably guilty of overgeneralizing. But I think there is more than a kernel of truth in it, even if it is just my naive guess at the driving factors behind the trends.
As a post-script, Harvey Cox talks about "The Market as God".
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