Why Americans Are Abandoning Church
Why Americans Are Abandoning Church -: Researchers in the US claim that the number of American churches closing is alarmingly high. Churches are losing members on a daily basis as younger generations drift further from Christianity.
Some people think that people’s decisions about attending church have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Others think that the world would eventually turn away from religion. Pastors must actively seek out churchgoers in the middle of this situation in order to easily maintain a community.
What Caused Americans to Stop Attending Church?
The decline in church attendance in America is the result of a variety of circumstances. The most notable of these was the pandemic, which required the closure of thousands of churches during a period of high infection. Due to their perception that the church no longer supports their decisions, the younger generation is likewise not maintaining the habit.
People stopped going to church on a regular basis as a result of the pandemic shutdown. Many churches struggled to attract new members. People also no longer want to go through the effort of going to church every Sunday since they realize they don’t have to.
The percentage of non-religious people who identify as atheists or agonists has also increased noticeably. Compared to 75% in pre-pandemic times, only 67% of Americans say they go to church at least once a year.
Conflict with the church’s political and social stance is the cause of a gradual fall in the number of young adults visiting the church. Churchgoers are perceived as being judgmental or hypocritical, and young people have a difficult time adjusting to the setting.
Many people leave their hometowns for professional or other reasons, and when they relocate, they stop going to church.
Why are so many Gen Zs and Millennials abandoning the church?
Despite growing up in families where Christians predominated, the vast majority of millennials have given up their faith. American Gen Z is around 40% non-affiliated. Now that there is no longer a sense of need to attend Mass every Sunday, it is up to church officials to persuade people to enter. As a result, scandals, overt condemnation, corrupt power-grabbing congregations, and a lack of pastoral care have turned away younger people from the church.
Millennials and Gen Z are less likely to attend church regularly for a variety of reasons, including disagreement with religious practices, hypocrisy in the church, forceful or demanding church leaders, and corrupt churches that are overly focused on money, power, and politics. There are also further justifications, such as being too busy to attend, scheduling issues, or others.
People who didn’t grow up in religious families are less likely to change their religion as adults. Many people abandon their religious beliefs because they are fed up with the damaging teachings about how to treat the LGBTQ+ group. People have also turned away from churches as a result of the clergy’s sexual abuse scandals.
Stereotyping absentees as hedonists only serves to complicate matters further. According to 67% of Americans, moral justice may be attained without belief in God. Although America is still a religious nation, there is a movement away from religion.
What is the cause of church closures?
Church congregations are shrinking as a result of a decline in church attendance. The church closes when it reaches a turning point and loses its purpose. As a result, a lot of churches have been sold recently.
Church sales have significantly increased during the past five years. Later, churches are used as apartments or nursing facilities. The sellers frequently want it to be used for good, therefore they are frequently used to house immigrants or to support non-profit organizations.
Fewer churches were sold in Texas than in other states in America, where church closures are more common. The fact that the governor let churches remain open in May 2020 in spite of the epidemic may be the cause of this.
Closures are frequently brought about by the church’s incapacity to change. The congregation occasionally loses its ability to influence children and families. The majority of the time, it is a direct result of failing to adapt to the population.
As a result of their perception of the church as a politicized, judgmental, and hypocritical organization, Millennials and Generation Z are fleeing churches. People who leave churches tend to stop being religious.
Due to differences of opinion on important cultural topics including the LGBTQ+ community, abortion, divorce, and matters pertaining to women’s rights, millennials have been abandoning the church.
Do you believe that Americans leaving churches will continue to rise in the future? Or, will pastors consistently work to improve society, which might be seen in their following?
Also Read :