In my research on Catholic schools and disaffiliation, I have long speculated that social desirability bias has played a significant role not only in survey responses but also in the broader ways individuals have lived out their religious lives. In earlier social contexts, religious practice, particularly church attendance, was often shaped by strong social expectations. Participation in religious life was frequently regarded as normative, and absence from church could carry social or even professional consequences. This is no longer the prevailing reality. Today, individuals generally feel far freer to express their beliefs, or lack thereof, without comparable social pressure to conform to religious norms. It could be argued, in fact, that social pressure has not disappeared but has instead shifted, from an expectation of religious participation to an assumption of secular identity.
Additionally, I would hypothesize that the contemporary movement away from religious belief and practice reflected in current data is not entirely new. Similar periods of pronounced secularization have occurred at other points in history. For example, events such as the French Revolution may have coincided with significant shifts toward secular worldviews and less defined or less practiced religious belief. Viewed in this light, present trends may represent not an unprecedented rupture, but a recurring pattern in the relationship between religion, culture, and social expectation.
Why do people believe what they do. It’s definitely not due to evidence and logic. It’s due to probably one of the most powerful force in human history, from its beginning. It’s called the availability cascade.
Why was most of western society Catholic? The availability cascade. It just so happens that Christianity and truth are in sync so they believed in truth. But not true today for non-believers.
The Nones and non-believers have nothing going for them. Yet, they believe in nonsense. I have never seen atheists justify their beliefs. It’s all empty and emotional.
“Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.”
Well, no, but if I'm playing a game of 20 questions, and the answer to the query "Does this item spend a lot of its time in a garage?" is "Yes," then "Car" is a pretty reasonable answer, right? And if learned that the correct answer was actually "No, it's not a car, it's this guy Brad who is also not a mechanic and really doesn't have any association with cars in any way he just really likes to spend all his time in the garage for no reason" that would be weird and I wouldn't play 20 questions with that person anymore.
“ They’ll say a walk through nature is more edifying than Sunday worship”
An old joke from Catholic circles: an atheist was walking through the woods one Sunday morning remarking to himself on the wonders and beauty of nature and how one did not need superstitious worship to appreciate it. He then noticed in the distance a movement of some sort. He stared and then saw a bear rustling around in the distance.
He quickly and as silent as he could moved away. But the bear saw him and started to move toward him. He started to run but the bear was faster and was catching up. He ran into an open area and was suddenly aware that the opening led to a steep cliff. The bear was almost upon him.
He knelt down at the edge of the cliff and started to pray. “Dear Lord, give this bear religion and save me.” He looked around and then saw the bear was on its knees making a sign of the cross and saying “Bless oh Lord and these thy gifts for which I am about to receive from thy bounty, Christ our Lord, Amen”
It would be good if organized religious bodies digested the reality that the younger you are, the less likely you are to ever think that church might be a place you would want to go.
Here is a place where we could benefit from some qualitative analysis so those conducting surveys could ask better questions. One could ask about church attendance. Do you sit for 5 minutes, excuse yourself and then go out back to smoke with your buds. When you pray what exactly is that. Are you reading words in a book or talking to God. Does he talk back to you. And why do you go to church and what is a church for anyway.
A few months ago I took a Trip to Paris and Normandy in France. We toured several cathedrals, including 2 Notre Dames it got me thinking what are these places for anyway. And I ended up writing this: https://davidgaynon.substack.com/p/cathedral-foundations?r=sajh
“Whatever the reason, the conclusion is the same: never-attenders are far more secular now than ever before”
Interesting phenomenon when the evidence and logic is overwhelmingly pointing to a creator. This is what has to be examined. As the evidence/logic gets more certain, belief is going the other way. One possibility, are Nones not aware of this evidence/logic? And are religious people to be blamed?
“ From a social-scientific standpoint, that’s basically someone saying that religious behavior doesn’t matter much—they place more emphasis on belief or maybe belonging instead.”
If one is a Christian, then does one have an obligation to show up and worship God. The Christian God has promised eternal life in His presence if one obeys Christ. What would the richest man, give for eternal life with God? My guess if he believed, all he owned.
So why can’t a Christian show up on Sunday morning and worship/thank God for a gift greater than what the richest man in the world has. Or at any time in between thank God for what He has offered him.
In my research on Catholic schools and disaffiliation, I have long speculated that social desirability bias has played a significant role not only in survey responses but also in the broader ways individuals have lived out their religious lives. In earlier social contexts, religious practice, particularly church attendance, was often shaped by strong social expectations. Participation in religious life was frequently regarded as normative, and absence from church could carry social or even professional consequences. This is no longer the prevailing reality. Today, individuals generally feel far freer to express their beliefs, or lack thereof, without comparable social pressure to conform to religious norms. It could be argued, in fact, that social pressure has not disappeared but has instead shifted, from an expectation of religious participation to an assumption of secular identity.
Additionally, I would hypothesize that the contemporary movement away from religious belief and practice reflected in current data is not entirely new. Similar periods of pronounced secularization have occurred at other points in history. For example, events such as the French Revolution may have coincided with significant shifts toward secular worldviews and less defined or less practiced religious belief. Viewed in this light, present trends may represent not an unprecedented rupture, but a recurring pattern in the relationship between religion, culture, and social expectation.
Why do people believe what they do. It’s definitely not due to evidence and logic. It’s due to probably one of the most powerful force in human history, from its beginning. It’s called the availability cascade.
https://effectiviology.com/availability-cascade/
Why was most of western society Catholic? The availability cascade. It just so happens that Christianity and truth are in sync so they believed in truth. But not true today for non-believers.
The Nones and non-believers have nothing going for them. Yet, they believe in nonsense. I have never seen atheists justify their beliefs. It’s all empty and emotional.
“Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.”
Well, no, but if I'm playing a game of 20 questions, and the answer to the query "Does this item spend a lot of its time in a garage?" is "Yes," then "Car" is a pretty reasonable answer, right? And if learned that the correct answer was actually "No, it's not a car, it's this guy Brad who is also not a mechanic and really doesn't have any association with cars in any way he just really likes to spend all his time in the garage for no reason" that would be weird and I wouldn't play 20 questions with that person anymore.
“ They’ll say a walk through nature is more edifying than Sunday worship”
An old joke from Catholic circles: an atheist was walking through the woods one Sunday morning remarking to himself on the wonders and beauty of nature and how one did not need superstitious worship to appreciate it. He then noticed in the distance a movement of some sort. He stared and then saw a bear rustling around in the distance.
He quickly and as silent as he could moved away. But the bear saw him and started to move toward him. He started to run but the bear was faster and was catching up. He ran into an open area and was suddenly aware that the opening led to a steep cliff. The bear was almost upon him.
He knelt down at the edge of the cliff and started to pray. “Dear Lord, give this bear religion and save me.” He looked around and then saw the bear was on its knees making a sign of the cross and saying “Bless oh Lord and these thy gifts for which I am about to receive from thy bounty, Christ our Lord, Amen”
It would be good if organized religious bodies digested the reality that the younger you are, the less likely you are to ever think that church might be a place you would want to go.
Here is a place where we could benefit from some qualitative analysis so those conducting surveys could ask better questions. One could ask about church attendance. Do you sit for 5 minutes, excuse yourself and then go out back to smoke with your buds. When you pray what exactly is that. Are you reading words in a book or talking to God. Does he talk back to you. And why do you go to church and what is a church for anyway.
A few months ago I took a Trip to Paris and Normandy in France. We toured several cathedrals, including 2 Notre Dames it got me thinking what are these places for anyway. And I ended up writing this: https://davidgaynon.substack.com/p/cathedral-foundations?r=sajh
“Whatever the reason, the conclusion is the same: never-attenders are far more secular now than ever before”
Interesting phenomenon when the evidence and logic is overwhelmingly pointing to a creator. This is what has to be examined. As the evidence/logic gets more certain, belief is going the other way. One possibility, are Nones not aware of this evidence/logic? And are religious people to be blamed?
“ From a social-scientific standpoint, that’s basically someone saying that religious behavior doesn’t matter much—they place more emphasis on belief or maybe belonging instead.”
If one is a Christian, then does one have an obligation to show up and worship God. The Christian God has promised eternal life in His presence if one obeys Christ. What would the richest man, give for eternal life with God? My guess if he believed, all he owned.
So why can’t a Christian show up on Sunday morning and worship/thank God for a gift greater than what the richest man in the world has. Or at any time in between thank God for what He has offered him.