Losing Our Religion?

The 2012 Presidential election highlighted a shift in the religious affiliation of the country:

• 16.1% - The percentage of Americans who identified themselves as religously unaffiliated
• 25% - The percentage of Americans, ages 18-29, who identified as religously unaffiliated

Among Americans who have changed religious affiliation, those who are now unaffiliated with any particular religion have seen the greatest growth in numbers.

And the greatest net loss of affiliation was experienced by Catholics:

• 31% - The percentage of Americans who were raised in the Catholic faith
• 24% - The percentage of Americans who identify as Catholic today

Source: Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Has religion outlived is original purpose? When I think about the point in history that Christianity was forming, I think of the height of the Roman Empire. It was a time of great excess. Food, wine and other creature comforts were in abundance. Wealthy Romans held many slaves, threw lavish parties, and indulged in every sexual appetite. I believe that Christianity rose out of a need to rein in this behavior. The ten commandments created a baseline morality of how human beings should behave. And hell was the punishment for those who ignored the rules.

And while society has continued to evolve, the catholic religion has remained stagnant, still holding to the same principles it was found on over two thousand years ago.

If American society is becoming more secular, does that mean that we will deteriorate into the Roman time of excess? I would like to believe that humanity has evolved since then and that most people will choose to do the right thing without the threat of going to hell.

In a lecture on "A Good Heart - The key to Health and Happiness" the Dalai Lama emphasized that cultivating secular ethics - which he said has nothing to do with religion - benefits all human beings. He said strengthening inner values of warm-heartedness and compassion benefits both believers and non-believers in leading a happy and meaningful life.

Wouldn't our society be stronger overall, if we did the right thing because it was the right thing, and not because we feared what would happen if we didn't?