Reflection for April 3

Among those whose say they're not religious, the data does not suggest a total lack of faith in religious teachings. The most surprising finding, Dr. [Ryne] Sherman says, was that Americans’ belief in an afterlife continues to thrive. Younger Americans now believe in some sort of heaven at a higher rate than did previous generations. Americans’ decreasing attention to religion in this life has an inverse impact on their concern for it in the next.

The contrast points to a rise in individualism, Sherman says, or even entitlement, as the idea of receiving something for nothing trickles through American thought.

“There’s still this idea that even if I don’t pray, even if I don’t believe in God, there’s still going to be something in the afterlife for me,” Sherman says (“Is American religiosity on a downward spiral?  Yes and no.” The Christian Science Monitor, March 22, 2016).