Religion becoming extinct in NZ - study
("Voxy.co.nz," August 19, 2011)
New Zealand - A study has reportedly found that religion is set for
extinction in nine countries.
Presented at an American Physical Society meeting in Dallas (Texas, USA),
this study reportedly listed these countries as: Australia, Austria, Canada,
Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand and
Switzerland.
This study titled Modeling the decline of religion by Richard Wiener
(University of Arizona, USA), Haley Yaple (Northwestern University, USA), and
Daniel Abrams (Northwestern University), points out that societies in which
the perceived utility of not adhering is greater than the utility of
adhering, religion will be driven toward extinction. People claiming no
religious
affiliation constitute the fastest growing religious minority in many
countries throughout the world. It is said that in Czech Republic, about 60%
identify themselves as non-affiliated to religion.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, suggested
to organizations and leaders of various world religions and denominations
to make religion more vibrant, attractive and engaging if they wanted to
keep their people in God's fold.
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that people
with religion were increasing and we (religious leaders and organizations)
were responsible for their alienation. Our efforts at social control,
judgmentalism, stagnant approach, etc., might be turning them away resulting
in
many of them questioning belief in God, equating religion with fear, etc.
Some of them, who still believed in God, were bypassing religion to reach God
questioning the linkage between man made religions and God. "I just do
good, I should be fine", many of them argued.
Rajan Zed pointed out that life was getting complex and distractions were
increasing, so religion was slipping away from the priority list of many.
Conventional style of dealing with spirituality and religion did not appear
to be effectively working, especially with today's youth. Make it more
exciting and challenging, Zed suggested.
We as religious leaders should live exemplary lives to add credibility to
our preaching. Give them fresh answers without any religious stigma
attached. Listen to what the people have to say before giving your opinion to
them.
Accept the people who and as they are. Make religion lively and not
stagnant, Zed says.
If religious leaders and organizations do not attend to this challenge more
effectively in this consumerist society, we can lose our youth to the
other marketplace players, which are more powerful, attractive and vocal than
religion and spirituality. Many youth appear to be bored from religion.
Serving God does not have to be dull. For youth, make religion and do not
force
anything on them, Rajan Zed argues.
Zed stresses that youth is not hostile to religion. Religious leaders and
organizations need rethinking and reflection and come up with creative and
new practices, norms, and ideas to make their product more competitive.
A spiritual world will be a better place to live than a non-spiritual
world, Rajan Zed adds.
The American Physical Society, headquartered in College Park (Maryland,
USA) and founded in 1899 strives to be the leading voice for physics and an
authoritative source of physics information for the advancement of physics
and the benefit of humanity.
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