In the spirit of “be careful what you wish for”, the study highlights two points I find particularly interesting.

Regulating (i.e., state-sactioned) religions causes a decrease in participation.  Britain’s official state religion is viewed by the citizenry as a joke.  While in the US, the strong(ish) separation of church and state has provided a thriving market place for religion providers.  So those like Hitchens who are ardent supporters of church state separation and extremely critical of religion, are working against their own goal.  Same for the religious who want more state support for their religious policies.  The more ground the gain in official government support, the less likely citizen will want any part of it.  Think faith-based social programs.

Economic security, or the lack thereof, is more likely to drive church attendance.  So it’s not education - at least not directly - that we should be supporting in the economically depressed countries where religious extremists breed, but better economic viability.  Of course, a better economy can only result from better education.  One is less likely to perturb the system when they have a good thing going.

Religions, science, politics and business.  Like ends of a string, it seems you just can’t have one without the others.

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I wish it was as simple as this.  I doubt that it is.  I live in the second largest city in the state of Georgia. Here, the majority of people go to church.  Well educated and wealthy follow right along with the rest of the church goers. Here, church is a place to not only frame beliefs, but it’s a socially encouraged place to meet for business contacts, social contacts and to be seen with other leaders in the community.

I don’t know what the secret is to helping people to de-compartmentalize their lives… to act out their beliefs and to drop the pretend world of religion.  I’ve done it, but few in my local culture do not go to church or admit that they don’t believe in Christ.

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An extremely unfortunate reality in the U.S. is that, to have a leadership impact, you almost have to kowtow to religion or at least not openly refute it.

It is a dark age, of sorts, in America.

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