2-26-89 Sunday. I suppose it’s fitting to discuss churchgoing, since Sunday is traditionally the day in [sic; should be “on”] which people attend church. I read in the newspaper the other day that, while the percentage of people who consider themselves religious has remained constant over the past few years, the percentage who attend church regularly has fallen. Some attribute this to the growing number of “yuppies” (young urban professionals), many of whom work hard during the week and want to spend their weekends relaxing. My explanation is somewhat different. First, you must realize that there is a basic need for religion. People just cannot tolerate the thought that we are here by accident and that, when we die, we do not go to heaven or have an afterlife. Second, we live in a narcissistic age, an age where people care first and foremost about themselves and their loved ones. The main objective is to be happy, and the way to do that, they think, is to make a lot of money and use it to buy objects. For some, leisure is the most precious commodity of all, something that one buys if one can afford it. So, rather than “waste” time in church every Sunday, these people prefer to stay home. Besides, churches tend to be boring, and sometimes the ministers instill guilt in the members. That’s negative, and yuppies do not like negativity, whether in the form of bad news, guilt, criticism, or harsh judgments. It’s as if today’s adults want both (1) religion and (2) guilt-free leisure and good feeling. They want part of the package, but not all of it.
Twenty Years Ago
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