"Are You Religious" May Strike People as an Odd Question



The sands of time bury some things. Asking people their views on religion may be different in the future. 

The link discussed the difference in how people who have no contact or experience with religion versus those who grew up in it but left might answer questions like, "Do you believe in God?" or "Do you believe in a live after death?" Those with no experience or background may not know what the questions are about and answer from a different place than those who know the source of the question.

I tried to come up with a way of imagining how questions about religion would strike someone who has no idea or experience with the topic. I looked up my birth date in an astrology site. I am Virgos. The traits attributed to Virgos seem not at all like me. If a pollster asked me questions about my life's experience as a Virgo I would be dumbfounded. My impulse, however, would be to be helpful and try to help out the person by answering even though I have no idea what this is all about. Perhaps asking questions about Christianity will become like asking me about Virgo. 

Little is written about the numbers in the U.S. who follow occults but there are sources which say sales of ceremonial materials, like tarot cards, is booming. Maybe it is far more popular than given credit. 

One thing we can count on is those in the faith will be blindsided when something else runs over them like a bulldozer. Paganism was surprised by the growth of the new strange faith later called "Christianity." Today one can see deep Christians blowing off any information about its falling numbers. "Of course it will come back," they say, "because it is the only truth."

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