Switching

No doubt about it, religious trends are affecting seniors as well as others. And why not? There are researchers who spend a lot of time and energy figuring out what people do on Sundays. In spite of all the options: sports, travel, shopping, sleeping in, home chores, some people do go to church. Why is always an arguable subject:

It has been a tradition in our family

We love our pastor/priest (or our organ, guitar or new set of drums)

We want to meet our friends (or make new ones)

We go to worship (no more, no less)

We always find a place to park (not always true, however) . . .

Ah, yes, and there are many more reasons you could easily append. So let’s move on. The Christian Science Monitor recently featured "The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life". Interestingly, this report indicated that about one-half of Americans (48%) have switched to a different denomination or to no religion. More on this later.

It continued that Protestants are down from 65% to 51% and Roman Catholics have decreased from 30% to 24%. But those unaffiliated have risen from 8% to 16%. While some congregations are on the increase, many main line denominations are on the decline.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, launched in 2001, seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs. "The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life", launched in 2001, seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs, which is not only admirable but difficult. It focuses on four areas. Religion and Politics, Law, Domestic Policy and World Affairs. An admirable task.

Our immediate attention is not to probe into the reasons for growth and decline, or even to compare religions or denominations. Rather, it is to casually explore why half the population seemingly has made a switch. That’s a sizable number but certainly didn’t occur overnight.

Why do people switch? We’ve heard about the dubious distinction of church tramps. Not a nice term but it often expresses those who go from church to church, denomination to denomination, religion to religion, for a variety of reasons (or excuses): Our theology has changed (or that of their former church). The pastor we liked moved on (or the pastor we disliked wouldn’t move on). We’ve changed jobs and there was no church of our kind nearby (this happened to us when we moved and our Bank had no counterpart in our new city so we switched banks).

Why else do people switch? Their church has no youth program (or one for seniors). The music is not to their liking. The people are unfriendly. The air conditioning is too cold (or not cold enough). The pews are too hard (or soft). There are too many steps. Strangers are sitting in my pew. Little kids belong elsewhere. Can’t hear (lousy PA system). The liturgy (or litany) has been diluted or eliminated. The lights are too glaring. The list goes on. And on.

Now, of the 48% who are switching, just how many are seniors I’m not sure (I didn’t have access to the whole report). I just assume that seniors have their own unique reasons/excuses: Been there, done that. Let the next generation have their chance. Can’t hear, see or reason as well as when I was younger. I get more out of the radio or television. I’m really out of the loop. Too hard to get there. Switching may help. It may be worth trying they say. But then, breaking in isn’t easy, either.

This particular kind of senior moment (switching) isn’t all it’s cracked up to be whether it’s religion, politics, diet or even changing lifelong brands. Maybe, just maybe, the 52 per centers, are better off. But suppose your church, association or club has no senior program? Why wait for one to be organized? Two or three seniors is all it takes. Besides, then there is no real reason to switch.