"Are my friends feeling more lost because they don't have religion or is my attempt to point out causation a form of cum hoc ergo propter hoc?"
I've actually had this discussion with a former professor. In today's society, there is something inherently unstable about being in one's twenties. As she had stated, "the twenties were the worst time in my life." There are so many uncertainties with being in one's twenties. With the decline in marriage in this country, being single and not finding that "special someone" is becoming all the more prevalent. Even with the imperfections in marriage exemplified by the rate of divorce in this country, there is still something to be said for the companionship of another individual and combatting a sense of loneliness and despair.
Higher education also puts a strain on millenials. For the Baby Boomers, a high school education was sufficient. During those days, only one person with a high school education had the realistic potential to support a middle-class family. Nowadays, you need two parents with post-secondary education to maintain the same lifestyle. In addition to the fact that a Bachelor's Degree does not have as much effectiveness as it used to have, you also have to deal with the hyperinflation of college tuition costs compared to general inflation, which is estimated to be 300 to 400% higher than normal inflation (numbers calculated from late 1970s). The feeling of debt can crush an individual's mentality and reduce the individual to abject despondency. Since the labor market of those with Bachelor's Degrees has increased, not to mention the expectation of post-secondary education, the overall value of such an education exacerbates the individual's situation since it takes more time to pay off that debt. And we can all be certain that a global recession only compounds all of this hopelessness.
Millenials also have to deal with being unsure of their career path, entry-level wages, increased costs of buying a house (when adjusted for inflation), and a hostile, uncivil political climate that breeds uncertainty and cynicism. Needless to say, there is plenty that has the potential to bog down the typical millenial.
I don't want to diminish these valid concerns. They breed incertitude in an indvidual, and that incertitude creates angst. However, if millenials are to believe that life is so awful, I think each millenial would need to pick up a history book because living conditions and security of rights in this country right now are better, obviously with some exceptions in certain areas, than in any other country during any given period in time. Life expectancy is longer than ever and what used to be considered luxuries (e.g., air conditioning, the automobile, the five-day work week) are now commonplace.
Dealing with difficult times and incertitude is nothing new in our day. I don't care what you say about organized religion. Every institution has its flaws and need to be worked out. However, dismissing centuries of religious wisdom and practice is foolish. There is a reason why religions have had staying power for all this time. They have grappled with life's questions of meaning and significance. They have had much more time to hammer out the details than a millenial has had to even think about them. Throwing out the baby with the bath water is imbecility par excellence. Although there are exceptions, the general trend I see in life is that those who have religion in their life have more stability in their life. More stability generates more happiness because one does not feel lost. Is this to say that religion is for everbody? Not necessarily. Is this to say that religion automatically makes you a good person? No. I have met religious people who are severely flawed, and I have met atheists who are wonderful human beings. Is to even say that religion will solve all your problems? Nope! I don't make that guarantee. Life is a bumpy ride, after all. The purpose of religion and having a sense of connection with a higher power transcending yourself is that when these bad times do come along, you are better anchored and better equipped to handle it.
This is not an attempt for me to prosletyze. After all, in Judaism, an individual from any nation has the potential to be rewarded in the afterlife, presuming there is one in the first place. Jews don't need to convert others. What I advise to my friends who feel lost and who feel they are severely missing that sense of purpose in life, go religion shopping! I know, it's a secular way of framing the advice, but see which religion works for you. Obviously, I would say give Judaism a try. Aside from it working for me quite nicely, I find it has a pragmatic, realistic way to approach theology, ethics, and the question of the meaning of life as a whole. But a man's spiritual journey is his own, and what I hope is that what he finds ultimately brings him solace.
Any stability, positivity or blessing that happens to enter my scattered and uncertain 20-something life is chiefly because of the love and involvement of Jesus Christ. This is not religion, this is the Salvation of God through the humanity and sacrifice of his Son, and my subsequent relationship with Christ in response to that. Part of maintaining my relationship with Jesus is my involvement in an "organized religious group" e.g. my church family. I think you offer some really positive stuff here, but I have to say that my perspective is that simply "religion shopping" isn't the full extent of the answer to finding purpose and emotional well-being (and I think you state that pretty well). I know you don't celebrate Easter, so I will say "I hope you are well!"
ReplyDeleteMatt, I hope you have been well and the transition in your new home has gone smoothly. I will agree that "shopping" for a religion isn't enough. In order for it to have impact, you have to take it sincerely and embody its teachings. However, I think you missed the crux of my thesis. My purpose wasn't to bring up veracity of other religions. I strongly believe Judaism is correct, hence why I'm a practicing Jew. If you want my take on the veracity of Christianity, you are more than welcome to puruse my blog entries with the label of "Christianity." What I wanted to bring up was a pragmatic argument: having religion in one's life, regardless of the religion, creates a foundation that creates a stronger sense of stability than not having any religion. Although it doesn't solve problems, it helps cope with problems because religion, unlike secularism, deals with a higher sense of purpose. Although I believe that Judaism is correct, I also believe that a man's spirituality is a very personal matter, and he ultimately has to use his own faculties to come to terms with his relationship to G-d.
ReplyDeleteAMEN. Thank you for writing this blog. You have encapsulated all the things I always want to say to people our age who airily dismiss religion, or say that they are "spiritual not religious". To throw out centuries of religious practice because of mere circumstance is like deciding to completely cut off your mom from your life because she wears ugly shoes. Too many people are looking at the ugly shoes.
ReplyDeleteReligion is and should not be an opiate. Religion is, as you say, a seatbelt for the bumpy ride of Life. I like lots of stuff about Judaism that I find present in no other religion. The emphasis on knowledge and scholarship- the idea of personal responsibility, accountability for your own deeds, fixing the world to get a Messiah instead of just randomly getting one- serving G-d with joy instead of guilt or anger, being co-creators with the Lord of our world.. I love the idea of being able to have a differing opinion or argument about Judaism and having it being accepted as completely theologically valid as long as you cite the correct source. To an ex-Catholic, that idea alone is manna from heaven. I love the emphasis on home, family and community., the ancient language, the ancient rituals, the great liturgical music, the idea that we are all mishpocheh. And the final reason why I love Judaism- in this Cliffsnotes version- is that there's a certain rebelliousness and defiance inherent to being Jewish. It's a part of the Jewish condition- when I hear hymns like Nyet Nyet Nikavo or even Lecha Dodi, there's a certain sense of, "We're still here, despite ALL of this crap, so be happy, darn it. And hey, rest of the world. EFF YOU!" We've talked about that before.
What don't I like about Judaism, as a perspective convert? Well, I think that Jews historically stayed away from non-Jews and excluded non-Jews out of protective reasons For mere safety and survival of the community, this was necessary. But that exclusionary tendency has been ingrained in certain Jewish circles for so long that it's second nature. What I see it producing is a very unattractive insularity and stubbornness that you and I have both butted heads with. Ideas of non-Jews as lesser beings and of intermarriage between Jew and non-Jew as bestiality, active discouragement of non-Jews from becoming Jews, and an excessive desire for codification in even the most minute religious manners, to the point where even the Orthodox yeshivot of pre-war-Europe (!) would not recognize this level of stringency. An unwillingness to change because to some,change itself is the Enemy. There'd be no point in Judaism becoming a proselytizing religion, but I see no reason why they can't proselytize the interested. Centuries of Jews became Christians or Muslims under duress; if a Christian or Muslim or even a Hindu wants to become a Jew because they freely choose it, the Jewish world should throw its hands in the air and shout Mazel Tov!
But getting back to "Religion in America" and not just Jews. I think that much of the reason why twenty-somethings and other young people our age are rejecting religion and will continue to do so is because the Far-Right has co-opted religious belief as a political symbol. Religion has become so effectively politicized that, for some, becoming secular is a way to avoid the political messiness inherent in American religion- i.e. becoming the complete opposite numbers of right-wing religious folk. The longer religion is seen in America as the exclusive province of the uneducated and intolerant, the worse off it will be. Religious leaders and certain politicians are complicit in this, too. To revitalize, the American religious people need to focus on explaining the meaning of life and doing good works, and make a determined effort to de-politicize their religious connections. De-politicization will be difficult and require honesty on everyone's part, which is why I don't see it happening any time soon.