Recent polls and surveys indicate that organized religion is less popular today than it has been in a long time, maybe even ever.
Apparently, people are leaving their churches and synagogues in increasing numbers across the nation. Maybe more daunting, the younger generation, called the Millennials, are claiming little connection, if any, to their parents’ religion. In other words, as bad as things may look today, things do not seem to be looking any brighter for the future of religion.
How have we come to this? As with many things, there are speculations and discussions on the topic.
Personally, I have attended meetings and conferences, read books and articles all discussing this very topic and I have come away with my own conclusion of how we got here.
I believe that we are offering a good product in a manner that turns people away.
I realize that this sounds very business oriented and we don’t usually like to associate our religions with businesses.
Interestingly, I believe this is the exact reason we have gotten into this trouble in the first place. We, leaders of religious institutions, have resisted for a long time in looking at houses of worship as businesses.
In the process, we have mistakenly assumed that people would always need us and always meet us where we are.
We have done little to understand or accommodate the practical lives of the very people we are hoping to fill our pews. I am convinced that people are leaving religion not because they don’t want the product, which is faith and community, rather because they don’t like how the product is being offered.
How many times have you or others you know spoken about the inconvenient times of worship services, the lengthiness of services, the conflict between sports or homework and religious school education, the politics in the temple or church leadership, the slow process of how to change things, etc? What is it that turns you away from your house of worship?
I am a rabbi of a local congregation, and you might imagine that I am worried about the future of Judaism. I am.
But…I am also very excited. I believe that we are standing at a crossroads of an important paradigm shift in the thinking of organized religion.
On the one hand, I know in my heart that the human need to find answers through faith will always exist. I also know that, along with many of my colleagues, I am making changes to reflect the needs of modern peoples’ lives in ways that we didn’t even consider in the past.
We are experimenting with offering different times for worship, more singing, and briefer sermons.
At my temple, Temple Judea of Manhasset, we have made it part of our mission to welcome anyone who wants to connect with Reform Jewish values and faith.
We have updated and improved our website and now include a virtual suggestion box and an “ask the rabbi” section.
Maybe most importantly, we now understand that we have to be willing to try to meet our members where they are.
For religion to survive and thrive in the future, religious leaders have to be open to hearing, and whenever possible, implement new ways to offer faith in the ways people want to experience.
Rabbi Todd Chizner
Temple Judea of Manhasset
