People change church
affiliation and membership. As many as 40% of North Americans do. This can be a
simple denominational change but is occasionally a conversion from one faith
system to another, or even bailing on religion.
Ecclesiastical and religious
choices are frequently determined by factors such as families, friendships,
ethnicities, locations, and occupations. Some church changes are reasoned and
thoughtful, while others are reactionary and emotional, even petty. Further, church
change and faith change is sometimes influenced by factors outside ourselves,
outside our control, namely demographic changes.
Such demographic changes
include marital status, meaning that
marriage, divorce or death of a spouse affect spiritual choices. A change in education, that is, 18% of those who
obtain a higher education than others within their childhood faith group,
changed church, faith, or leave religion behind. A change in geographical location predictably
results in a change of church, of denomination and sometimes of faith. A change
in assimilation, meaning first and
second generation immigrants hold to their faiths, while other North Americans
of an earlier immigration wave more readily change faiths.
We ourselves choose to believe
or not to believe, to be people of faith or not to be people of faith and we
make such choices, often constrained by the above named demographic factors.
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