Spiritual loss can be caused by a variety of factors. This 'loss' might result from a variety of factors.
Official numbers from a Christian Research Survey, for example, suggest that the number of regular worshippers is declining, with ‘trendy vicars and their nonsensical lectures' losing popularity faster than conventional churches.
Traditionalists are opposed to clerics who are more patronizing of social workers.
Many people are walking away from the local church as this new approach to God spreads, especially when a new incumbent turns out to be more "progressive" than a beloved and respected former vicar. In other words, people's religion and spiritual identity are being taken away from them, not necessarily lost.
Professor Peter Colman of the University of Southampton published a paper based on a 20-year study that found that individuals lose faith as they become older and feel more detached from their religion. In 1977, 64% of the retirees who took part in the study identified themselves as Church of England members. A third of those polled claimed they attended religious services, 88 percent said they listened to religious broadcasts, and 70 percent said religion was important to them. In 1998, 37% said religion mattered less to them now than it did when they were younger, and just 47% stated it was vital to them.
Professor Coleman said that this did not necessarily imply that they had lost their faith, but rather that they had lost their sense of belonging to a church, contradicting the popular view that people become more religious as they approach death.
‘With churches providing less social, psychological, and spiritual assistance, elderly persons with spiritual needs may be more vulnerable'.
Traditionalist Catholics have also complained that too many Masses in Catholic churches are now deemed uninspired and monotonous.
The trouble, as a recent letter in The Daily Telegraph pointed out, is not with the modern Mass, but with the "laziness and incompetence of priests and choirmasters."
According to the author, Paul IV's 1970 Missal "allows all they want: Latin; wonderful music, clouds of incense, and even an eastward-facing celebration," and it is up to the congregation to convince priests to correctly employ the new Mass.
This necessitates engaging in communication and conducting conversations in a rational and thought-provoking manner.
Surprisingly, spiritual loss may occur in people who have had little or no religious training.
As a consequence of parental demand and the expanding number of students from various ethnic origins, religious instruction (RI) was phased out of the school curriculum in the late 1960s. When The Sunday Times conducted a special poll of 18-year-olds — the so-called Y2K Generation – thirty years later, it revealed that a whopping 77% of those polled had no religious views or interest in religion or spirituality.
Many of these young people will ultimately seek ‘something' to fill the hole, and, human nature being what it is, they will most likely resort to a variety of eclectic New Age views, as there is minimal requirement for commitment here.
Do you believe your current spiritual perplexity stems from:
- Religious training that isn't fulfilling?
- Do you have a disagreement with one of the priests?
- Do you have any doubts about God's existence based on your own faith's teachings?
If you responded yes to any of the questions above, it's possible that your journey may need to be preceded by a period of solo research of other faiths in order to re-establish what you're seeking for.
This does not imply that you must abandon your own faith; rather, it is a method of widening your horizons by looking at things from a fresh angle.
Make use of your local library's resources, and don't be hesitant to check out children's books about global faiths. Obviously, they oversimplify topics, but they do cut through the nonsense found in so many adult literature.
You may also want to read more about Spirituality and Healing here.
Be sure to check out my writings on Religion here.
