The internet, says the study’s author, “is associated with increases in being religiously unaffiliated and decreases in religious exclusivism".
He found that a person’s greater internet use, even after accounting for factors like age, education, and political affiliation, was correlated with a higher likelihood they would endorse statements like, “All of the religions in the world are equally true,” and “All around the world, no matter what religion they call themselves, people worship the same God.” Being younger, identifying as a Democrat, and living in a larger city was also associated with being less religiously exclusive.
Belonging to a community is one of the big draws to a church, perhaps even more than the religious aspect IMO..
I used to live in Acadia , a French Catholic community on the Northern Boarder of Maine . They had a tight knit community because of their dialect of French was rare , preventing them from moving away . They are proof that Theocracy does not work in this nation , it failed twice at least . Their pilgrams came over 150+ years before Plymouth Rock , so we let them try , try again . . .
This is pretty big news. If it’s true, it means that the internet isn’t just making information more widely available; it’s actually changing the way people think about these issues. It may be intuitive to many, but it’s still fascinating to see the reasoning behind it.
"I" think people are just learning to be more candid about their personal life . Many religions profess doing so anyway , like the bible speaking out against Pharohcies who pray in public , & encourages praying in the closet . What happened to that ?