I didn't see this posted here. The article refers to Americans in general who are leaving organized religion.



It made me smile to see Huffington Post use the Mormon Temple as a background picture.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/26/millennials-gay-unaffiliated-church-religion_n_4856094.html

I wonder organized religions/ cults are going to spin this news...??!!

Stan is getting more desperate as the last days approach. He's trying really hard. This is a clear sign the end is nigh.

I resigned, and he followed me out. Years later, he is now a humanist, and has even written about his philosophy on F.B., where the remaining TBMs in the family can see it.

The twenty first century is a transitional time for the human race. We will continue to unravel the knots of primitive spiritism. DNA has replaced fictional history. Artificial intelligence is on the rise, and it has no religious components. Churches are fine for those who enjoy sitting in pews and listening to gibberish. Others prefer to pursue knowledge. Thinkers can work at home, and with greater efficiency. Bench monkeys can attend obsolete services if they choose to. Secularism is on the rise. Old church buildings are being converted into useful structures. Jesus is like a scorpion on a stick, all dried out and crunchy.

The LDS Church makes your religious experience so weird and stunting that you can't function outside of it. That's how they still keep a hold on Gen Xers and Millennials--at least for the ones who still want to be part of a faith-based community.

I live in [a bigger city not in the Mormon corridor]. I've noticed that the Millenials who are church goers here flock to "hipster" congregations. These congregations might technically be affiliated with a protestant denomination or just non-denominational.

The pastor is often under 40, a woman, a lesbian, a sandal and jean wearer during services, and is as likely to quote Bob Dylan as much as Jesus. (I just described TWO of mine who are such pastors.) These congregations have great music, lots of social activities, and seems accepting of everyone. The practitioners come and go as they please. Many were raised Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, UU, even Catholic--and they find it easy to slide into a more casual, open-minded worship setting.

I suspect that young Mormons would find it difficult to attend a more laid back church setting. In Mormon chapels you don't applaud the musical act, shake hands at the beginning of the service with everyone, or have coffee and biscuits in the narthex (Mormons wouldn't know what the narthex is) afterward.