It was recently reported that over fifty percent of adults say religion is very important in their lives. Even within the unaffiliated population, more than four in ten people find religion at least somewhat important. While it may seem like religion is dying in today’s world, the truth is that it’s taking a new shape. While religion used to play in important part in marriage, in today’s world, fifty one percent of people say religion is hardly, if at all, important in marriage decisions. Around one in ten married adults are religiously affiliated but married to someone of a different religion while 1.5 in ten are religiously affiliated and married to someone who is unaffiliated. So, while religion is still very important to many people, it doesn’t necessarily influence important decisions like deciding who to marry. This could be because the church does not have as much influence in society as it used to, particularly in the West.
Despite the declining interest from some, the church is still alive and well. In fact, certain segments have been gaining a lot of traction recently. Over the last decade, Protestants participating in the worship gatherings of non denominational churches have increased by close to 400 percent. This could indicate growth in the church as a whole but more likely represents a shift from other denominations. By 2012, around 12.2 million people were attending independent or non-denominational worship gatherings.
While we already know plenty of people don’t give religion a lot of weight in important life decisions, there are still plenty who do. Thirty-seven percent of people say they attend worship gatherings on a weekly basis and twenty-seven percent say religion is very important in deciding who to marry. Many still rely on their church community to provide support and help them make important decisions.
While religion holds a different place and significance in everyone’s life, it is something that is bound to come up at some point. Whether the discussion is who to marry or where to attend a worship service, religion comes into play for millions of people every day.