Religion is steadily declining in America: in recent years, all faiths are seeing a decrease in weekly service attendance; nearly two decades ago, 42% of U.S adults attend weekly religious services, a decade ago, the number dropped to 38%, and now, the number has dropped to 30%. In 2013, 72% of Americans said that religion was the most important thing in their life. However, a poll ten years later, in 2023 saw only 53% of Americans say that religion is the most important thing in their life.
Religion has shaped the lives of human beings since the first river valley civilizations. Religion has been the cause of exiles, genocides, discrimination, and war, but at the same time, religion has brought people together, sparked innovation, and given people a sense of belonging and community that wouldn’t have been if not for their religious involvement.
Although nationwide religiosity has decreased, I wanted to explore how students at Hendrick Hudson continue to explore religion; I set off to find four freshman and inquire about their religious beliefs and how they compare to the rest of their generation.
My first interviewee was Zach, a freshman of Thai, Chinese, and White origin. Zach explained how he identifies with Buddhism and practices the religion. “I don’t go to temples in America,” Zach explained, “but when I’m in Thailand I go to temples and send food offerings to passed relatives.” When asked about the future of his religious practices, Zach was unsure, acknowledging he is likely not going to practice Buddhism “to the fullest extent,” but nevertheless keep religion in his life.
Next up was Ethan, who off the bat identified as “caucasian and Agnostic.” Speaking on his family background, Ethan explained, “my mom was raised Jewish and my dad Christian.” This religious diversity amongst his family led to a variety of religious practices for Ethan; “when I’m with my Grandma I go to temple and celebrate Chanukah,” Ethan explained about his Jewish side, “but when I’m with my dad’s family I celebrate Christmas.”
“My parents don’t really care [about religion],” Ethan admitted, and it seemed he was taking a similar approach, as when asked if he believed in any religion, he replied, “it’s not that I don’t believe in it, I really don’t know.” Ethan acknowledged that occasionally, he felt unsatisfied with the role of religion in his life: “Sometimes I feel like I’m missing out when I go to my cousin’s Bar Mitzvahs. They seem like they have a sense of community,” but still explained that he does not see himself practicing either religion in the future.
My third interviewee was Mackenzie, a freshman of European descent and a member of a non-denominational church. She goes to Church, but not consistently, and also attends youth groups. Mackenzie stated that she does believe in God and Jesus, but does not dismiss science: “I believe in science but it’s not enough of an explanation.” When asked about her future plans for her religious practices, she said “I’m not sure how often I’ll go to church, but the community is important. The Bible study part is something I would look into”.
Noah was my last interview. He is an Ashkenazi Jew with Eastern European heritage. He was Bar Mitzvahed, celebrates major Jewish holidays, and observes Shabbat every once in a while. When asked how much he believed in the religion, he replied, “I don’t believe in every Jewish story,” but went on to say that “I don’t deny that there’s a Jewish god.” He added that he will continue to practice Judaism and that it is “part of [his] culture and identity,” as well as his intention on “making [his] kids have Bar/Bat mitzvahs”.
Many of my interviewees were not harshly opposed to religion or their beliefs, and a common thread through the four interviews was that the community and traditions were just as important, if not more so, than the actual beliefs themselves. No one seemed to be longing to rid themselves of religious practices, but no one also seemed to be desperate to add religion to their lives either. At the end of the day, only time can tell how religion will play out amongst their lives.
Note: The author acknowledges the potential lack of diversity in religion and race throughout this story and apologizes for any missed representation. The author additionally wanted to add that this story is purely for research purposes, and not part of a religious agenda or attempt to force any belief systems.
