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Communities form because of shared interest. Churches become communities because of shared beliefs. Having a worldview perspective in common is perhaps the most
by danjc 9y ago
Communities form because of shared interest. Churches become communities because of shared beliefs. Having a worldview perspective in common is perhaps the most powerful way for people to be united.
Remove religion to create a church-like experience and you have nothing to hold people together.
Also worth noting that in most churches people have a reason greater than their own selfish interests in socializing to hold them together.
- closeparen 9y agoThe obvious counter example is UU, which doesn't necessarily share beliefs other than a kind of social responsibility to do charitable work. Unfortunately the median age in UU seems to be about 80. I'm not sure 20-somethings looking for community are going to find it among grandparents.
- drdeadringer 9y agoWhen I've attended services, and for a while I was one of 5 people between ages 12 and 45 at one particular UU church, I heard it said that if UUs could better their retention rate they'd have very serious growth.