Nothing in particular. . .

Over at the GetReligion website, you can find a very interesting story fleshing out some of the details of what we know about the nones.  I found it compelling reading.  It challenges the superficial take on the changes in religion in America that so many have fostered.  Even more, it frames these nones in the larger context of what is happening in our culture and society and how that is reflected in belief and practice.

"When you say 'nones' and all you think about is atheists and agnostics, then you're not seeing the big picture," said Ryan Burge (see the video below).  "Atheists have a community. Atheists have a belief system. They are highly active when it comes to politics and public institutions.  But these 'nothing in particular' Americans don't have any of that. They're struggling. They're disconnected from American life in so many ways."

While most folks might assume that the nones reject religion in principle, it is clear that a goodly number of those nones are reflecting their own isolation and disconnection and, for them, this includes the Church and the faith. "Nothing in particular Americans seem to be stuck. They're left out. They're cut off and trapped by globalization and economic forces that are totally beyond their control," said Burge. "Many are angry, and they have nothing to lose. That's why this NIP phenomenon is kind of scary to me."

Burge is on to something. It is not as simple as a rejection of faith. It is how their isolation and alone-ness reflects their relation to the Church and the faith as well as everything else around them. That is concerning. These are hardly the militant atheists who are a pain in the side of every Christian nor are they strident against the Church. What they are, it might appear, is similar to those who have burned out or fallen away because of personal crisis or wound. Disconnected from much that is positive and hopeful in American life, some of these nones represent a completely different kind of mission field than the more strident atheists, agnostics, or woke folks with their stronger agenda. They fail to feel strongly about the things of God because this same feeling characterizes much of their daily lives across the board.

Burge has written a book on this. Although I have yet read it, it sounds very interesting. "The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going."  If you have read it, tell me about it and what you thought of it.