A recent New York Times headline caught my eye, “Worshiping at the ‘Idol’ Church” (May 14, 2010). The author of the column, Michael Slezak, writes about his experience as the EW.com reporter covering the ABC reality hit, “American Idol.” Not being one of the twenty-five million Americans who tune in weekly to worship at that altar, I found the audience’s devotion and size eye opening.
What attracts people to “Idol”? The hope that they too might claim a few moments of fame? The hope that someone can bypass the hold of big business on the entertainment industry and achieve stardom directly? The hope that the show might bring a few moments of pleasure – for any of a wide variety of reasons – into an otherwise drab, mundane existence? Another reason?
Those reflections stimulated some musings about worship attendance in more conventional churches. My ideas about why people attend Christian worship have certainly changed over the years. In the beginning, I naively hoped that adults attended because of having made a genuine commitment to following Jesus, wanting to learn more about such a commitment, seeking to discover a deeper truth or reality, or accompanying a person to whom one of those motives applied.
Then I quickly realized that many people attended out of habit, seeking to create an impression (whether with children, friends, or others), for the fellowship, for the music, and for several other reasons somewhat removed from an explicit cognitive Christian commitment or search for spiritual truth.
I now understand that human behavior is more complex and seldom attributable to any single factor. Evolutionary biology suggests that over the millennia religious involvement must have conveyed some evolutionary advantage or the habit would not have persisted for so long. Some people find the opportunity to spend a relatively quiet hour an important chance for private reflections that an otherwise busy, noisy life does not permit. Some people seek moral reassurance that the virtues and standards by which they attempt to live do have value. Still other people come searching for hope, hope that their life has meaning, hope that justice presently denied shall one day be theirs. Yet other people attend longing to connect with a power or reality greater than themselves, that which Christians call God. And yet still others come seeking guidance on how to live a better life.
When I consider the list of possible reasons why a person may attend worship (and I’m sure I’ve missed some!), I can easily feel depressed. How many of those reasons really relate to why I became a priest? Depending upon the day, my answer to that question varies from a few to all of them. How can I, in a brief sermon, hope to meet such an incredible range of needs?
But always, I’m thankful that people attend worship. No matter how prosaic or inadequate the service, I’m willing to bet it provides a better meal than does “American Idol”!
5 comments:
"Evolutionary biology suggests that over the millennia religious involvement must have conveyed some evolutionary advantage or the habit would not have persisted for so long." Perhaps the fate of those branded heretics might have played a part in the longevity of religions? Survivial is a pretty basic human instinct.
From the perspective of evolutionary biology, the heretic and true believer (whatever form that may take) are both religious. The issue of heresy is generally one of right belief rather than no belief. Eliminating heresy may contribute to the longevity of religions but does not identify the evolutionary advantage that belief apparently confers.
Allow me to be simplistic and reduce evolutionary advantage to the cliched phrase - survival of the fittest. Perhaps belonging to a religious group brings with it the benefits of social cohesion and cooperation, which in turn brings better protection and nurture for the individual. At the back of my mind I'm sure I recall studies in which the 'relaxing' effects of religion have been quantified in terms of lower stress levels and more contentment. A better mental well-being contributing to better physical well-being and which may result in an evolutionary advantage. I'm pretty sure that no-one has yet discovered a 'religious gene' but one might speculate on some biochemical basis for a leaning towards a religious belief. Lots to ponder upon.
I think you've captured much of the identifiable evolutionary advantage of religion. For those who claim to believe in God, that leaves the even more fundamental question of whether God exists unanswered.
And that's a topic for discussion at another time! It's getting late here in the UK and there's a whole load of plants needing watering.
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