Young Women Leaving Organized Religion in Large Numbers
Recent trends indicate a significant number of young women in the United States are disaffiliating from organized religion, a phenomenon highlighted by the experience of Alexis Draut, a 28-year-old from Kentucky. Raised in a Christian nondenominational megachurch, Draut began questioning traditional gender roles and values, particularly after Donald Trump’s election in 2016. This discontent reflects a broader trend observed by Daniel Cox and Kelsey Eyre Hammond from the Survey Center on American Life at the American Enterprise Institute. They note that while religious disengagement has risen across all demographics over the past fifty years, young women are now disaffiliating at higher rates than young men.
Specifically, nearly 39% of Generation Z women identify as religiously unaffiliated compared to 14% of Baby Boomer women. Factors contributing to this shift include tensions over issues like sexism, gender roles, and L.G.B.T.Q. rights within many Christian denominations. The Southern Baptist Church, for instance, has seen internal conflict over conservative gender roles, highlighted by its recent decision to bar women from pastoral positions.
This growing dissonance between conservative religious teachings and evolving societal values on gender equality is influencing young women to seek spirituality outside of organized religion or to abandon religious practices altogether.
Supreme Court Justice Alito’s Private Views on Religion Revealed
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s private remarks on religion and his judicial philosophy have come under scrutiny following secret recordings released by progressive activist Lauren Windsor. Posing as a conservative Catholic, Windsor captured Alito endorsing the notion that religious individuals need to continue their fight to "return our country to a place of Godliness," reflecting his long-held public views on religious liberty.
These comments come at a sensitive time for the Supreme Court, which faces decisions on cases that could impact presidential elections and abortion rights. Alito’s judicial record includes opposition to abortion rights and L.G.B.T.Q. equality, and his stance has sparked debates about the court's role in separating church and state.
Alito's wife, Martha-Ann Alito, also featured in the recordings, expressing frustration over local disputes regarding flag symbolism and hinting at religious and political tensions within their community. As the court approaches the end of its term, the implications of these revelations on public perception and future rulings remain significant.