Session 12 Discussion: Faith in modern life

Many countries in the Western world have become dramatically less religious over the past fifty years. Is this a sign of progress — people outgrowing superstition — or a loss of something important? What fills the space that religion once occupied?

Try to use: secularization, decline, fill the void, purpose, community

In a pluralist society where many religions coexist, how should a democratic government treat religion? Should it be strictly neutral — or can it favor a majority faith? What happens when religious values conflict with individual rights?

Try to use: pluralism, neutrality, separation of church and state, accommodate, conflict

Social media has made it easier for religious communities to connect globally — but also easier for extreme religious ideas to spread. Has the internet been good or bad for religion overall? Has it changed how people practice their faith?

Try to use: digital faith, online community, radicalize, practice, global

Young people in many countries are leaving organized religion but often describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious." What does that phrase actually mean? Is it a coherent position — or a way of avoiding hard commitments?

Try to use: spiritual, institutional, commitment, individualized, vague

In some countries religion is experiencing a dramatic revival — more people attending services, more public displays of faith. In others it is disappearing rapidly. What drives these opposite trends? Is the relationship between modernity and religion more complicated than a simple decline?

Try to use: revival, resurgence, modernization, trend, complex

Should people be free to raise their children in their religious tradition — even when those teachings conflict with mainstream values like gender equality or scientific consensus? Where does religious freedom end and a child's right to an open future begin?

Try to use: religious freedom, indoctrinate, autonomy, upbringing, rights