Christianity has been the largest religion since the 4th century. However, in the modern day, there is a rapid decline in practicing Christians. While some of those reasons are perfectly innocent, there are also 18 unsettling reasons people are leaving Christianity.
Not fitting in
Being part of a community is a major benefit of being in a religion, yet according to the Washington Post, 23% of those who leave Christianity do so because they feel like they don’t fit in. People rely on religion for love and support, so it’s disappointing when religious communities don’t provide it.
Diluted Christianity
Christianity as we know it today is very different from past versions. Societal pressure has meant that appearance is often prioritized over authenticity, which has trickled down into Christianity. This has led to a diluted version of Christianity, and many feel unfilled by their relationship with God.
Personal struggles
Another major reason people leave Christianity is personal struggles. When the glass is half empty, it is hard to believe that God is with you, and this is the point when many abandon the faith. This is typically a disappointment based on misconceptions that God will always answer your prayers.
Feelings of inadequacy
With Christianity comes a lot of ‘sins’ that are viewed as morally wrong, and engaging in these sins makes you feel pretty inadequate as a Christian. Christianity often has an all-or-nothing approach, so if you fall at one hurdle, you’re viewed in a negative light, causing many to rebel.
Consumer Christianity
In the 21st century, Christian services are often tailored more towards entertainment value rather than authenticity. There is a huge disconnect between the stories of the Bible and the modern world. Despite this, church leaders are not creating the connections, causing many to leave their faith in favor of independent spirituality.
LGBTQIA+
In the 21st century, you can be loud and proud about your sexuality and gender identity, which is a great win in the modern world. However, Christianity has struggled to keep up, leading many to abandon their Christianity. According to Gallup, only 24% of individuals identifying as LGBTQIA+ are practicing Christians.
Politics
Unfortunately, politics and religion are heavily connected. It is one of the top reasons why people leave Christianity, a reason that was exacerbated when Trump came into power. Churches voted for the party regardless of the leader, and many left the Church when they couldn’t agree with Trump’s views.
Parental conditioning
For a long time, children were raised to respect and follow their parents’ values and beliefs. If your parents were Christians, you were also Christian. However, the modern world offers much more flexibility in how you wish to live your life, and children are no longer conditioned to follow in their parents’ footsteps.
Conversion therapy
Many Christian leaders are highly supportive of conversion therapy to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, an extremely dangerous practice that causes the individual huge emotional and physical distress. Naturally, many Christians will run away from their religion rather than be subjected to this.
Tithing
Tithing is expected by the church, regardless of your financial circumstances. The custom of tithing is biblical, with 10% of your income usually expected by the Church. If you can’t make this payment, it is viewed negatively, with even debt experts at Ramsey Solutions stating its importance. Naturally, this puts many people off Christianity.
Adultery
One thing Christians stand by is that adultery is considered to be a sin. However, many who have left the religion report that the very people condemning these actions were the same people who had affairs behind closed doors. Seeing this level of hypocrisy would naturally deter anyone from a religion.
Views on fertility
Reproductive technologies are viewed as immoral in some sectors of Christianity. Artificial insemination, IVF, and surrogacy are all viewed as a sin, and parents who conceive a child in this way are meant to ask God for forgiveness. Many who face fertility challenges have left the religion for this reason.
Birthday celebrations
Some Christian sects, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, are forbidden to celebrate birthdays and holidays like Christmas. They believe that these celebrations have pagan roots and displease God. Many leave the faith when they have children and decide they want to enjoy these celebrations of life.
Disaffiliation in adulthood
Children brought up in highly religious communities have huge lifestyle restrictions growing up. It is common for many to go wild once they hit adulthood, causing a disaffiliation with Christianity in young adulthood. Pew Research found that between the ages of 15-29 is the most common time to switch religious identity.
Birth control
While many denominations of Christianity have adapted to allow the use of birth control, other sects have not. Human life is considered a blessing, and the use of contraception to bring new life into this world is viewed as immoral. Many Christians find this archaic, choosing to abandon their religion.
Abortion
Similarly, all denominations of Christianity are anti-abortion. This pro-life stance deems it immoral to terminate a pregnancy unless there are exceptional circumstances. World views are changing rapidly, and an influx of pro-abortion Christians is contributing to religion’s fall in popularity.
The behavior of Christians
Interestingly, Baptist News reports that the behavior of some Christians is a huge stumbling block that prevents members from sticking around. Many Christians can come across as narrow-minded and repressive, traits that do not fit in modern society. This self-righteous behavior of the few has sadly had a negative impact on the religion.
Lost books of the Bible
Our final and arguably most interesting reason for people leaving Christianity is the rumored ‘lost books’ that don’t feature in The Bible. Many ex-Christians believe The Bible to be a cherry-picked selection of books, forcing an antiquated narrative of Christianity. They do not deem this to be authentic, prompting them to leave the religion once and for all.
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