Skip to main content

"Dones"

You may have heard of "nones" (those of no religious affiliation or belief). What about "dones"? This refers to those who are now "nones", but previously were believers. "Dones" have "deconverted" and "dechurched". They are "done" with religious affiliation and/or belief. 

According to recent statistics, in some countries "dones" may represent as much as 20% of the population.  

What is the difference between a "none" and a "done"? Well, "nones" do not have any religious affiliation or faith and never have, while "dones" have gone from a place of religious involvement to now no longer affiliating to any religion or having any religious faith (religious deidentification). 

A recent article identifies several different reasons why people become "dones": some stop believing in a higher power, or feel disconnected from him (it), "others stop following the behavioral mandates of a religion", while in some cases people "disaffiliate from particular religious communities" while continuing to believe. 

Faith communities exert a strong influence which, in many cases, continues even after someone has "left". These influences include a strong cognitive framework (a consistent way of understanding the world), habits (such as prayer) and the social ties of the community itself. 

It would be very interesting to read research on the reverse phenomenon, namely those who had previously abandoned faith coming back. In my experience it is not uncommon for someone to return to faith "lost" or "neglected" in childhood, adolescence or later. This can happen when children are born or even later in life. Often the reason for neglecting faith has not been intellectual. Paradoxically, and contrary to the prevalent narrative, it is Christianity which presents the convincing intellectual argument, while a secular worldview is held "because that's what everyone believes".   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The history of the Christian Church in twenty places

α. Jerusalem (30 or 33 AD) The place where Christ, the Son-of-God-become-man, died on the Cross, was raised from the dead on the third day, and from where he ascended back to heaven. This is also where the Holy Spirit was poured out on the first disciples. Sometime after AD 44 (Acts 12), Peter, John and other Apostles dispersed across the world to bear testimony to the risen Christ. 1. Ephesus (approx. 100 AD) The place where the Apostles, Paul and John, handed over to the next generation of Christian leaders, which included the “Apostolic Fathers”. One such “Apostolic Father”, Ignatius of Antioch, passed through Ephesus on his way to martyrdom at Rome, and addressed a letter to the church at Ephesus. 2. Athens (second century) The centre of Greek thought, which Justin Martyr and other Second Century Apologists addressed in their presentations of the Christian faith, proclaiming Christ as the Logos (the Word or principle underlying the universe). 3. Lyon (from 177) The church in
Post a Comment
Read more

Bury, Greater Manchester - Timeline of churches

979?      First Church on the site of the present Parish Church (the picture below is an artist's impression of Bury parish church in 1485)  1585      Parish church (re)built in the gothic style . 1662+    Chapel on Bass Lane for Henry Pendlebury of Holcombe , supported by Richard Kay , and others ejected from the C of E (replaced in 1712 by Dundee Chapel, Holcombe) 1669      The vicar of the parish reported to the Bishop of Chester that he heard that several conventicles were 'constantly kept at private houses of Independents, Presbyterians, Dippers and other such like jointly, of the bset rank of the yeomanry and other inferiors.' 1689      The passing of the Toleration Act and services held openly by a congregation at Bast House, Walmersley, the home of Richard Kay, 1712      Edward Rothwell , became minister of what would become Bank Street Presbyterian Church, Bury. He ministered at Bury, Holcombe and surrounding district. (D. 1731) 1719      Presbyterian Chapel ("
Post a Comment
Read more

Bible translations

God has given us his written word in Hebrew and Greek (plus a little bit of Aramaic in the book of Daniel).  In order for God's word to be accessible to those who speak other languages, since Biblical times God's word has been translated into other languages.  At the time of Nehemiah, the Levites "gave the meaning" of the Scriptures. This would probably have involved oral translation (interpreting) into the Aramaic language people used for everyday speech. Jesus himself, when quoted in the gospels, spoke Aramaic and quotes the Scripture in that language. Likewise, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the believers and enabled them to declare the wonders of God in the languages of those present.  There is also a longstanding history of written translation (as opposed to oral translation). The best-known translation of the Old Testament is called the Septuagint, a translation into Greek commissioned by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–247 BCE). There were als
Post a Comment
Read more