Reaction to "Sobel Says"

Laurie Sobel posted an entry about research that found that over half of Americans have changed their religion at least once in their lifetime. As I'm very intrigued by religion and sociology, Laurie's post definitely peaked my interest. Laurie correctly assesses that this is a product of the free market society we live in and the unbelievable accessibility of information. At the end of the article, Laurie says she "don’t see the new data results as an immediate reason to be worried about the direction of our society." I completely agree with her.

People changing religions indicates an openness to and acceptance of different religions. This can only be a positive for our society. In addition, this openness may influence the role religion plays in politics. Over the course of my lifetime, I foresee religion becoming less and less significant as a political tool. 50 years ago, people had to conform to the religion of their communities/families or they were excluded. Now, no one cares what religion you choose. The relationship between religion and civic society is not nearly as integrated as it was only a generation ago. I think that it's a good thing that this relationship is gradually breaking down. Religion's affect on politics is detrimental. Regarding religion, I'm happy with the direction our society is moving in.