Journal Article — Religion in an Individualistic Society — by Jillian E. Sloan

During my freshman year at SUNY Oneonta I took a class on world religions. I remember that my professor warned the class about entering a relationship without discussing religion. I thought at the time, “How can you discuss something so important and serious at the start of a relationship with another person?” It would be awkward, as if it was an interview for a future marital arrangement. It turns out that during the time I was taking the class, I started dating my boyfriend, Rudy. Rudy and I have very different beliefs about religion and now, two years later, it has brought up some very important issues. Would we raise our child with or without religion? Is it possible to raise a child without religion to become a moral adult? Can a child without religion want to practice religion when raised in such an individualistic culture as that in the U.S.? What circumstances lead to the development or the loss of beliefs?