I can believe that! I have faith in this claim! It has a long tradition in American history dating back to the Founding Fathers and Mothers!
I am a DIY person myself!
However, Cornell University claims it was something new going on in American society without mentioning the Founding Fathers and Mothers, but they do mention Max Weber (The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism)! The research article (see below) featured by Cornell U is heavily tainted with ideology! It appears to be a shallow research paper lacking authenticity!
Take for example Thomas Paine. Benjamin Franklin. According to Google search:
- "Thomas Paine was a staunch critic of organized religion and a proponent of individual religious freedom. He advocated for a "mind is my own church" approach, believing in a Creator-God but rejecting supernatural claims and the authority of established religious institutions. He argued that revealed religions were the source of much suffering and that true religion was about morality and good deeds."
- "Benjamin Franklin was a complex religious figure, often described as a deist, meaning he believed in God but rejected certain aspects of traditional Christian doctrine ... He rejected the strict Puritan faith of his parents while still acknowledging the importance of morality and good works. Franklin's religious beliefs evolved throughout his life, and he maintained relationships with people of different faiths."
Caveat: I did not read the research article!
"A “remarkable” transformation is underway in American religious life, Cornell-led research finds: Large numbers are leaving organized religion – not in favor of secular rationality, but to pursue spirituality in ways that better align with their individual values.
This reimagining of religion outside traditional institutions fits within broader social changes that have prioritized individual fulfilment and “finding” oneself, including shifting views about gender and sexuality and the rise of the internet, the researchers said. Spanning political views, it also reflects a revolt against religious organizations growing more bureaucratic, rigid and political over time – turning into the “iron cages” predicted by sociologist Max Weber – and increasingly clashing with individuals’ search for meaning. ...
The scholars analyzed data from more than 1,300 participants in the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) who completed four rounds of surveys between 2003 and 2013, starting when they were between 13 and 17 years old. Over that decade, participants reported how frequently they attended religious services or prayed alone; if they were affiliated with a religion and believed in God; if they supported converting others to a religion; and if they practiced meditation.
The results showed institutional aspects of religion declined significantly faster than individual faith and spirituality. Estimated trajectories showed a sharp decline in religious attendance while prayer frequency dipped but plateaued, producing a widening gap between institutional engagement and individual practice. Religious affiliation dropped precipitously while belief in God held stable. Support for proselytism declined nearly 10%, while meditation practice grew about as much – the only variable to show growth.
The analysis showed steeper declines in religious attendance and affiliation among more liberal study participants – including those who supported same-sex marriage and abortion rights – but declines among moderates and conservatives as well, “suggesting broad change across this cohort,” the authors wrote, across gender, race, class and sexual orientation. ..."
From the abstract:
"The United States is undergoing a remarkable religious transformation: in just a few decades, the proportion of religious “nones” surged from 1 in 20 to more than 1 in 4.
Through four waves of National Study of Youth and Religion surveys and in-depth interviews (2003–2013) linked with administrative data, this study follows a cohort of adolescents coming of age during the rapid rise of the “nones” and shifting social values, including growing support for same-sex marriage [???].
When young people perceive religious institutions as stifling self-actualization, marginalizing sexual minorities [???], constraining women, or demonstrating hypocrisy, they experience conflict between their religious commitments and deeply held values related to concern for others and the sacredness of the individual.
Many manage this conflict by disengaging from religious institutions while reimagining spirituality on their own terms. The findings reveal individuals breaking free from modernity’s iron cage [Max Weber term] of bureaucratization and rationalization, seeking self-actualization and a more authentic connection to others and to the sacred.
The authors propose that these trends represent the individualization of American religion, a transformation that illuminates how personal quests for authenticity can fundamentally reshape the religious landscape."
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