#Religion

A single eight-minute video, entirely created with artificial intelligence, is drawing hundreds of thousands of views and igniting a broader debate about what counts as reverent faith versus entertaining spectacle. The video, a segment from a project billed as the AI Bible and produced by Pray.com, depicts dramatic scenes from the Book of Revelation: crumbling cities, a seven-headed dragon, celestial visions, and cinematic monsters. It looks like a high-budget movie trailer or a scene from an epic video game, and it has quickly become the talk of online faith communities and theologians alike. The viewer response is polarized: many say the visuals animate sacred stories in a way that captivates younger generations, while others warn that turning sacred text into blockbuster entertainment risks trivializing profound spiritual truths.

A surprising shift is underway in the religious landscape of the United States, where younger generations—Gen Z and millennials—are now reported to be the most active churchgoers in a new study. The findings challenge a longtime narrative that younger people drift away from organized religion and instead point to a renewed engagement among the youngest adults. Experts say the result may reflect a renewed appetite for community, mentorship, and support networks, as well as new ways of experiencing faith that blend in-person gatherings with digital and small-group formats. For Thai readers, the report offers a provocative lens on how faith communities adapt to changing values, technology, and family life, and what these global patterns could mean for temples, mosques, and churches at home in a country where Buddhism remains deeply woven into daily life.

A sweeping Pew Research Center survey of 22 countries finds that a large portion of the religiously unaffiliated, commonly called “nones,” still Harbor meaningful spiritual beliefs. Across 34,000 respondents outside the United States and more than 10,000 in the U.S., nones include atheists, agnostics, and those who say they have “nothing in particular” to religion. Yet despite their lack of formal affiliation, many in this diverse group report beliefs in life after death, a spiritual realm beyond the natural world, or even belief in a higher power. In several countries, the share of nones who hold any spiritual belief runs well into the majority, challenging simple stereotypes that unaffiliated equals nonbelieving in any metaphysical sense. The study underscores that faith and spirituality are not binary categories, but rather a spectrum that cuts across cultural lines, education levels, and ages.

A provocative new study argues that the United States is entering a so‑called “second stage” of religious decline, a phase in which religion loses its personal importance in daily life even as public rituals and affiliations may linger. Framed as part of a broader three-stage model of religious change, the finding suggests that Americans are moving away from making faith a central source of meaning, guidance, and identity in everyday decisions. If borne out by further research, the claim could reshape how policymakers, educators, and health professionals think about the social role of religion in a highly diverse society.

A sweeping study reveals that between 2010 and 2020, the share of people affiliated with any religion dropped by at least five percentage points in 35 countries. In some cases, the decline was much sharper, with Australia, Chile, and Uruguay each slipping by around 17 points and the United States by about 13 points. The findings point to a broad, ongoing shift in religious life across continents, rather than a sudden collapse in any one place. For Thailand, a country where Buddhist identity sits at the cultural center, the implications are both fresh and provocative: how faith, family routines, education, and public life adapt in the face of a slowly changing global pattern.

The American Bible Society released new data showing Gen Z adults score lowest for church engagement in the United States. (State of the Bible chapter 5 press release (State of the Bible Chapter 5)).

The study links higher church engagement with higher measures of human flourishing. (State of the Bible chapter 5 press release (State of the Bible Chapter 5)).

The finding matters for Thai faith groups. (State of the Bible chapter 5 press release (State of the Bible Chapter 5)).

Groundbreaking demographic research reveals a powerful correlation between America’s declining religiosity and plummeting birth rates, adding crucial cultural dimensions to economic explanations for the nation’s fertility crisis while providing stark warnings for Thailand’s even more severe population challenges. Comprehensive analysis from leading research institutions, including extensive reporting synthesis by major news outlets, detailed demographic studies from the Institute for Family Studies, and new data from the Pew Research Center’s 2023-2024 Religious Landscape Study, demonstrates that highly religious Americans consistently maintain much larger families than their secular counterparts, while the growing population of religiously unaffiliated individuals has dramatically reduced their fertility to levels comparable with the world’s lowest-birth-rate societies. The fertility gap between religious and secular Americans has widened significantly over recent decades, with researchers calculating that virtually the entire decline in U.S. fertility from 2012 to 2019 can be attributed to growing irreligion combined with the exceptionally low birth rates among non-religious populations. Most critically for Thai readers, these findings illuminate how cultural and spiritual institutions provide essential social scaffolding for family formation—scaffolding that Thailand has been rapidly losing through urbanization, secularization, and changing social values, contributing to the kingdom’s catastrophic fertility decline that now threatens long-term economic stability and intergenerational support systems.

A growing body of demographic research finds a clear association between declining religiosity in the United States and the nation’s falling birth rate, adding a cultural dimension to well-known economic explanations for fewer children. Recent reporting and data syntheses – notably a long-form piece in Newsweek summarizing experts’ views, a detailed demographic analysis posted by the Institute for Family Studies, and new estimates from the Pew Research Center’s 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study – show that Americans who are more religious tend to have larger families, while the religiously unaffiliated have had markedly fewer children in recent decades. At the same time, the number of people who identify as nonreligious has grown, meaning the fertility gap by religion now helps explain a meaningful share of the overall decline in U.S. births. These trends matter to Thailand because Thai fertility has fallen even more rapidly, and understanding cultural as well as economic drivers can help shape policies to stabilise family formation and cushion the social effects of population ageing. See the Pew report here, the Institute for Family Studies analysis here, and the CDC’s 2023 birth data here.

A new wave of demographic research shows a clear connection between rising secularism in the United States and falling birth rates. For Thai readers, the findings offer a crucial caution: cultural and social supports for families matter, and rapid changes in values can accelerate population decline if policy does not respond.

Across several large studies, highly religious Americans tend to have larger families than their secular peers. The share of Americans who identify as religiously unaffiliated has grown steadily, reaching about 29% in recent years. Importantly, women who attend religious services weekly tend to have roughly twice as many children as those who never attend. These patterns help explain much of the drop in national fertility observed since 2012, beyond economic factors alone.

A new nationwide study reveals that pastors, traditionally seen as frontline counselors in their communities, are now providing less counseling than a decade ago, have fewer resources for referrals, and are increasingly isolated with their own struggles. The Lifeway Research survey, involving over 1,500 evangelical and Black Protestant pastors across the United States, underscores an important shift in how spiritual leaders participate in mental health care—a development with broad implications for faith communities worldwide, including Thailand.

A nationwide study in the United States reveals that pastors are counseling less, have fewer referral resources, and often feel isolated with personal struggles. Lifeway Research surveyed more than 1,500 evangelical and Black Protestant pastors, illustrating a shift in how faith leaders contribute to mental health care. The findings offer lessons for faith communities worldwide, including Thailand.

In Thailand, Buddhist monks and temple communities frequently serve as the first line of spiritual and emotional support, especially in rural areas where formal mental health care is limited. The American findings prompt Thai religious and community leaders to strengthen collaborations with professional services as demand for counseling grows and stigma around mental health persists.

A recent feature in Slate highlights a modern challenge for families in multicultural societies: supporting a teenager’s curiosity about organized religion, especially when it crosses ethnic and denominational lines. The piece, published June 27, 2025, titled “Help! My Son Wants to Go to Church. Uh, I’m Not Sure I Can Support This,” examines the emotions many parents face when a child’s spiritual interest diverges from family tradition and leads them into sacred spaces with deep cultural histories.

A recent feature in Slate has spotlighted an emerging challenge for parents in multicultural societies: supporting a teenager’s desire to explore organized religion, especially in a context that crosses both ethnic and denominational boundaries. The article, published on June 27, 2025, under the headline “Help! My Son Wants to Go to Church. Uh, I’m Not Sure I Can Support This,” addresses the nuanced emotions that arise when a young person’s spiritual curiosity diverges from family tradition—and ventures into sacred spaces with deep-seated cultural histories (slate.com).

A large Pew Research Center study compares religious identity and spiritual beliefs across 36 countries, revealing how the United States remains notably devout even as other high-income nations move toward secularism. For Thai readers, the report offers insights into how everyday faith shapes life, policy, and culture in a globally connected world.

In the global landscape, the United States stands out for high religious identification and belief in an afterlife. About seven in ten Americans say they identify with a religion, spanning Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and more. Roughly half also believe that nature holds spiritual energies within mountains, rivers, or trees. This enduring spiritual vibrancy persists even as formal church attendance has declined in recent years. By comparison, religious identification is much lower among adults in Western Europe and parts of Asia; for example, about 44 percent in Japan and 46 percent in the Netherlands. Data from global comparisons show that Indonesia and Israel report even higher religious affiliation, with near-universal identification among surveyed adults, though belief in an afterlife remains varied—only about 61 percent of Israelis say life after death is definite or probable.

A sweeping new study by Pew Research Center finds that the United States stands out for its high religious identity and spiritual beliefs compared to other wealthy nations, revealing patterns that illuminate both global diversity and unique features of American private faith.

For Thai readers keen to understand both their position in a changing world and evolving global values, this research sheds light on how different societies experience religion and spirituality in daily life. With the survey encompassing 36 countries representing nearly half the world’s population, Thailand gains insight into international religious and spiritual trends that may shape local views, policy, and social debate.

A long-term study published in the journal Psychological Science has found little evidence supporting the widespread assumption that attending religious services leads to better mental health outcomes, raising questions about a relationship long thought to be positive and beneficial. The research, which analyzed nearly two decades of data from the British Household Panel Survey, revealed that frequent participation in organized religious gatherings had no clear association with improved mental well-being and, in certain instances, was followed by slightly worse symptoms.

A long-term analysis in Psychological Science questions the widely held belief that going to religious services reliably improves mental health. The study tracked nearly two decades of data from the British Household Panel Survey and found no clear link between frequent religious attendance and better mental well-being. In some cases, higher participation correlated with slightly worse mental health in following years.

Historically, many studies have suggested that religious involvement reduces depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. The proposed benefits are often attributed to social support, a sense of belonging, and coping strategies like hope and meaning-making offered by faith communities. However, new findings based on responses from over 29,000 British adults between 1991 and 2009 indicate the relationship may be more nuanced than previously thought. Researchers examined both within-person changes over time and comparisons between people with different levels of attendance to understand the true dynamics.

In the heart of countless communities across Thailand, a profound and visually striking ceremony unfolds, marking a pivotal moment in the life of a young boy and his family. This is the Phithi Bappacha, the novice ordination ceremony, a sacred rite of passage that sees a boy shed his lay identity to become a samanera, or novice monk. Far more than a mere religious observance, this tradition is a cornerstone of Thai culture, a complex tapestry woven from threads of filial piety, spiritual education, community celebration, and a deep-seated belief in the power of merit. It represents one of the most significant ways a son can honour his parents, an act believed to pave their path to a heavenly realm, while simultaneously immersing the boy in the core teachings of the Buddha. For Thais, the sight of a newly ordained novice, his head shorn and his body draped in the humble saffron robe, is not just a religious symbol but a living embodiment of gratitude and the continuation of a spiritual lineage that stretches back centuries.

Across Thai communities, a visually striking ceremony marks a child’s transition from lay life to the monkhood. The novice ordination, known as Phithi Bappacha, is more than a rite of passage. It weaves filial piety, spiritual education, community celebration, and a belief in merit into one enduring cultural practice. For many families, a son’s ordination is a powerful act of gratitude toward parents and a path toward moral and spiritual grounding for the youngster.

In the calm, incense-filled air of a Thai temple, a time-honored rite unfolds. The ceremony, known in Thai as Sadaeng Ton Pen Phutthama-maka, is the formal act of declaring oneself a Buddhist. It blends chant, ritual, and a sincere pledge to walk the path of enlightenment by taking refuge in the Triple Gem—the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. For many Thais, this rite is a cornerstone of spiritual life: a rite of passage for the young, a reaffirmation for the faithful, and a welcoming portal for new adherents from around the world. It embodies a deep connection to a faith that helps shape Thai culture, ethics, and identity.

In the serene, incense-scented air of a Thai temple, a profound and ancient ritual quietly unfolds, serving as a spiritual bedrock for millions. It is a ceremony known in Thai as ‘Sadaeng Ton Pen Phutthama-maka’ (แสดงตนเป็นพุทธมามกะ), the formal act of declaring oneself a Buddhist. This pivotal moment, marked by chanted Pali verses and solemn vows, is far more than a mere formality. It is a conscious and heartfelt pledge to walk the path of enlightenment by taking refuge in the Triple Gem—the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. For Thais, this ceremony is a cornerstone of spiritual life, a rite of passage for the young, a reaffirmation for the faithful, and a welcoming gate for new adherents from across the globe. It represents a deep-rooted connection to a faith that inextricably shapes the nation’s culture, ethics, and identity, making the understanding of this single ceremony a key to unlocking the heart of Thai spirituality.

Parinibbana, known in the Pali canon as Parinirvana—the ‘final nirvana’—is a foundational mystery and ultimate goal within Buddhist philosophy. The topic holds profound significance for Thai Buddhists, as it marks not only the historical moment of the Buddha’s complete emancipation but also serves as the ideal endpoint for all practitioners. Yet, interpretations and explanations about its true nature remain complex, requiring careful analysis grounded in Thai sources and Buddhist scripture. Here, we explore key elements of Parinibbana, its meaning, historical accounts, insights from Thai scholars, controversies, and enduring implications for contemporary Thai society.

Buddhism shapes Thai society far beyond personal faith. It informs daily habits, social norms, and the nation’s cultural identity. In Thailand, Buddhist values guide ethical behavior, community life, and how people respond to change.

For many Thais, Buddhist practices color everyday routines. Merit-making rituals at dawn and celebrations during Buddhist holidays are common experiences that bind communities together. This faith is seen not just as a personal journey, but as a foundation for social cohesion, moral development, and national continuity. According to research from a government body in Bangkok, Buddhism uplifts moral standards, promotes peace, and guides citizens toward right action at both individual and communal levels.

Buddhism is far more than a religious identity in Thailand. It has continually shaped social values, everyday practices, and the national character for centuries, offering a guiding moral compass that extends well beyond temple walls. The significance of Buddhism (ความสำคัญพระพุทธศาสนา) in the Thai context is deeply embedded in how society navigates change, nurtures unity, and unpacks life’s meaning—providing answers not only for individuals but for the collective Thai psyche.

For many Thai people, the presence and influence of Buddhism can be felt in virtually every aspect of daily life, from morning rituals that begin with making merit (ทำบุญ) to communal celebrations around Buddhist holidays. Understanding the centrality of Buddhism to Thailand illuminates why the faith is regarded not just as a personal spiritual journey, but as the foundation for social cohesion, ethical development, and the country’s historical progression. According to a publication by the Secretariat of the House of Representatives, Buddhism acts as a force that “uplifts moral standards, enshrines peace, and guides citizens towards righteous actions, both at the individual and community levels” (dl.parliament.go.th/handle/lirt/402382).