# Will There Be A Dent In Religious Attendance? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 22, 2019, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-a-dent-in-religious-attendance/832914 "2019-04-22T23:43:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-a-dent-in-religious-attendance/832914/1 "2019-04-22T23:43:51Z")
Because of the bombings of churches and mosques? Oddly enough, my parents (both atheists) came over and said they had gone to church. I think the numbers will go down, but not significantly. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2019, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-a-dent-in-religious-attendance/832914/2 "2019-04-22T23:54:22Z")
As an atheist, I’m bothered by the idea that people would abandon faith merely because asshole terrorists happened. There are good reasons to discard faith but that’s not one of them. I’ll give a pass to those killed or currently hospitalized, though. They need not attend. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-a-dent-in-religious-attendance/832914/3 "2019-04-23T00:15:33Z")
Locally, and in the short term, sure, I could see it having a small impact. Longer-term, and globally (or even regionally)? I highly doubt it, unless there was an extended, targeted campaign of attacks on places of worship. In much of the western world, attendance at worship services has been on a downward trend for decades, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-a-dent-in-religious-attendance/832914/4 "2019-04-23T02:30:01Z")
Not to diminish these horrific attacks but haven’t there been deadly attacks on places of worship since places of worship were invented? ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-a-dent-in-religious-attendance/832914/5 "2019-04-23T03:06:12Z")
When I was a kid someone tried to burn down our church. They only got one room. Didn’t deter us whatsoever. I don’t go to church anymore but it has nothing to do with that. And I still go to movies even though I frequently ponder getting shot. Worth it!! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-a-dent-in-religious-attendance/832914/6 "2019-04-23T03:09:19Z")
I don’t see this affecting church, mosque, ashram, etc. attendance any more than it has affected movie attendance, restaurant patronage, school enrollment, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-a-dent-in-religious-attendance/832914/7 "2019-04-23T03:36:31Z")
Have Jews in Pittsburgh stopped going to the synagogue? Rhetorical question. No, they have not. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-a-dent-in-religious-attendance/832914/8 "2019-04-23T05:34:07Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Not to diminish these horrific attacks but haven’t there been deadly attacks on places of worship since places of worship were invented? Not systematically and not by themselves. In fact, places of worship used to be sanctuaries in multiple cultures. And sometimes when people perceive that their religion is under attack what happens is an uptick. People are a lot more likely to stop attending religious meetings because they’d rather stay in bed or go play some sports than because of terrorism. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-a-dent-in-religious-attendance/832914/9 "2019-04-23T11:38:24Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > As an atheist, I’m bothered by the idea that people would abandon faith merely because asshole terrorists happened. There are good reasons to discard faith but that’s not one of them. > > I’ll give a pass to those killed or currently hospitalized, though. They need not attend. I would counter that faith in God is not the same as ‘church’ attendance. It doesn’t mean one abandons faith, but perhaps takes it as a sign that god is moving them to a new place. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-a-dent-in-religious-attendance/832914/10 "2019-04-23T11:47:01Z")
Few good points… Attendance has been going down, and before the internet, you didn’t hear about it 24/7, you might read a few lines in the news… I guess things hit people hardest with videos taken by those there, as opposed to only media networks.