Abstract
Although religious belief represents the main reason people belong or do not belong to a specific church or religious society, it is not always the only reason, and increasingly there are other factors that affect this belonging. These factors include the attitude toward institutionalized religion, and a preference for the value of belongingness plays an important role as well. Both of these factors are also influenced by the wider context of personal attitudes to morality and solidarity. In our research, we assumed that the value of belongingness is a cornerstone that, in specific ways, binds all the other mentioned factors, and is likewise related to religious belief. To confirm this assumption, we conducted research using a widespread cross-sectional survey. In total, we received data from 5175 respondents (2204 men, 2957 women, and 16 of another gender). The data were collected in the Czech Republic, which can be considered a country with a wide spectrum of different religious beliefs. All hypothetical assumptions were confirmed as statistically significant, and the analysis of the inner structure of these relationships showed their complexity. Because of the high complexity of the examined phenomena, only the main findings are discussed in this paper. Our conclusions confirm the increasing number of people for whom belonging is more important or takes precedence over religious belief. These conclusions led us to several recommendations for religious institutions or societies.
Highlights
Social connections and membership in social groups have always played an important role among humans
The main purpose of our research is to determine whether significant relationships The main purpose of our research is to whether significant relationships exist among the value of belongingness and attitudes to determine religious belief, institutionalized exist among the value of belongingness and attitudes to religious belief, institutionalized religion, moral categories, and solidarity
The value of belongingness is significantly important for believers in a personal God (p < 0.05) and, more interestingly, for those who believe in “something above us” (p < 0.001)
Summary
Social connections and membership in social groups have always played an important role among humans. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when most people are socially isolated, social connections seem to be more important than ever before. According to the Pew Research Center (2021), the faith of some people in 14 surveyed countries has even strengthened due to this pandemic. The Czech Republic is traditionally considered an atheistic country. In 2017, a survey among 15 European countries demonstrated that the Czech Republic has the highest percentage of religiously unaffiliated people of all the surveyed countries (Evans 2017). We believe that the results may be different when based on those who identified themselves as “religiously unaffiliated”, and the sensitivity of the distinction of “religious belief”. There is a major difference between atheists, agnostics and “ietsists” (those who believe in “something above us”). Attitudes toward institutionalized religion even affect believers, and it is not rare that some of them decide to leave institutionalized religion for various reasons
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