Joe Velaidum, a religious studies professor at the University of Prince Edward Island, says that church congregations are aging and shrinking because individual spirituality is a growing trend among young people. 

"What we're finding, especially with the technological revolution, is that more people do things individually," Velaidum told CBC News this week.

"It's called the bowling alone syndrome. More people will go bowl alone than they will as parts of a club, for example. And religion isn't immune to any of these movements."

The CBC report hastens to add that today’s young people are not necessarily any "less religious" than previous generations, and quotes a couple of UPEI students in support.  Ryan Taylor and Lauren Murphy insist they are spiritual even though they don’t attend church.  They reject traditional Christianity (specifically Roman Catholicism) because it teaches stuff they don’t agree with—like about sin and the uniqueness of Christ.  How intolerant!

Both apparently practice what Robert Bellah famously described in his 1986 book Habits of the Heart.

Sheila Larson is a young nurse who has received a good deal of therapy and describes her faith as "Sheilaism." This suggests the logical possibility of more than 235 million American religions, one for each of us. "I believe in God," Sheila says. "I am not a religious fanatic. [Notice at once that in our culture any strong statement of belief seems to imply fanaticism so you have to offset that.] I can't remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It's Sheilaism. Just my own little voice."

Making traditional religion relevant to such unreflective individualists is a real challenge.

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