So many thoughts. I think we were the generation where school sports became more important than church attendance. You started seeing events programmed for times that were traditional for church.
Our parents were the first generation that tested really poorly on Biblical literacy. Our teachers, if they were church goers, were often subversive of their own church. Most of the teachers I knew who were openly religious were liberal or cafeteria Catholics or social club Methodists. Additionally, the world had opened up and we actually had to interact with Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. Our parents and teachers didn't want to appear to be racists so they bought into the 'all paths lead to God' mantra.
Church lost its substance. Our parents were taken in by the entertainment service format and we grew to expect that - and endless programs that we didn't actually regularly attend, but a church had to have them to even be worthy of consideration. The personal relationship philosophy converted church into a mental thing more than something we do. It's okay to miss several Sundays in a row going to volleyball tournaments and the lake because, you know, I've got my personal relationship with Jesus.
The stigma of not going to church regularly was gone. You could be a respectable member of society as a "Christmas and Easter (and Mother's Day) Christian." We ate out at restaurants more than previous generations and it was uncomfortable to pray over meals at a restaurant table.
I could keep going but I feel like I'm losing direction and rambling.
