Second coming

Thomas the ApostleOne of the twelve apostles of Jesus. was often late to the party. He was the last of the apostlesEach of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. to accept the resurrection of Jesus, earning him the name Doubting Thomas. And he was also late to the funeral of the messiahThe promised and expected deliverer of the Jewish people.'s mother, Mary.

That meant they had to reopen her tomb so he could pay his respects. But when they rolled back the stone, her body, miraculously, was gone - taken up to Heaven by God.

No-one knows what date this is supposed to have happened. But it is still celebrated, as Assumption Day, on 15 August every year.

Assumption Day is one of the world's most widespread events. It is a public holiday in 44 countries on four continents around the world, ranging from France to GabonA country on the west coast of Central Africa. to SyriaA Middle Eastern country that was the site of much of the fighting during the Crusades..

In Protestant countries, the day is less important. Protestants look upon venerationGreat respect or adoration of something. of Mary in the other Christian denominationsA recognised autonomous branch of the Christian Church. with suspicion. They think it sometimes crosses the boundary into worship. But Christians are only supposed to worship God. That is why shops are still open in the UK today.

But for everyone else, it raises an interesting question. Why, in modern, secularA word used to describe something that is not connected with the religious or spiritual sphere. societies, does God still have the power to close the high street?

The simple answer is that most people still have very strong faith. Although we think of ourselves as living in a secular age, religion is still extremely important in most societies around the world. In most of South America, 70-80% of Christians say religion is very important in their lives. In EthiopiaA landlocked country in Africa. With a population of about 120 million, Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient cultures. it is 98%.¹

And in some western countries, faith is on the rise, especially among young people. A poll in April found that one in three Americans aged 18 to 25 believe in the existence of a higher power, up from a quarter in 2021.² A UK survey found one-third of 18- to 36-year-olds had prayed in the last month.

But some think it is not just about religious belief. They say religion gives people a sense of social and cultural belonging. That can be a source of comfort in a world that feels more and more isolated.

Religious services give people a community that is bound together by a common belief. That means there are people they can rely on for help or just for company.

And religion also offers them a code of values that is unchanging and absoluteAble to rule without restraint. The Queen is a constitutional monarch who has to follow the wishes of parliament.. It provides a sense of stability at a time when life on Earth feels less and less secure.

Many Catholics say with surprise that younger people in their churches are keen to observe the traditional massThe central act of worship of the Roman Catholic Church. Or - how much matter there is in an object. It is not the same as weight, which is all about gravity. in Latin, rather than the translated version that is now more common. They think it makes people happy to feel like they are part of a ritual that goes back hundreds of years.

Some argue religion is undergoing a kind of postmodernSubsequent to that which is modern. revival. Today you can buy t-shirts saying "God loves me and there's nothing I can do about it", a crop top reading "God's Favorite", or a bikini with the Holy TrinityThe Father, Son and Holy Spirit. printed on it. 

These are simultaneously ironic and serious, a way in which people can delve into the aesthetics of religion without signing up to all the creedsA system of religious belief. that come with it.

Is God back?

Yes: All the evidence suggests that many young people are getting more religious, and many others are at least interested in faith. God is only becoming more important.

No: When societies get richer, they become less interested in faith. So we can assume that in the long term, God is still doomed. Young people do not really care about religion; it is just something they can mine for content.

Or... History tells us that in times of great crisis, people often turn to faith. That might explain why there is currently a religious resurgenceA revival after a period of inactivity.. In calmer times, God might recede into the background again.