Touche’ on the southern comment. University of Louisville and Western Kentucky University are renown nationwide for Music and Journalism respectively, and I plan on attending both.

JUST SAYIN.

Anyway, I asked myself a similar question not too long ago. When you really stop to think about it, very few people will change what they believe to their religion. Rather, they will do the vice-versa; that is, they will change their religion to what best suits their beliefs. Obviously, as you pointed out, young people are an exception. But anybody with a self-sustaining intellect and some degree of integrity in their values will not likely force themselves to do or believe things that are too far out in their relative left field.

If, for example, the Catholic Church were to outlaw the imbibing of alcohol for all of its members, there would probably be a great deal of more Protestants in the world. That’s not meant as an insult, either. It’s simply the truth. I know I would convert!

I imagine most educated people in today’s world come upon their religion of choice in this manner. I, for one, came upon my religion for that very reason. I am a Laveyan Satanist. Anton Lavey actually encourages this. He points out in the preface to The Satanic Bible that if, while reading this book, you find yourself nodding or agreeing with most everything inside, you are already a Satanist. I find that to apply to everyone of all faiths and creeds, not just my own.

Religions, to me, are just labels. It is up to us to find which label suits us the best, not which religion is correct for everyone. If atheism/agnosticism/nihilism suits you best, more power to you!