In a number of Western countries today only a small portion of the population attends any church on a regular basis. Even if many people may still allow themselves to be called Christians, the designation is often nominal at best, and it is very difficult to find a person who could be called pious in the orthodox sense. In fact, for many people in the West religion is a regressive word and church is synonymous with boredom or oppression. We can no longer believe that only one religion is true. Some of us may doubt whether any religion is true.

Asia is following a similar movement. The younger generation is more interested in the pop culture imported from the West than in its own traditional religious or spiritual culture. The educated elite is proud of its modern, scientific, and humanitarian views which often criticize or denigrate their traditional religious backgrounds.

In this age of open communication and critical scrutiny we have become painfully aware of the limitations of organized religion and its herding of people into hostile camps. We have come to recognize that behind the rhetoric of God and religion is often political, economic or sexual exploitation - not an enlightened or humanitarian force, but one of darkness and oppression. Compared to such divisive creeds, science and humanitarianism, even of an atheistic bent, appears more compassionate and enlightened.

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