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Complete PICLE corpus of essays by Polish advanced EFL students (330,000)
/^t/The main causes of people's loss of religious faith concentrate around modern church's viewpoints and behavior. The present economic and scientific level of progress are often also closely related to people's personal hardships. One of the common reasons is that church's conservatism, strict dogmas and commandments are difficult to be observed and this discourages many church members. On the other hand the clergy's relaxed behavior, inconsistent with church's official teaching, leads people to raise objections against priests' hypocrisy and duplicity. When this bitterness outweighs the positive aspects of being a member of a church, one may turn away from former beliefs. Other causes of the loss of need for spiritual beliefs are closely connected with the increased standard of living. A certain level of comfort creates a sense of self-sufficiency and consequently the feeling that any beliefs are redundant. Still another reason for this new way of looking ar religion is scientific rationalism or philosophical reflection. On the basis of such branches of science as physics, antrophology, philosophy one concludes that religion is merely a cultural delusion assuming the form of a system of social control. Also one's personal suffering may enhance the existing doubts about faith which may result in a revolt against God. Thus various social, economic, ethical or personal factors contribute to one's loss of need for spiritual beliefs, loss of faith and they occur with differing intensity in various individuals.