Philosophical-grounding

Source: TW

Religion needs common worship & ritual but a competing concern is that young gens across the world increasingly have a “standardised” sense of what they want from a religion & find it important to obtain a “profound/sophisticated” basis for popular rituals, lore/myths, etc.. (granirau )

Daoist trouble

A case in point is the situation of folkish Daoism in Sim̐hapurī (Daoism has a remarkably sophisticated cosmology, metaphysics & ritual but the way it is articulated & experienced in SG is what matters) vs that of Buddhism. Among all non-Abrahamic religions, in a very materialistic & increasingly “godless” generation of Chinese youth, Daoism as it is currently practiced - Stands zero chance of survival unless it attempts something drastic. Buddhism’s far more robust ability to provide “sophisticated” answers to “serious questions” leaves it in a far better place in a spiritually hostile climate.

Switch to higher Gods

Another example of change: In Sim̐hapurī, with local Tamizh Hindu youth becoming more & more educated, their sensibilities as to what constitutes a “wholesome” religion has significantly evolved. Their grandparents used to be most fervent about the village deities they had brought to SG from India & the “rustic” rituals. Their parents gradually switched to the more “mainstream” Gods & “milder/Sāttvika” ways of expressing devotion (fasting, lighting lamps, etc). Their kids are quite far removed from that. The idea of appeasing ferocious village protector deities does not appeal. Even doing simple worship for mainstream deities is not appealing, if their “higher purport” is not satisfactorily explained.