The Pew Forum on Religious Life reports that 18-29-year-olds make up 35% of the entire religiously unaffiliated population or “nones” in the United States. It’s those young people, those “nones,” who Busted Halo® is trying to reach.
A friend of mine that I went to college with (I’ll call her Jane) holds Busted Halo® responsible for bringing her back to church. Jane was raised Catholic, but toward the end of high school, began to feel disconnected with her spiritual life, not really seeing eye-to-eye with the way her parish at home dealt with certain issues, and how they presented the Church as a whole. By the time she came to New York for college, she had almost entirely distanced herself from religion, but found herself feeling a bit empty. That’s when she found Busted Halo®, by what she now describes as “God helping me find a way back.” As she dug around on the website, Jane felt something change in her as she realized that maybe there was more to Christianity than she’d been exposed to at home, and perhaps she should give her religion a bit more thought. In the years that have passed, she’s barely missed a Sunday Mass, and has even become an active member of Fordham’s Campus Ministry, where she helps to guide other young people in their spiritual lives. And what does she use to help her in her efforts? Busted Halo®, of course!
It warms my heart that I can be a part of something that can have that profound an impact on people. Naturally, working with Busted Halo® has had an effect on my life as well. Through writing for the site (particularly in my work with the blog A Spiritual Side of Cinema) I’ve found new ways to encounter God in my everyday life, and to share my experiences of faith with others. Even for a pretty religious kid like me, Busted Halo® has been beyond useful — it just goes to show that no matter where you’re coming from, Busted Halo® has you covered. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.