For this group withdrawal stemmed, not from feelings of anger about religion but from a quest for knowledge driven by emotional need . they felt they needed to makes sense of the world and of them selves and found that religion was not providing the answers The following story was typical . My life at times has not been easy . . . I have been depressed . . .
It's hard to believe in anything when you do not believe in yourself and i wanted to turn to God but he didn't reach out . I often felt that God was not there for me . . . it made me wonder whether he existed at all . in this type of disaffiliation the focus is on the self and feelings of emptiness are associated with religious doubt .