This past Sunday, the congregation of Peters Creek Presbyterian Church in Venetia voted to leave Presbyterian Church (USA) and become affiliated with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

The Washington Presbyterian had previously denied the church's request to leave, a move that landed the sides in court.

The Pittsburgh Presbytery took a different approached and recently permitted Beverly Heights Presbyterian in Mt. Lebanon and Memorial Park Presbyterian in McCandless Township to leave without an argument.

While all these moves may seem controversial, each of the churches has based their decisions on the same thought. The congregations believe the traditions which have formed and fostered the church principles no longer exist.

Membership in "traditional" churches - those affiliated with commonly known denominations - has been steadily dropping. Non-denominational, typically more conservative churches, has been growing.

Although it's been six years since the attacks on America of Sept. 11, 2001, we're still looking for some stability and guidance.

The surge of church attendance in this country following the attacks created an interest in spirituality. Unfortunately, that didn't parlay itself into the calmness being sought.

Many of the national religious organizations are not taking a firm stand on societal issues that have are the basis of many arguments across the country.

Instead, in a time when congregations are looking for guidance and wisdom from their national overseeing organizations, the local churches have been left to make decisions on their own. As evidenced in this region, their decisions have created just as much controversy as the issues themselves.

Religion in this country is constantly changing, just as the world around us ever changes. Many traditional religious services have taken a back seat to the modern form of worship, with upbeat pop music and jeans or tennis shoes as the norm. What we found controversial yesterday is, more often than not, accepted as part of our culture today.

We have always been a country which believes in freedom of all forms, including freedom of religion. There should be no right or wrong to a person's religious belief, as long as no one is harmed in the process. There is good reasoning behind the old statement (paraphrased here): never discuss religion or politics. Someone always gets angry and everyone gets hurt.