My grandparents across the board are traditional, devoted, hardworking religious people. They have never had, and do not: smoke, drink, gamble, have premarital sex, or do drugs of any kind.
My parents are traditional, devoted, hardworking religious people. They were highschool sweethearts, and got married when my father entered medical school. They have never, and do not: smoke, drink, gamble, have premarital sex, or do drugs of any kind.
Some of my siblings, all of my cousins, and almost all of my friends are millennial, progressive, egalitarian atheist/agnostic/nonreligious people. They (and I): smoke, drink, gamble, have premarital sex, and do drugs.
What changed? Why is this happening? I find myself so incredibly conflicted with all of this. On the one hand I want to better the West, to be a beacon of dignity, class, and civility. I would like to not drink, do drugs, smoke, gamble, and have premarital sex. But on the other hand, everyone around me does these things. The music I listen to, the films and TV shows I watch, and the advertisements I see all promote these themes. The pews of my neighborhood churches grow emptier every day. Are these traditional values deceptive and empty? Is practising the use of alcohol/drugs and having premarital sex the proper way to go about things? I feel I am missing out on a great deal of enjoyment and fun when I abstain from these things.
Why is this happening and what do I do?