ABC Report on Young People and Religion

ABC News released a report today by Dan Harris entitled, "Young Americans Losing Their Religion." I have copied in the bulk of the article, but the full article can be found here: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7513343&page=1

New research shows young Americans are dramatically less likely to go to church -- or to participate in any form of organized religion -- than their parents and grandparents. "It's a huge change," says Harvard University professor Robert Putnam, who conducted the research.

Historically, the percentage of Americans who said they had no religious affiliation (pollsters refer to this group as the "nones") has been very small -- hovering between 5 percent and 10 percent. However, Putnam says the percentage of "nones" has now skyrocketed to between 30 percent and 40 percent among younger Americans.

Putnam calls this a "stunning development." He gave reporters a first glimpse of his data Tuesday at a conference on religion organized by the Pew Forum on Faith in Public Life. The research will be included in a forthcoming book, called "American Grace."

This trend started in the 1990s and continues through today. It includes people in both Generation X and Y. While these young "nones" may not belong to a church, they are not necessarily atheists.

"Many of them are people who would otherwise be in church," Putnam said. "They have the same attitidues and values as people who are in church, but they grew up in a period in which being religious meant being politically conservative, especially on social issues." Putnam says that in the past two decades, many young people began to view organized religion as a source of "intolerance and rigidity and doctrinaire political views," and therefore stopped going to church.

This movement away from organized religion, says Putnam, may have enormous consequences for American culture and politics for years to come. "That is the future of America," he says. "Their views and their habits religiously are going to persist and have a huge effect on the future." This data is likely to reinvigorate an already heated debate about whether America is, or will continue to be, a "Christian nation."

...Putnam, author of the book "Bowling Alone," which tracked the decline in civic and community engagement in America (exemplified by the diminution of bowling leagues), fears the reduction in religiosity could have widespread negative impacts. His research shows that people who go to church are much more likely to vote, volunteer and give to charity.

However, he says, it's possible that the current spike in young people opting out of organized religion could also prove to be an opportunity for some. "America historically has been a very inventive and even entrepreneurial place in terms of religion," he says. "We're all the time inventing new religions and reinventing religions that we have. It's partly because we have a free market in religion. That is, we don't have a state church."

Given that today's young "nones" probably would be in church if they didn't associate religion with far-right political views, he says, new faith groups may evolve to serve them. "Jesus said, 'Be fishers of men,'" says Putnam, "and there's this pool with a lot of fish in it and no fishermen right now."

In the end, he says, this "stunning" trend of young people becoming less religious could lead to America's next great burst of religious innovation.

Harris' report affirms what I have sensed at an anecdotal level working around college students for the last 18 years. To borrow a line from Dan Kimball, most young people today seem to love Jesus but hate the Church. Whether true or not, for them the churches they grew up in or around felt co-opted as a political pressure group while at the same time seeming to care little for global social justice and experiencing horrific public failures in its leadership.

It is also my sense that Harris is correct that churches will either (a) react against these folk and hope that something changes dramatically; (b) enter into conversations with this coming generation and try to find areas of understanding and mutual agreement; or (c) see this as an opportunity to repent of the ways the Church has been co-opted and use their energy and convictions to re-narrate what it means to be the Body of Christ in the world.

Those who know me well know that (at the front end of Gen X) feel caught in the middle of these dramatic shifts culturally. I have a great deal of empathy for those who want to do (a), but it is more my passion to find a way to accomplish (b) or (c). Your thoughts are welcomed...

Comments

[Chris Johnson]

I'm with you, brother. It's why my law school, Pepperdine, gets my donations instead of my undergraduate school, Wheaton. The school seems a lot more in tune, from the administration on down, to being "the Body of Christ in the world."

Keep preaching what you do! It seems every generation is tempted to mold the Church into its vision, not God's, but God has a much better product to sell than we do.

[Tim Sheets]

Scott,
As a member of gen x I Appreciate you sharing this article. I was fortunate enough to have members of the church I attend get involved in my life and help me commit to and see the importance of the local church. These were usually older indviduals (i.e. sr adults).

At the church I minister at now we are currently trying to create a sr adult mentoring ministry that will help younger couples get to know older couples in hopes that they spur each other on, grow in their relationships with each other and God, and become more committed to following Jesus and serving as His church.

This article was a great heads up as to why such a ministry is needed.

Thanks

[Kathy]

I read an article in USA Today a couple of weeks ago that responded to that issue. The author stated that many people say they have no religious affiliation, but attend a nondenominational church - for example one of the mega churches. Whatever is really going on, it's a scary trend.

[jktruong]

Wow! I don't know where to begin...I just know I relate to this article very much and what you say.

I am at the beginning of Gen Y? I believe and was raised in a household that had a Buddhist mother and a Lutheran Christian father. My memories of church were in my youth when my parents were together and then the summers thereafter when visiting my "religious" cousins. I have always believed in God and I liked reading the Picture Bible a lot. But I would have been the person who didn't feel affiliated to organized religion if I took that poll. I do think that my value system is in tact, but have always had a leery feeling towards churches and this whole sense of conformity or conservativeness or not being able to be "me".

In the past couple of years, I started attending various churches with different friends (as a guest in God's house as I would call it) to explore my feelings about churches in general.

Last fall, I had some lengthy discussions about churches and pastors with a PazNaz. The friend really admired your thought process a lot and how your talks didn't feel so much like a lecture...but more of a self help guide to making us a better person.

I started reading your blogs (although I fell behind and am now catching up) and finally made it to PazNaz this spring and have managed to come most Sundays (albeit lately I haven't and I am truly sorry and feeling guilty).

And while I am still trying to work out the kinks and sort things out, I think that you are truly hitting the nail on B and C though from my perspective...

so...

Thank you