Millennials Are Leaving Religion And Not Coming Back

[trotsky]

Echoing an article I posted yesterday, FiveThirtyEight has a more comprehensive take.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/millennials-are-leaving-religion-and-not-coming-back/

Millennials have earned a reputation for reshaping industries and institutions — shaking up the workplace, transforming dating culture, and rethinking parenthood. They’ve also had a dramatic impact on American religious life. Four in ten millennials now say they are religiously unaffiliated, according to the Pew Research Center. In fact, millennials (those between the ages of 23 and 38) are now almost as likely to say they have no religion as they are to identify as Christian.

For a long time, though, it wasn’t clear whether this youthful defection from religion would be temporary or permanent. It seemed possible that as millennials grew older, at least some would return to a more traditional religious life. But there’s mounting evidence that today’s younger generations may be leaving religion for good.

...Millennials may be the symbols of a broader societal shift away from religion, but they didn’t start it on their own. Their parents are at least partly responsible for a widening generational gap in religious identity and beliefs; they were more likely than previous generations to raise their children without any connection to organized religion. According to the AEI survey, 17 percent of millennials said that they were not raised in any particular religion compared with only five percent of Baby Boomers. And fewer than one in three (32 percent) millennials say they attended weekly religious services with their family when they were young, compared with about half (49 percent) of Baby Boomers.

...But one finding in the survey signals that even millennials who grew up religious may be increasingly unlikely to return to religion. In the 1970s, most nonreligious Americans had a religious spouse and often, that partner would draw them back into regular religious practice. But now, a growing number of unaffiliated Americans are settling down with someone who isn’t religious — a process that may have been accelerated by the sheer number of secular romantic partners available, and the rise of online dating. Today, 74 percent of unaffiliated millennials have a nonreligious partner or spouse, while only 26 percent have a partner who is religious.

[Voltaire2]

1. thank you jesus

[dewsgirl]

3. I'm 42 and have been against organized religion, for at least

20 years.

[doc03]

6. I am 71 and have felt the same for about 55 years. I find

many people that claim to be Christians are hypocrites and bigots.

[dewsgirl]

15. If I have learned anything over the last 3 years, it is definitely this.

[donkeypoofed]

2. I think not believing makes people vulnerable to anything

This is a sad thing. Not believing in a higher power makes people vulnerable and on an elemental level, I wonder if it makes them feel alone? I couldn't imagine that.

[doc03]

4. How do explain a so-called Christian that can support a president that is an admitted

sexual predator, a pathological liar, a criminal and a bigot?

[moose65]

5. It can't be explained

This is the biggest contradiction of the Trump era: how can supposedly religious, pious people follow a thrice-married, amoral, porn-star loving, casino-owning madman? It's the one thing I can never wrap my brain around. Even before Trump thought about politics, I considered him a pompous windbag who loved the sound of his own voice. He's been a Democrat, and Independent, and a Republican, even though he doesn't really believe in anything except making himself richer. Why is it so obvious to us and so obviously ignored by his minions????

There are none so blind as those who will not see......

[doc03]

10. My mother was 92 years old when she passed away in 2012. She literally

couldn't stand to look at Trump. She was very religious and she said he just looked evil. That was back years before
he ever ran for president.

[moose65]

12. Bless her!

My own parents are 79 and 81, and they are white, rural Southerners who despise Trump with every fiber of their being. In fact, I know a lot of older white folks who can't stand him.

You know, normally Trump would be the kind of person that Republicans would hate: a Yankee city-dweller with a foul mouth. We should remind them of that

[3catwoman3]

31. The fact that they...

...are embracing, and worshipping, the Yankee city-dweller with a foul mouth shows that the have no principles or moral center. They only want power and they don’t care how low they have to sink to get and keep it.

[Major Nikon]

11. Interesting. But I feel exactly the opposite

There’s a fair amount of data that shows an inverse relationship with religion and critical thinking. One need only to look at the right wing to find examples of this.

Personally I have never in my life had any sort of religious faith. Does that make me feel alone? I don’t know what it feels like having an imaginary friend watching everything I do, but neither have I ever felt the need to invent one. So I’d really have to say the answer to your question is no.

[bitterross]

16. You're going to have to explain Paula White

Respectfully, I think you're dead wrong. Believing is what makes people vulnerable. They believe Paula White, Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, etc. They believe the psychic they visit. They believe what these con artists tell them about the "Higher Beings" whom they should worship and follow.

Belief in supernatural beings that judge us, that have unlimited power and yet do nothing to stop suffering is what makes people vulnerable.

Note: I'm not saying there is no possibility that there are other beings out there in the universe that are smarter and more advanced than humans. That doesn't make them gods though.

[eppur_se_muova]

19. That is about the weirdest unfounded conclusion I have ever encountered.

You actually think it's better to believe in something -- anything -- rather than to be skeptical of utterly unfounded, utterly unprovable folk/fairy tales ? That's pretty mixed up. You must believe other people are incredibly weak-minded to think they can't get by without the crutch of some fantasy Big Daddy father-figure-in-the-sky. Billions of people do just that, and I don't know of anyone who's ever said it is in any remote way a challenge. It's nothing but common sense -- don't believe in that for which there is absolutely no unambiguous evidence.

If you couldn't imagine what it's like to lack religion -- THE NATURAL CONDITION TO WHICH EVERYONE IS BORN, before they are indoctrinated by brainwashing -- you have a crippling lack of imagination. I don't believe in anything so blindingly that I can't imagine someone, somewhere -- probably many someones -- believe otherwise. That doesn't mean I concede they're right. Different people believe different things, and always have, and not necessarily because they're "vulnerable".

BTW, do unbelievers feel "alone" ? Um, no, not at all. But thank you for your deeply felt concern.

[Act_of_Reparation]

21. You obviously know a lot about the experience of atheists.

[edhopper]

23. Cults are mostly religious.

So it seems being religious makes one more vulnerable. Not the opposite.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

25. Hope it makes you feel better about yourself to look down on us atheists.

Every atheist I have ever met is a fantastic person. The most charitable, loving, giving, and "moral" people I know are atheists. Some of the most horrible are devout believers in Christ.

I get that you can't imagine it, but stop projecting a wanton wasteland of hopeless by people with a god-shaped hole in their heart. That just isn't reality.

[FiveGoodMen]

26. We believe in plenty

Justice, honesty, helping the needy, keeping our democratic form of government, …

Just not fairy tales.

[AtheistCrusader]

42. The elements that comprise my body do not feel alone.

In fact, they don't feel.

*I* feel. The person that is *me* feels. And one thing I do NOT feel is 'vulnerable' or 'alone'.
But thanks for asking.

[Sea Glass]

48. On the contrary, believing in mythology which there is zero evidence makes people vulnerable to

believing anything -- like Trump is a good president, there's no global warming, and vaccines cause disease.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. More humanists and ethical culturalists.

My theory is the Millennials haven't found a non-theistic group to promote their concepts of social justice.

[The Blue Flower]

8. It is possible to have faith outside the context of religion

I'm all for it.

[Major Nikon]

14. Possible, yes. In reality it doesn't really work that way.

More often than not people who have faith will seek validation of whatever it is they believe. Once that faith becomes collective you have religion.

[Polly Hennessey]

9. Amen to that.

Not believing in religion does not make one lonely. Believing in a religion does make one vulnerable to hucksters, con artists, tRump, etc. The religious are easy marks readily willing to give their money to the unscrupulous. How else could the “pastors” afford to live in mansions and fly in private jets. Religion is a method of control and extortion. Amazing.

[Major Nikon]

13. It's been that way as long as there's been organized religion

A certain percentage of the population is vulnerable to believing other people either are a god, or speak for one. Once you have that power over someone you can extract power and money. Convince enough people and you get privilege. The only reason organized religion has persisted as long as it has is because of that privilege. When people stop indoctrinating their children into religion, the chances of them picking it up as an adult are slim.

[Duppers]

34. +10

[CaptYossarian]

17. The most moral people I've ever known didn't show up in some building to hear

about heaven and hell from a serial child molester. Instead, they lived a good, clean life devoted to volunteering their time, giving money and food, etc. to charities that actually helped others, and treated the people they encountered the way they wanted to be treated.

Some of the others who showed up (to be seen) acted as if they could do whatever they wanted the rest of the week because of that 1 hour they pretended to be Christlike. Even in the parking lot, when they cut each other off, they're thinking, "Praise the Lord and let's get the hell outta here."

[MineralMan]

18. That is a hopeful sign, I think.

It's also very likely a self-perpetuating thing. The percentages of non-believers and the non-religious should continue to increase with each generation.

[kacekwl]

20. I watched Rick Steves Christmas in Europe and

seeing all the lovely traditions and church services. It came to me being raised Catholic that if the church practiced and preached real teachings of Jesus , to love EVERYONE , to help everyone and stop judging people for their perceived sins then they may draw more to the church.

[trotsky]

24. What are the "real teachings of Jesus" though?

Jesus himself didn't actually love EVERYONE. He judged, and he said some people would be sent to hell. We can do better than that, can't we?

[kacekwl]

44. Never heard that. Was told Jesus loved and forgave everyone.

If of course if you believed.

[trotsky]

46. Look at your own words. "Jesus loved and forgave everyone..."

"...if of course you believed."

So even you admit his love isn't unconditional.

[Major Nikon]

38. In much of Europe religion is purely ceremonial

Every village has a chapel or cathedral because they have been there forever. Holidays are celebrated, people still get married and buried in the church, but nobody still believes the mythology.

I suppose that could be the destiny for religion Jesus wanted, but somehow I doubt it.

[guillaumeb]

27. Millenials in the PRC have also left religion.

So that should mean that the Chinese, non-theistic millennials, and their Government, will show us all how people can behave when they are freed from the shackles of religion.

Tolerance will be the new normal.

[trotsky]

36. LMAO

Oh you desperate thing and your whataboutism.

[guillaumeb]

39. Yes, it is clear that these Chinese atheists will elad us all into a new era of tolerance

and respect because they are not encumbered by religion.

[trotsky]

40. LMAO

Whataboutists gotta whatabout!

[guillaumeb]

41. Good that you recognize what you engage in.

Now, show us all how non-theists set the example.

[trotsky]

45. LMAO

Keep trying!

[Major Nikon]

43. But whatabout China?

Whataboutists gonna whatabout.

[Skittles]

28. makes me like them even more

[TheRealNorth]

29. There are some good churches out there

Unfortunately the most vocal Right-wing nut job priests and pastors give religion a bad name.

[trotsky]

37. Religion gives itself the names it has earned. n/t

[NeoGreen]

30. Interesting point from the article...

...

For years, the Christian conservative movement has warned about a tide of rising secularism, but research has suggested that the strong association between religion and the Republican Party may actually be fueling this divide. And if even more Democrats lose their faith, that will only exacerbate the acrimonious rift between secular liberals and religious conservatives.

“At that critical moment when people are getting married and having kids and their religious identity is becoming more stable, Republicans mostly do still return to religion — it’s Democrats that aren’t coming back,” said Michele Margolis, author of “From the Politics to the Pews: How Partisanship and the Political Environment Shape Religious Identity.” in an interview for our September story.

I can attest to this, for I equate "religious" with "republican".

[keithbvadu2]

32. The younger folks recognize the hypocrisy of 'witnessing' for the faith by those supporting Trump an

The younger folks recognize the hypocrisy of 'witnessing' for the faith by those supporting Trump and his practices.

It does not show the credibility of the faith in a positive light.

[NeoGreen]

33. Maybe it is because...

...'faith' has no positive credibility.

[Cartoonist]

35. Trump was sent by God

I want all the Trumpers to keep repeating that. One more millennial leaves the faith each time it's spoken.

[Sea Glass]

47. This is some of the best news I've read in a long time.