Pastors and priests seeking to fill their pews with young churchgoers have a tough task ahead. According to a newly released survey, even before they move out of their childhood homes, many younger Millennials have already moved away from the religion in which they were raised, mostly joining the growing ranks of the religiously unaffiliated.
The 2012 Millennial Values Survey, conducted jointly by Public Religion Research Institute and Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, shows that college-age Millennials (ages 18-24) are more likely than the general population to be religiously unaffiliated (25 percent vs. 19 percent in the general population). Moreover, they report significant movement from the religious affiliation of their childhood: Only 11 percent of Millennials were raised religiously unaffiliated, but one-quarter (25 percent) identify as religiously unaffiliated today, an increase of 14 points.
These findings have profound implications for the future of religious denominations that have, in the past, dominated American religious life. Of those who are currently unaffiliated, around 1-in-5 were raised white mainline Protestant (21 percent) or Catholic (23 percent), the two denominations that saw the largest net losses due to Millennials' shifts in religious identity. Among Millennials who were raised white mainline Protestant, only 59 percent continue to identify with their childhood faith, while nearly 3-in-10 (29 percent) identify as unaffiliated. Similarly, only two-thirds (64 percent) of Millennials who were raised Catholic remain within the fold, while one-quarter (25 percent) now identify as unaffiliated.
In addition to the increase in religious disaffiliation, younger Millennials report low levels of religious engagement across the board. Only one-quarter (25 percent) of Millennials say they attend religious services at least once a week, while 3-in-10 (30 percent) say they attend occasionally. More than 4-in-10 say they seldom (16 percent) or never (27 percent) attend. Similarly, while one-third (33 percent) of Millennials say that they pray at least daily, nearly 4-in-10 (37 percent) say they seldom or never pray. Notably, despite the fact that nearly half (48 percent) of younger Millennials report that they are living at home with their parents, Millennials who live at home are not more likely to attend religious services than Millennials overall.
The survey also offers some clues to why many Millennials are breaking away from their childhood faith, at least if they come from a Christian tradition. Younger Millennials' feelings about Christianity are decidedly mixed. Three-quarters (76 percent) agree that present-day Christianity has "good values and principles," and 63 percent believe that Christianity "consistently shows love for other people." On the other hand, strong majorities also agree that modern-day Christianity is "hypocritical" (58 percent), "judgmental" (62 percent) and "anti-gay" (64 percent).
Notably, the perception that Christianity is "anti-gay" -- an attribute that strong majorities of both Christian Millennials (58 percent) and religiously unaffiliated Millennials (79 percent) agree describes present-day Christianity well -- may be driving some of Millennials' estrangement from organized religion. Last fall, for example, a PRRI survey found that nearly 7-in-10 (69 percent) 18-29-year-old Millennials agree that religious groups are alienating young people by being too judgmental about gay and lesbian issues.
This early adult drift away from Millennials' childhood religion highlights a particular challenge for religious leaders, and not just in the short term. In some ways, this is not a new problem; it's not uncommon for younger American adults to be less religiously affiliated than older Americans. However, the Millennial generation's rate of disaffiliation is higher than previous generations at comparable points in their life cycle. It's probable that fewer Millennials than previous generations will reliably return to congregations when they are older, settled and raising children.
If religious leaders -- particularly in Catholic and white mainline Protestant churches -- aren't content to wait for the return of this generation's prodigals, they are faced with a challenging task. The balancing act of whether and how to reshape present-day congregations to connect with a generation that remains receptive to -- but also highly critical of -- traditional forms of religiosity.
This article was originally published at "Figuring Faith," Dr. Jones' blog at the Washington Post's "On Faith" section.
Follow Robert P. Jones, Ph.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/publicreligion
I made the break when I realized that the Redskins were actually more important.
OK, other factors may have intervened. But one has to admit that when a group tells one that one is a sinner destined for hell; that certain kinds of people are destined for hell because of the way God made them; that the way Christ treated everyone is not the way we need to behave, most of the time; that the beautiful world and its myriad of wonderful sensations that God gave us is, basically, a "test" of our resolve and a temptation damning us to hell; that "poor in spirit" is a phrase that means anything; that this way of doing things is sanctioned by God, and those other ways sanctioned by God aren't;... well, football does begin to become a more pleasant thing to think about.
I think God created you, me and the world for one reason: He's the Creator, and He can't wait to see what you do next.
Other than that, be what you are. That's what He put you here to be.
Much like medical, financial, and educational services provided by large impersonal entities; the more distant and removed the source of service is relative to the receiver of the service, the more diluted and impersonal and ineffective the service becomes.
Evolution and anti-science in general, gay-hate, and hypocrisy probably rank up there on the list of things that make us not be a part of church.... oh and knowing its all BS helps to.
Some will likely "return" to the church when they begin to have children themselves.
Religion can be a powerful "carrot & stick" tool which lazy parents use to discipline young children.
It will be nothing more than a cultural label: "Christian" will simply mean "Western".
All of the beliefs will fade away to be nothing more than decorations for the holidays.
Religion will only survive in the third world, with all of the other superstitions.
BECAUSE IT SUCKS!
The gay issue is certainly a "hot-button" topic these days to be sure and not all churches feel the same way about it. In my post I tried my best by stating "silent out of fear of not being correct or blasphemous." I have three gay relatives and they are all loved and respected for who they are and I would never tolerate anyone abusing or persecuting them and my church feels the same way. There are churches that have no problem with LGBT and should be sought out if one has the need for inclusion. There is no record of Jesus regarding homosexual lifestyle but it is adressed in the New testament in Romans 1:18-32, read and draw your own conclusions. PEACE
Can I suggest one reason that hasn't been looked at in the survey, but in my experience is having an impact?
The internet (not a pejorative rant, I promise).
Traditionally when people form their views, they are influenced by family and friends.
The internet has opened up the "friend" category in a way that used to be only possible by having an international "pen-friend".
The Millennials now interact with people from around the world (through games, interests etc) and are exposed to the majority of western democratic cultures that are far less religious (far, far less religious) than America.
It is possible that what is being observed is global culture influencing young Americans.
Not sure it's true, but I'd love to see the idea tested in another survey.
Science discusses homosexuality as a physical condition whereas many religious people see it as an aberration. Climate change is a myth. The state of an embryo is different from a scientific standpoint that from a religious one. The origin of the universe, the origin of life. Is morality a religious attribute or is it evolutionary?
A little science destroys a lot of fundamentalist faith. As a nonbeliever I am constantly challenged about what I believe. It's hard for a young person to learn science and stay religious. Seems to me that it's more a one or the other mindset that is going to grow farther apart as time goes on. Maybe I'm nostalgic but from what I remember of the 60s science was popular even in the religious community. The two co-existed and then fundamentalism grew and so did the divide. I don't think it was science that created this gulf as much as fundamentalists. Religion will evolve or become a dinosaur.
Of course, like every other man of intelligence and education I do believe in organic evolution. It surprises me that at this late date such questions should be raised.
-- Woodrow Wilson (1922)