Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Most Young Adults Value Faith, But Shun Organized Religion
Generation Y is down with faith and spirituality. But when it comes to traditional religious institutions, most young people are saying: Whatever.
In a landmark report on youth and religion released today, the plurality of 18-to-25 year old Americans claim religion and spirituality as an important part of their lives -- but say they're shunning the religious establishment to explore their faith in untraditional, informal, and often highly personal ways.
The survey, the first of its kind to compare and contrast the religious identity of 18-to-25 year old Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims, classified the plurality of Generation Y (46%) as "Undecided," young people who value faith, but prefer to express it informally. The remaining respondents are identified as either highly religious (27%) or avowedly secular (27%).
Conducted on behalf of Reboot, a national network for young Jews, by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, the report, "OMG! How Generation Y is Redefining Faith in the iPod Era," was unveiled at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. (A full copy of the report can be found at http://www.rebooters.net/poll.html.)
Its findings present critical challenges for America's religious institutions, according to Roger Bennett, co-founder of Reboot.
"The religious establishment is failing to connect with Generation Y, the most diverse and individualist group in American history," Bennett said. "iTunes, Tivo, and MoveOn have shown this generation that it is possible to bypass the 'middleman' and take control of their own experiences, whether it's a song list or politics. Religious institutions have to recognize this reality if they want to be more meaningful to them," he said.
According to the survey, many 18-to-25 year olds express their faith in informal ways that are either communal or individualistic, such as praying before meals (55%), talking with friends (38%), or reading religious magazines, books, and newspapers (33%).
While they enjoy "a genuine attachment to religious life," younger people are "more disconnected from traditional denominations than their older counterparts ... [and] favor more informal ways to practice their faith as opposed to attending services, classes, or formal activity," the report says.
The survey, however, reveals that young people who identify as highly religious (27%) tend to be more self-aware and significantly more connected to family and community.
"One of the most remarkable findings of the study is that on every measure, highly religious youth better understand themselves and their place in the community more than less religious youth," said the report's author, Anna Greenberg, vice president of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research.
"The results send a clear message: Demand for meaning and community is there, but few in Gen Y are finding it in churches, mosques, or synagogues," Bennett said. "The question now is whether established institutions will adapt or innovate to meet this generation's particular spiritual needs."
Among other key findings in the report:
* Level of religious engagement varies: About a quarter (27%) of the youths surveyed were categorized by survey authors as "Godly," or highly religious. The same number (27%) was categorized as "Godless," or non-religious. A plurality (46%) of Generation Y was classified as "Undecided."
* Diverse social circles: Unlike previous generations who generally lived and socialized in ethnic or religious enclaves, Generation Y does not seek out friends of the same religion. Only 7% said all their friends are members of the same religion. Even the most religious youth maintain diverse networks, with only 9% claiming all their friends are of the same religion.
* Progressive worldview: Generation Y offers a highly tolerant, progressive worldview, even among youths who identify as religious. A majority (53%) support same-sex marriage rights; 63% support keeping abortion legal.
* Denominations decline: Many young people cannot identify what faith tradition or denomination they belong to. Along with a decline in denominationalism, the survey reveals a concurrent rise in the number of people unwilling to align with a denomination at all.
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The report's author, Anna Greenberg, is vice president of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, and Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
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