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churches are old, far-right and kooky, while a majority your favorite bands and movie stars are new, middle-left and cool (to generalize). This has been happening for a while now if you ask me.
Young Americans Losing Their Religion
New Research Finds Number Who Claim No Church Has Risen Sharply
By DAN HARRIS
May 6, 2009
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 at idues 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." A recent Newsweek cover article, en led "The End of Christian America" provoked responses from religious thinkers all over the spectrum.
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 e 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.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7513343&page=1
churches are old, far-right and kooky, while a majority your favorite bands and movie stars are new, middle-left and cool (to generalize). This has been happening for a while now if you ask me.
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Fascinating
yeah the Beatles are hip and cool and now that movies have started going with color? forget about it.
Its pretty difficult to keep any sort of "faith" in this modern age.
You got so many people saying you are some form of moron if you believe in God.
It's all about science these days...
The United States of America: Europe, just 40 years behind.
Atheists are just as stubborn as religious fanatics.
Religion doesnt define people. Neither does atheism.
People are morons in general and make thier religion look moronic.
"Dont hate the game, hate the player"
I hate both
I've gained a lot more faith in the church and religion in the last 3 and a half years then I had before...but that's just me and the road I am traveling down.
I've been on mission trips, been to church daily, then not been to church for a year, gone back to church prayed daily, not prayed, prayed only when I felt like it was necessary, read books about the emerging church, read about Jesus Being President...read books about the dying church and always come back. That's just how I feel. I'm not going to preach and I'm not going to quote the Bible. I'm just telling y'all how I feel.
Coming up for American religion:
Religious devotion among whites will collapse precipitously, so that within a generation or two, only 2% of whites will be observant Christians; virtually all of these will be elderly. Protestantism will be all but extinguished.
Hispanics and blacks will persist in faith. The Roman Catholic church will grow overall with immigration, but lose fair numbers of Hispanic members to various forms of Pentecostalism. Black faith won't change much.
Islam will grow to 1-2% percent of the population, with a stronghold in the Northeast to join the one in Michigan.
That's just stupid.
You better not, Angel will cast fire from the heavens if you try to take her schtick from her.
No wonder you all stay pissed at each other and slam other posters, you're forever talking about religion and politics ....
2 of the worst subjects in America!
Does a person need to have a religon?
Do american young people need to believe in God?
thank you. This is exactly what both sides can be blinded to at times.
peewee doesnt seem to understand it....
thank you. This is exactly what both sides can be blinded to at times.
People have personality and character apart from their religion.
You don't seem to understand that religion does indeed define who you are.
No it doesn't.
End Times Harvest. Book it!
not at all.
End Times Harvest. Book it!
how creepy was that?
I read that when angel posted it originally and it truly made me a little queasy.End Times Harvest. Book it!
Religion can have an influence on decisions you make in life and on your outlook on life but it cant really change you as a person unless you put your entire mind,soul and body into what you believe.
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