Millennials Are Leaving Religion And Not Coming Back

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

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.

Social science research has long suggested that Americans’ relationship with religion has a tidal quality — people who were raised religious find themselves drifting away as young adults, only to be drawn back in when they find spouses and begin to raise their own families. Some argued that young adults just hadn’t yet been pulled back into the fold of organized religion, especially since they were hitting major milestones like marriage and parenthood later on.

But now many millennials have spouses, children and mortgages — and there’s little evidence of a corresponding surge in religious interest. A new national survey from the American Enterprise Institute of more than 2,500 Americans found a few reasons why millennials may not return to the religious fold. (One of the authors of this article helped conduct the survey.)

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

This baby boomer who was raised Catholic left religion some forty or so years ago and hasn't looked back.

[BigmanPigman]

1. This is the best news I have read about the US

in a loooooooooong time. I wonder if other countries are also waking up and smelling the coffee. If the entire planet lost religion it would be a better world in a zillion ways. Don't even get me started.

[walkingman]

2. I left the Baptist religion about 35 years ago based upon not wanting to expose myself to

the type of bigotry that I personally witnessed in my religious community. I am convinced that it was a wise decision. I view most religion as a social decision these days and nothing more.

[Vogon_Glory]

3. The Reactionary Christians' Cultural War Backfired

A lot of people who have gone secular were repulsed by reactionary Evangelicals (and certain reactionary Catholics) making common cause with the Radical Right. The rise of flat-out anti-gay and racial bigotry has intensified this trend.

This won’t end the role of religion in America.There will be some survivors. I suspect that the Evangelical Churches that survive will either be social justice-oriented, Afro-America (Or sometimes both).

[MustLoveBeagles]

6. You're right

This described why I left to a T:

A lot of people who have gone secular were repulsed by reactionary Evangelicals (and certain reactionary Catholics) making common cause with the Radical Right. The rise of flat-out anti-gay and racial bigotry has intensified this trend.

I was a Baptist as a child. In my early teens I left it behind because of the bigotry you mentioned and the hypocrisy. For a long time I left the door open to returning to it, hoping that the extremist elements would eventually get kicked to the curb. Sadly this never happened, so with great sadness I shut that door.

[llmart]

4. I am not surprised at this.

I was fortunate enough to be raised in an atheist household and I'm a baby boomer. My parents thought that if I really wanted to "get religion" it would be up to me to choose that when I was old enough. None of my six siblings are religious either.

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. The Evangelicals and the hard right fundy pastors won't stand for this for long, trust me.

This is affecting market share and the bottom line, so if the trend truly becomes significant, watch out for a major push back campaign. They'll do everything they possibly can to try and reverse the trend, from pushing legislation to introduce bible study in schools to ...well...you name it.

Organized religion is on a downward spiral, of that I have no doubt, but it won't go quietly, not by a long shot.

[hatrack]

7. Good, glad to hear it . . .

With a few exceptions (notably people like William Barber, Sojourners, Frank Schaeffer and Jimmy Carter) I can't think of a single well-known religious leader in this country worth the powder to blow them to hell.

Osteen/Jeffries/Falwell/Wiles/Graham et. al. have reduced American Christianity to a withered husk of a cult. And that's not even touching on the global child-fucking club that the Catholic Church has been revealed to be

Time for it to die.

[keithbvadu2]

11. I call them CBR - Cash Based Religion.

https://www.therecord.com/opinion-story/8027808-how-declining-church-attendance-harms-society/

John Stonestreet: How declining church attendance harms society


Perhaps church attendance would not be declining if 'witnessing' for their faith did not include protecting pedophile priests, supporting sexual predators like Trump and using the faith to gain riches.

But did include "love thy neighbor" more than 'begrudge thy neighbor'.

Pat Robertson and his ilk are CBR - Cash Based Religion.

Judas was an early modern day conservative disciple.

Judas got 30 pieces of silver, but just once, for selling Christ.

Pat Robertson, Jim Bakker and their ilk get millions of dollars repeatedly for selling Christ.

Judas was a fool for doing a one-time sale.

[PufPuf23]

8. How is this for an idea?

Form a non-profit REIT to purchase distressed and other church real estate.

Th real estate would be re-purposed to Culture Parks or converted to appropriate housing, commercial, or even industrial (such as green energy or urban gardens). In this way some of the former church real estate would be put on the tax rolls and the availability of various economical and social needs enhanced from former use.

The movement could cascade because of the grifters who would se how they could benefit by selling church infrastructure. Architectural or historic buildings or buildings suitable for public uses like the arts would be part of the Cultural Parks.

[roamer65]

9. Eventually they will turn on religionists and persecute them.

When the religionists go too far on social issues and the economy goes south, it will happen.

I will be happy to see it.

[Xolodno]

10. The irony....

...the nut case evangelicals will push this as more evidence that the world is coming to an end. Continue feeding on the fear of their flock....they are not good shepherds, they are bad shepherds. And of course, continue to fleece them for every dime they get.

In an another irony, during the revolutionary war, religion had a seriously bad name as the state and church were one and the same...both corrupt. When religion was hard cut from state, Jefferson assumed the end was nigh for organized religion. Instead, it flourished. Unable to influence government with its money, they built hospitals, orphanages, schools, parks, etc. Because they were fulfilling a public good and need, they grew.

Now, they build massive "bible retreats" that resemble large scale resorts for the elite, huge auditoriums that put the city government to shame and donate insanely to every GOP politician because...like in and abusive relationship, continue to promise them things they will never give them...save for the occasional token victory.

Meanwhile, a church that has excluded politics, continues to help the community in schools, homelessness, after school programs, etc. Gets pissed on.

Just to give you an example of how things are fucked up;

Right Wing Christian Camp; tell a ghost story at camp fire....get reprimanded because the story didn't glorify the Lord. And the person doing the reprimand went to camp where said story was perfectly acceptable.

Non-Right Wing Christian Camp...or for that matter any Camp; tell a ghost story...everyone says "wow"

Jesus attending the Non-Right Wing Camp; "Wow..is there more to this story? If not, does anyone else have a good story?".

[not_the_one]

12. IMAGINE...

n/t

[Wounded Bear]

13. I'm trying to figure out how that could be a bad thing...

Nothing comes to mind.

IMNSHO anything to do with spirituality should bring people together and harmonize them on finding mutual solutions to problems.

Too much of religion these days is doing just the opposite.

[SammyWinstonJack]

14. Excellent!

[raccoon]

15. Good for them! I was raised Methodist but in recent years

In my experience, Baptist and Methodist churches in my area have become so intertwined with the conservative Republican right wing ideology that you couldn’t tell the difference.

I am a freethinker now.