One-Third Of Millennials Have Left Their Religion Because Of Anti-Gay Policies: Survey

[Loaded Liberal Dem]

Source: Huffington Post

Posted: 02/26/2014 12:02 am EST

It's widely accepted that young people tend to be less religious than their elders. While recent surveys have revealed that one-in-five adults in America claim no religious affiliation, the number reaches around one-in-three for Millennials under 34.

Now, a new study has uncovered the reason why some of those Americans have dropped out of the fold.

In a survey released Wednesday, nearly one-third of Millennials who left the faith they grow up with told Public Religion Research Institute that it was "negative teachings" or "negative treatment" related to gays and lesbians that played an significant role in them leaving organized religion.

Specifically, 17 percent of Millennials, or adults between 18 and 33-years-old, said negativity around LGBT issues in religion was "somewhat important" to their departure, while 14 percent said it was a "very important" factor.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/26/millennials-gay-unaffiliated-church-religion_n_4856094.html

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Who'd have thunk it? The kids are all right!

[temporary311]

1. That's certainly encouraging to hear.

[Rod Beauvex]

2. I'm atheist, but....

It sucks not being able to hope and believe that someone will rot in hell.

[Loaded Liberal Dem]

3. Really?

You seem like a Republican!

[Hoppy]

6. I believe the poster was referring to the robed hypocrits, not the people they try to control.

[Rod Beauvex]

12. Actually...

I was thinking more of the Dick Cheneys and whatnot, but yes.

[Stuckinthebush]

7. Same here, Rod

Something comforting about that, huh?

[Rod Beauvex]

13. Yes.

There are genuinely terrible people out there. Politicians, business people, wealthy people, corrupt clerics, ect.

[Sunlei]

15. Good point. Evil really does walk the earth. People that make the hair rise on the back of your neck

To bad there isn't anyone 'upstairs' that can direct lightning strikes. It's all up to us mortal humans to dance with the devils.

[blkmusclmachine]

4. ,

,

[Redfairen]

5. I'd like to see survey results that take other issues into account too.

I was raised in the church but walked away in the mid-80's due, at least in part, to increasingly hostile attitudes on all sorts of issues. My reasons amounted to far, far more than just one thing. I'd imagine the same to be true for a great many of today's recently disillusioned faithful. It would be interesting to see researchers broadening their scope of inquiry on that front.

[FailureToCommunicate]

8. May also explain why young people are flocking TO certain faiths, like Unitarians and

UCC (United Church of Christ) progressive denominations that have actively welcomed anyone, LGBT, disabled, disadvantaged, etc. for decades.

A local church community often offers more than it's national denomiation policies might suggest.

[Stuckinthebush]

9. Churches are a business

At the core, that's all they are. If people don't like your brand then you change your brand or go out of business.

Watch for a lot of brand changes in the next few years.

[Beowulf42]

10. My Story

It may be same-sex marriage as a pivotal issue for many of the younger people of today, but in the 60s I experimented with religion, from mainstream Methodism to Pentecostal. I was having a personal struggle with racial prejudice, and after many personal experiences with issues of race and color, and during my freshman year at Oregon I became more and more offended by the attitudes and language used in reference to African-Americans, and decided that religion was a vacant space people filled with hate, envy and bigotry. At 71 I look back and think that this was one of the best choices I have made. I have been a teacher for near to 40 years and my experience with the teenagers of the last 20 years don't care about color or sexual orientation or too much about religion. I can only hope that they keep these attitudes throughout their lives and work to create a better life for all.

[Dawson Leery]

11. I know of several conservatives (economics) who have left for the same reasons.

The reactionary social policies of yesterday do not resonate with today's youth.

[daleo]

14. Homophobia seems to go away when religious dogma loses it's impact

Really, hating gays is pretty hard to do once religious reasons are taken out of the picture. Hate takes a lot of mental energy to sustain. Religion and it's fear mongering is the main source of that energy. Take away the fear energy and the hate withers away.