Study: Young Americans less religious than their parents

[Elmore Furth]

The millenial generation is embracing religion but rejecting churches. The trend of young people to mix several religious traditions has occurred for thousands of years. Syncretism or the mixing of several traditions has long been seen in Christianity but there is now also a more eclectic approach among Buddhists, Jews and even Muslims in this country.

http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=490

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-12-10-1Amixingbeliefs10_CV_N.htm

Anyone for celebrating Chrismahanukwanzakah? Festivus?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrismukkah

A study released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public life appears to bear that out (young people want to engage actively and experience God). On the one hand, it finds that young Americans are significantly less religious than their parents and grandparents were when they were young. But the report also suggests that many of the beliefs and faith-based practices of 18- to 29-year-olds mirror those of their elders.

One in four American millennials -- which it defined as those who were born after 1980 and came of age around the millennium -- are not affiliated with any faith tradition, Pew found. They characterize their religion as "atheist," "agnostic" or "nothing in particular."

But when it comes to many beliefs and practices -- like views about life after death, the existence of heaven and hell and miracles -- millennials resemble previous generations of young Americans. For instance, 45 percent of young Americans report praying daily, about the same proportion who said they did in the 1980s and '90s.

"While growing numbers of people are unaffiliated, it's not necessarily a sign that they're committed secularists," said Greg Smith, a senior researcher at the Pew Forum. "We're seeing among young people that there are ways of practicing faith and being religious outside of belonging to a religious organization or attending services."

Study: Young Americans less religious than their parents

[Orrex]

1. Ain't there one damn song that can make me break down and cry?

[rug]

3. If this doesn;t make you cry, you're not human.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuY44PHC0wI

[Don Caballero]

2. Good. Only weak people believe in that garbage.

Our nation will be able to get much more done if the majority is not hoodwinked into religious trappings.

[applegrove]

4. Didn't they find that some people's brains have the capacity to be religious. Others not so much.

[Don Caballero]

5. Yeah the dummies have that capability

The ones who go to rallies with Gadsen flags and Stop Socialism banners.

[Orrex]

6. To put it another way...

Some people's brains lack the capacity to be non-religious.

:evilgrin:

[Don Caballero]

7. Who needs them?

They are not going to change the world, to make it more livable. They will continue to fight with those who do not believe the same fairy tale as they were taught.

[obxhead]

8. Finally. I needed some good news. nt

[izquierdista]

9. Thank God for that!

[NeoGreen]

10. 25% are Atheist/Agnostic/Non ??? WOW! those numbers just keep growing...

Only a few years ago we were celebrating, what was it, 16% up from 9% in the 1990s....

Stunning!

Yes, I think that I'm mixing my units (19 to 29 yo's verses entire adult pop) but still, the trend is in the right direction!

:woohoo:

:bounce: