Just spotted an interesting article on a study released by Pew on the religion of 20something adults: Young Adults Doing Religion on Their Own? Blame It on Politics -- Politics Daily
Appears that many 20 somethings are protesting the religious right by cutting their institutional ties to religious communities. When I read the article I had two thoughts. First, this should be a wake-up call to members of the religious right. In my experience, many members of the religious right do not understand how they come across to the American mainstream of society as they pursue their goals with a fiery rhetoric. It's a free country to engage in political activism, but at what cost are these successes coming? It looks like a whole generation is being alienated from faith communities as a result of this activism.
Second, I am wondering why 20 somethings are cutting their ties to all religious communities, when many of these communities do not support the religious right. There has to be more research on this topic. There are a few big questions that remain to be answered.
This is very disturbing because people in their early twenties are looking for answers. Some have grown up in the church and this is a time of independence for them to decide what their own faith looks like rather than their parents. And the unchurched are also looking for answers now out of the confines of their parents' home. I think it is tragic that twenty somethings aren't able to find the answers they are looking for in the church and the peace, salvation, and community that comes with that. We have to do better. -Jill
ReplyDeleteWell said, all. What comes to my mind is: have there been any similar reactions by the young in the past? If so (and I bet there have been), what was done to try to reorient them? That is, young folks are always looking for a way to do something different, and I think the biggest target out there for young folks in their search for something to be different than is the religious right. Additionally, my bet is that at least some of them will change as they get older and become more conservative, themselves (though maybe not as far as the religious right).
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