Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Generation Y redefines religion

According to a Washington Times article “Generation Y embraces choice, redefines religion” (April 12, 2005), there was a survey last year of 1,385 persons ages 18 to 25 that found the following characteristic define the Gen Y (born between 1980 and 2000) generation:

“strongly believe in having choices, an attitude that is likely to shape their identification with traditional religions”

“bringing [media] industries to their knees" by embracing IPod, TiVo and other technologies that allow unprecedented consumer choice”

“The big question is how traditional religions will respond to a new generation of Americans who value choice, informality and personal expression”

“It also could mean an even deeper culture war…as young Americans push their religious pluralism and a backlash emerges from other young Americans who don't want to lose traditional and religious moorings.”

“a ‘mix and match’ approach to religion”

“23 percent of Generation Y, like Generation X, do not identify with a religious denomination or don't believe in God. This is more than twice the number of nonbelievers among baby boomers”

“Twenty-six percent of young Americans call themselves Protestants, but the survey showed that 14 percent of the generation belonged to "other" kinds of Christian churches”

“Catholic identification was stable, with 20 percent of both Generation Y and Generation X choosing this faith. However, the number was down from 23 percent Catholic identification among baby boomers.”

“strongly religiously pluralistic -- only 7 percent said "all" their friends were of the same religion, and about 10 percent said they belonged to a non-Christian religion”

“12th-graders are less likely than eighth-graders to say that religion plays an important role in their lives”

“religious identity plays a significant role in the lives of Generation Y … More than half said they regularly pray before meals, and a third or more said they talk about religion with friends, attend worship services and read religious materials every week”

“more liberal and progressive than older generations, both in political leanings and on social issues such as homosexual "marriage" and immigration”

“Fifty-four percent of voters younger than 30 voted for Sen. John Kerry last year -- the only age group the Democratic presidential candidate carried”

”their biggest concern is the solidly ‘moral’ issue of nonmarital sex -- 35 percent of Generation Y members are ‘very worried’ about ‘getting a sexually transmitted disease,’”

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