10 votes

Young people around the world are less religious than their parents in several measures

10 comments

  1. TheWanderer
    Link
    It doesn't surprise me, nowadays we have a lot less social pressure and the people is more free to choose. Also the church lost a lot of social importance, not too much time ago the only registry...

    It doesn't surprise me, nowadays we have a lot less social pressure and the people is more free to choose. Also the church lost a lot of social importance, not too much time ago the only registry of births, marriages and deaths where made by the church in Catholics countries, they were present in the daily life of everyone.

    4 votes
  2. [2]
    vord
    Link
    So long, and thanks for all the fish. I look forward to the demise of organized religion. The fewer hierarchical power structures based on violence (listen to me or be eternally damned) and...

    So long, and thanks for all the fish. I look forward to the demise of organized religion. The fewer hierarchical power structures based on violence (listen to me or be eternally damned) and hearsay (afterlife, higher power, etc) the better.

    I get the people who look to religious communities for the community itself and not just the dogma, but there's no reason that secular communities couldn't do that as well or better.

    4 votes
    1. Kuromantis
      Link Parent
      In one hand, I agree, religion is dumb, and if you use it to cope, there's probably a psychological occupation who can do that without teaching you homophobia and complacency (""afterlife""). In...

      In one hand, I agree, religion is dumb, and if you use it to cope, there's probably a psychological occupation who can do that without teaching you homophobia and complacency (""afterlife""). In the other hand, interpreting the right's rejection of liberalism/democracy in response to this makes a lot of sense and implies they (people and politicians) know they can't win fairly, so they won't.

      1 vote
  3. [6]
    NoblePath
    Link
    I only skimmed the article, so forgive me if the date it was there and I didn’t see it. But I’m curious how this age gap difference trends over time. I seem to recall reading similar reports from...

    I only skimmed the article, so forgive me if the date it was there and I didn’t see it. But I’m curious how this age gap difference trends over time. I seem to recall reading similar reports from 20 years ago. And those reports reported a similar age-based gap.

    The conventional wisdom is that people grow more conservative, and by extension more religiously affiliated, as they grow older and/or have kids. In other words, the unaffiliated kids of 20 years ago are now affiliated older people, and the unafilliated kids ttoday will be affiliated in 20 years.

    3 votes
    1. [2]
      moonbathers
      Link Parent
      People don't actually get more conservative as they get older. Here's a source on that. What I think happens is people's political opinions become somewhat solidified during their 20s and they...

      People don't actually get more conservative as they get older. Here's a source on that. What I think happens is people's political opinions become somewhat solidified during their 20s and they consistently vote for those ideas afterward. People's behaviors aren't going to change, what's going to change is what's considered progressive or conservative. Everyone is influenced by their circumstances and changing circumstances lead to changing political beliefs.

      9 votes
      1. vord
        Link Parent
        That does make sense...it's not an absolute thing (I think major life changes are solid nexus points), but I do think most of those tend to happen in the early-mid 20's.

        somewhat solidified during their 20s and they consistently vote for those ideas afterward. People's behaviors aren't going to change, what's going to change is what's considered progressive or conservative

        That does make sense...it's not an absolute thing (I think major life changes are solid nexus points), but I do think most of those tend to happen in the early-mid 20's.

        2 votes
    2. [2]
      Sand
      Link Parent
      Economically conservative, not religiously. How many people do you know who converted to a religion when they were older?

      Economically conservative, not religiously. How many people do you know who converted to a religion when they were older?

      4 votes
      1. NoblePath
        Link Parent
        My personal experience is in fact that a number of people go back to church when their kids start walking. Myself and a lot of the parents in my church, a number of my bosses. Commitment and...

        My personal experience is in fact that a number of people go back to church when their kids start walking. Myself and a lot of the parents in my church, a number of my bosses. Commitment and affiliation do vary. The churches in question are very progressive mind you. Mine explicitly states the Bible is full of errors and human bias. And it’s a Baptist church!

        Also, my perception of many of my oeers is that they have become less tolerant of people outside their comfort zone, and less willing to express non mainstream ideas as they have aged, again moreso if they have kids. (Not me godammit!). It is a kind of cultural conservatism in my view.

        3 votes
    3. Kuromantis
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      The dates the surveys were taken at range from 2008 to 2017. From my Googling, there doesn't seem to be too much consensus. Some agree with you, some disagree and say your politics is defined at...

      I only skimmed the article, so forgive me if the date it was there and I didn’t see it.

      The dates the surveys were taken at range from 2008 to 2017.

      But I’m curious how this age gap difference trends over time. I seem to recall reading similar reports from 20 years ago. And those reports reported a similar age-based gap.

      From my Googling, there doesn't seem to be too much consensus. Some agree with you, some disagree and say your politics is defined at your early 20s and gets fixed after that, some say that old people are more conservative because the liberals are poorer and dead. Culturally there seems to be more unity that old people are more socially conservative, be it because the world they lived in was like that or because they themselves have become more culturally conservative (I.E more likely to not consider using stereotypes as a guide to people seriously, for example).

      2 votes
  4. Kuromantis
    (edited )
    Link
    Most relevant figures IMO: Also this text:

    Most relevant figures IMO:

    Age gap in affiliation most common in predominantly Christian countries

    In Poland, 45 other countries, young adults less likely to say religion very important in their lives

    Age gaps in worship attendance seen in both Christian, Muslim nations

    Younger adults are less likely to attend worship weekly than are older adults in 53 countries

    Also this text:

    While the general trend throughout the world is for younger people to enjoy more peace and prosperity than previous generations – forming the basis for one possible explanation for the persistent age gap in religious commitment – this is not always the case. In fact, the few countries where young adults are more religious than their elders all have something in common: a recent history of violent conflicts leading to civilian deaths.

    2 votes