A new study finds that many young Americans are walking away from organized religion—not because they’ve lost belief, but because their values around authenticity, justice, and individual autonomy conflict with the teachings and politics of religious institutions.

Over the past few decades, the number of Americans who identify as religiously unaffiliated—often referred to as “nones”—has grown rapidly. In the 1970s, only about 5% of Americans fell into this category. Today, that number exceeds 25%. Scholars have debated whether this change simply reflects a general decline in belief, or whether it signals something more complex. The research team wanted to explore the deeper forces at play: Why are people leaving institutional religion? What are they replacing it with? And how are their personal values shaping that process?

  • fireweed@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    5 hours ago

    For their study, Schnabel and his colleagues used data from the National Study of Youth and Religion. This included four waves of longitudinal survey data and 183 in-depth interviews conducted from 2003 to 2013. The sample included over 1,300 individuals, each tracked from adolescence into young adulthood. […] The number of respondents attending religious services dropped dramatically between 2003 and 2013.

    The study used data that’s 12 years old! Millennials are not young adults anymore. At this point it’s well known that Americans, especially the younger cohorts, are moving away from religion, so why even bother reanalyzing ancient data?

    • Zenith@lemm.eeEnglish
      1·
      1 hour ago

      Gen Z is more religious and conservative, than millennials, a lot more

    • stoly@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      2 hours ago

      It is very useful to reanalyze old data. Recently, a study came out that concluded that we have misunderstood the role of nutrition and calories in fitness, and it examined studies over a period of decades to come to the conclusions. You don’t always need new data to make new conclusions.