Are American 20-somethings disengaged when it comes to religion? Perhaps. Or maybe it depends on your definition of religion.

According to a recent Pew Forum study, 1/4 of Americans ages 18-29 say they aren’t affiliated with any one religion. Then again, a 2009 LifeWay survey showed that 73% of unchurched 20- to 29-year-olds said they are more spiritual than religious. So perhaps America’s 20-somethings are not so disengaged in religious/spiritual activities as they are disinterested in organized religion/labels.

What GenY is not interested in

Engaged spiritual activity: The LifeWay study looked at Christian 20-somethings in particular. The study found that 65% of Millennials say they’re Christians – yet only 1/3 of those Christians say they attend church regularly and 14% say they are Atheist or Agnostic. Furthermore, young Christians rarely read the Bible if ever and rarely pray if ever.

Labels: This CNN article asked if it’s dangerous to be spiritual but not religious, with one priest saying spirituality can be selfish and that spiritual people simply don’t want to put in the work that religion requires. But some Millennials who define themselves that way say they don’t need to be put into one religious box or because they don’t like the ego/power that’s tossed around in the world’s religions. CNN’s article says religious institutions need to prove their relevancy and show Millennials that it’s ok to call yourself religious.

What GenY IS interested in

Family: The LifeWay survey showed that most Millennials choose family over religion: 61% said family is their top priority while only 13% put religion/spirituality at the top of the list.

Social justice: Check out this article in the New York Times.

What we hope GenY will take interest in

Whether Millennials choose religion, spirituality, Atheism, or Agnosticism, one hopes GenY will not choose Apathy. It is familiarity and engagement with religions and religious folk that open us up to  conversations and mutual respect. Even if you are not a practitioner yourself, it is worthwhile to pay attention to those who are and to become familiar with their institutions. Need more of a reason? Check out our About page.

Created by Religion Transcends, 2010

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We Americans love mixes. Mixed lattes, mix tapes, mixed families, Chex mix, buffets, grab bags, rainbows, M&Ms. So it should come as no surprise that we mix religions.

“Large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, mixing elements of diverse traditions,” according to a new poll from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The poll showed that 35% of Americans attend worship services from more than one type of denomination/religion. Plus there’s that whole cafeteria religion concept where we blend practices and beliefs from various religions and spiritualities (e.g., astrology and Christianity, ghosts and Islam).

Other interesting findings:

• 40% of those in interreligious marriages attend multiple types of services each year.
• 22% of Christians say they believe in reincarnation.
• 25% of Americans believe in astrology.
• 72% of Americans attend religious services at least a few times a year.
• 49% of Americans say they’ve had a religious/mystical moment of awakening

View the full survey results (with pretty graphs!) on the Pew Forum Web site.

Created by Religion Transcends, 2009

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The Pew Research Center published results of a prayer survey a few weeks ago. After talking to 35,000 Americans, they determined that the following percentages of members of various religions/denominations pray at least once a day:

OVERALL

60% of Americans say they pray daily

CHRISTIANS

Jehovah’s Witnesses: 89% pray at least once a day

Mormons: 82%

Evangelical Protestant Christians: 78%

Black Protestant Christians: 80%

Orthodox Christians: 60%

Mainline Protestant Christians (Methodists, Lutherans, etc.): 53%

Catholics: 58%

MUSLIMS: 71%

BUDDHISTS:  45%

HINDUS: 62%

JEWS: 26%

See the results in graphic form at the Pew site.

It appears women over the age of 65 are the most likely to pray. People with the least amount of income also seem to pray the most (for money, perhaps?).

Of course, the poll doesn’t explain Pew’s definition of “prayer.” And certain factors come into play (e.g., meditation may be more important than prayer for many Buddhists) that affect the results. So it should be kept in mind that prayer may reflect religiosity but is not an exclusive factor in determining religiosity. What do you think about the results?

Copyright 2009, Religion Transcends

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Religion is the biggest “headache” in Great Britain, according to a recent government-sponsored British poll.

As reported by Religion News Service and Hinduism Today, the survey showed that religious intolerance is worse than racial issues in Great Britain – and has not improved in the last ten years.

See information from the 2001 census about religion in Great Britain.

Copyright 2009 Religion Transcends.

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