SARNA: Are millennials abandoning religion?

Religion is possibly one of the most controversial and hotly-debated topics all around the world. It is the single field that can create uproars in masses and shake the public. People alter their relationships, change their lifestyles and sometimes even kill in the name of religion.

Having said this, I was rather surprised when I read a Nov. 3 Time article that talks about the youth of America becoming less and less religious every year. According to the new survey from the Pew Research Center, “the number of Americans who claim to be religiously unaffiliated climbed from 16 percent to 23 percent” in a matter of about seven years. The reason for this widespread increase is primarily said to be the shift away from religion in the youth of today. However, being religiously unaffiliated does not, surprisingly, mean being an atheist. Interestingly, despite being less religiously observant, religiously unaffiliated people still believe in a God.

A 2010 Pew study states that the contrast in religiosity levels is even more stark when looking across generations: millennials are more likely to be uninterested in religion as their parents and grandparents. “Yet in other ways, millennials remain fairly traditional in their religious beliefs and practices,” the research states. Seemingly, the religious differences between generations are not just due to generational issues but also because of the trends in how people place importance on religion.

A reason for this decline in religiosness is in large part the change in mindset and the decrease in the importance that families and individuals place on religious inclinations and practices, according to the same study.

Another way to look at this is through the perspective of rising individualism. As Americans become more individualistic, they learn to put themselves before their institutions and religious affiliations, according to an article from San Diego State University NewsCenter. Oftentimes as the personal objectives differ from the mission or expectations of these organizations, people prefer to prioritize themselves over these communities.

Another interesting reason for this shift comes from the fact that millennials are more accepting of homosexuals than their older counterparts, according to the same Pew survey. This makes them more accepting outside the basic rules and norms, and they feel that being unaffiliated gives them more space for individuality. In other words, millennials might consider themselves more open to experiences and believe that by being independent in their beliefs, they have more room to make their own choices regarding what to believe in and what not to believe in.

From a psychological perspective, a possible answer could also be in the popular herd mentality that is so prevalent in youngsters. Because the numbers say millennials are overall less believing and devotional, maybe young people are rubbing off on each other and reinforcing the idea that religion is not one of the top priorities in their daily, hectic lives. Many young adults spend their days working to meet deadlines, providing for themselves and/or their families and whatever time is left after all this is used for recreational fun. In all of this, is it really that big of an issue if a person is unable to find the energy and/or time for staunch religious practices?

The reasons are many, but it’s eventually up to us to find the one reason that works for us. Religion is not something that can be enforced, nor can it be made sense of if one simply doesn’t want to understand. People have dynamic ways of dealing with matters of religious importance and we can’t expect another person to share the same views or thoughts as us.

Despite the overall decline in religiosity, spirituality is still very much alive and kicking in the United States. Just because the youth are losing faith in strict practices doesn’t mean they’ve given up on that “one higher power” that seems to be the most sought after notion these days.