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June 12th, 2012
04:49 PM ET
Pew survey: Doubt of God growing quickly among millennialsBy Dan Merica, CNN Washington (CNN) – The percentage of Americans 30 and younger who harbor some doubts about God’s existence appears to be growing quickly, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. While most young Americans, 68%, told Pew they never doubt God’s existence, that’s a 15-point drop in just five years. In 2007, 83% of American millennials said they never doubted God’s existence. More young people are expressing doubts about God now than at any time since Pew started asking the question a decade ago. Thirty-one percent disagreed with the statement “I never doubt the existence of God,” double the number who disagreed with it in 2007. Atheist organizer takes ‘movement’ to nation’s capital When asked about doubts of God, no other generation showed a change of more than 2% in the past five years. The survey found that the percentage of millennials who identify with a religion is remaining constant, while most other generations have seen religious identification increase in the past 10 years. The findings about millennials and religion were part of a 168-page report that Pew released June 4 but were largely overlooked. “Notably, people younger than 30 are substantially less likely than older people to say prayer is an important part of their lives,” the report said. “Research on generational patterns shows that this is not merely a lifecycle effect,” it continued. “The Millennial generation is far less religious than were other preceding generations when they were the same age years ago.” Atheist group targets Muslims, Jews with ‘myth’ billboards in Arabic and Hebrew The findings are part of Pew’s 2012 American Values Survey, which touches on issues including political partisanship, gay marriage and abortion. Despite the findings on millennials, the survey shows that the United States continues to be a highly religious nation, with most Americans identifying with a particular faith. Seventy-six percent of all respondents said prayer is an important part of their lives and agreed that “we all will be called before god at the Judgment Day to answer for our sins.” About 80% said they have never doubted the existence of God. The report points to a growing divide between the youngest and oldest Americans on belief, religion and social issues. According to Jesse Galef, communications director for the Secular Student Alliance, the growth in “doubting” youths has led to a surge in secular student groups. “For a lot of millennial atheists, they are expecting to find a group, they are coming to campus, and if they don’t find one, they are starting one,” Galef said. “This is completely different than what other generations grew up with.” Atheist rally continues in spite of rain; students highlighted throughout The Secular Student Alliance has affiliates on 357 American campuses, Galef said, up from 81 such affiliates in 2007. Galef says the Internet has created a place for young people to discuss religious doubts. “It enables anybody to have open discussions without fearing if their parents would find out or what their communities would say,” he said. "The more safe places we create for young people to discuss their doubts, the more they can inspire questions in others." soundoff (4,013 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 Next »
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This is no surprise. The Bible said in the latter days that many would fall away from the faith. But those that know the Lord will never be put to shame.
Shame on you.
You nutters have been proclaiming we are in end times for 2,000 years. Each and every time, you have been wrong.
The great part of this gig is that every generation thinks theirs is the "end time". Annnnny time now, Jeebus is coming.....annnnnny time now.
Oh no! The End Times!
Keep your eyes peeled for 7 headed dragons snacking on pregnant wh/ores, as prophesied in Revelation.
I don't disagree with your understanding, but I do caution you about reversing the logic. Do not assume that just because some are falling away among the youth of the USoA, that it must be the "end times." America is not the center of the universe, and greater empires have fallen before leaving faith to rise from the ashes.
There is nothing to stop America from losing her faith during her decline, only to have faith renew itself somewhere else in the world (Korea or Kenya, for example). After all, America's faith grew as Europe's fell.
Also, this is a survey of young people living in a trying time, when faith is always tested. Many will find faith as their lives improve through the coming years (if the economy recovers). I say this, not because faith is weak and reactionary, but because people are.
If belief in God inspires good behaviour, then it has value. . . It is more important to ask "Are the millenials behaving well" than "Do the millenials believe in God" . . . Christian theology inspired by the Apostle Paul (not Jesus interestingly) overemphasizes "belief" . . . next time you are hurt by someone's behaviour, ask yourself whether you care what they "believe" . . .
It's been estimated that by 2038 that the religious in America will finally be the minority. I wish that I could fast forward to that day.
I really wouldn't bet on it.
Christian are already in the minority
The reason that 95% of those asked responded that "they never doubted the existence of god" is because they know that is the expected answer. They've been socialized to respond to THAT question with THAT answer. They last paragraph with Mr. Galef's comment sums it up perfectly.
Here's what atheism is really all about: "If there is no God, I am responsible to nobody but myself, and I can do anything I want."
This leads to the following: "There is no God, and I hate him."
Is that like "there are no leprachauns and I hate them"?...lol....grow a brain.
Ever heard of misotheism? Or cognitive functionality, for that matter?
Please explain your logic here.
What atheism is about for me is "there is no God and no higher meaning except that which we make for ourselves, so we by necessity are all responsible to each other – otherwise life is meaningless and suffering will grow."
Here's what atheism is really about: "I don't believe in a man in the sky watching over me so when I do good it is because I am a good person, not because I am scared of going to hell or want the reward of going to heaven".
Everybody was right, you really are an idiot.
Sad...but true.
How can you hate what doesn't exist?
The is no Santa Clause and I HATE him.
citizen...welcome to the non-sequitors club. we may not make sense, but we like pizza
"and I can do anything I want." Absolutely. You sound surprised. Has the church stopped teaching free will in the last 20 years?
Funny how no one goes on a blog to describe how they don't believe in leprechauns.
Look at the replies to your post, and some of the post afterward. Can I get a Proverbs 18:2?
"A fools find no pleasure in understanding, but delight in airing their own opinions."
There is a guy I've watched on youtube Jacque Fresco. He is 94 years old and in all of his "knowledge" is still trying to find answers about the human condition. Good luck with that, what a waste of 94 years. He will see in the end. The atheist and science community always does while on their death bed. I pray he sees truth before he dies, that's my prayer.
As Romans 9:15 states: I will have mercy on whom he will have mercy!
Spending your whole life bashing religious people is no better than the religious fanatics of the crusades or today's Muslims. Off course that's in the plan also to turn the tides on religious people mainly christians. Gee I wonder why? Probably because its truth. You don't see alot of news about bashing buddist monks now adays. Matthew 10:22 and 24:9
Keep thinking its a fairy tale!
skepticism is my nature, freethought my methodology, Agnostism my conclusion, Athiesm my opinion & humantarism my motivation...
My motivation is greed, but I agree with you on all the other counts.
The survey question is rather hard to read: The statement contains double negative "never doubt"
Do you agree or disagree with this statement
I never doubt the existence of God...maybe should be written
I sometimes doubt the existence of God.
"Religion is what the Common people believe to be true...the WISE to be false and the RULERS as useful"
That is what is going on.
As a ruler once said
"You may not believe in it and I may not believe in it but gosh darn it it's a useful hypocrisy".
At least the younger set aren't being buffaloed like their parents and grandparents were.
The Bible is a Fairy Tale Book. Faith tell us to believe in magic. He did not walk on water or made vino from water. He was a mad man with a heart of gold. Nice, but not a god.
This is truly sad.. I myself, could not imagine not believing in and loving GOD.....
Those are your needs.
Good for you. Not everyone needs it.
Your belief in something despite any evidence for it is SAD.
Yes, it is truly sad that you find you must suffer from a delusion in order to have meaning.
Which god?
There is just as much evidence for one as there is for any other.
The saddest thing about the religious is that the REAL STORY is so much more interesting and "magical" than their contrived belief system. The Universe as it is is so much more grand than the imagined fairytale of our ancestors. Where did these tales come from anyway? They came from an attempt to explain nature without having any background knowledge about how nature actually works on a fundamental level. We have those fundamentals now and the religious explanation now emerges in the daylight as rather childish.
Wake up from your dream. Belief in something with no evidence is not required by every person.
Educated people now know that god is about as real as Santa Clause. Their is no evidence and it was made up by man, the only reason people started to believe in the first place is if you did not you would be murdered in the name of the church. Gods will.
As a child, I heard footsteps and sleigh bells on my roof on Christmas Eve, so there is more proof that Santa exists.
"Their is no evidence and it was made up by man"
Then there must be evidence for the above statement, or else you would fall victim to the same "logic"?
Please Explain.
My explanation is science has answers for how everything got here and evolved based on fact and theory. Their is no fact or educated theory behind most religions.
Your grammatical perfection proves that you are indeed very well educated.
Educated people know the difference between their and there. I pray to my God to enlighten you.
Thanks, its great to have English teachers sit in on the CNN message boards.
Fact and theory.... like true and false.
So give us the facts as to why we exist? And the facts behind the resurrected Christ?
society is getting more sophisticated and God is being replaced with belief in UFOs and extraterrestrials. Over half of Americans believe UFOs are real.
society is getting more advanced and realize that the universe is controlled by all powerful wrathful god. it just science. for some reason people find that scary. maybe its because they need to be scared into being good to avoid a hell, or they are scared they wont get their own personal golden palace when they die
Is not. why would spell check turn isnt into is?
I don't know if UFOs are real, but it would take an act of great stupidity and self importance to say there are no alien life-forms out there.
How would believing in extraterrestrials in this dimension preclude the belief of God in the dimension of heaven after our earthbound existence? Are you afraid that we are really more than you can see and hear?
I Timothy 4:1-3 "But the spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. By means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth
God bless our nation, our president, and our leaders, and let your truth shine in this darkness, in JESUS name
And blah blah blah, oogah boogah, mumbo jumbo to you too.
wow, a quote from a book of edited, translated iron age hearsay. you don't get any more convincing than that.
I can only feel sorry for those who have not experienced the feeling of knowing God.
I can only feel pity for those who've been sucked into a fantasy world of invisible, supernatural beings in the sky.
I think it is partly to the Religious Extremists out there. They plant an image of the ultra conservative, vengeful God. Who would really want to follow a God who hates people who you have found to be good people. Also the Religious Extremists are so Anti-Science, I makes the young person feel like if you believe in God you need to throw away a lot of rational learning. It is less of growth in Atheism but a rejection of old school religion. Who's message isn't adapting well into a modern culture.
When the bible was written many of the rules made sense, there wasn't any knowledge about microorganisms that make you sick, the Economic of the time had a lot of effort in estate planning (short life spans means, who is going to get your stuff), The human population was small, and there were a lot of resources. These rules either passed down by God, or from some very intelligent people, helped the growth and spreading of culture and rational thinking... However a lot of things have changed, Culture spreading has peaked. Resources are getting more scarce. We are over populated. It is time to realize we had followed Gods commandments, and he has passed the touch to us. We need to realize that what God said in the past may no longer be relevant. Just as you tell your children to stay away from the stove, when they get older you want them to learn how to cook and use the stove.
Religions need to realize these new changes and analyse the Word of God, and figure out what laws and rules are useful or what rules no longer make sense.
Why don't they just make up new rules? It is common knowledge man wrote the bible why not just rewrite it.
Except for the original ten commandments sure
But the problem is everything else is written by man so why believe it, including your statement.
Oh yeah I forgot the 10 commandments fell from the sky, lol.
Light dawns on Marblehead. What took so long?
Simply a parallel to what the Obama regime is pushing off on America. Vote his a** out in November and let us take our country AND OUR VALUES back!
Take "YOUR VALUES" and jam 'em, Sparky
What values? Slavery and killing native americans?
What does Article VI, Section 3 of the US Constîtution say? How about Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli?
Your values are archaic mythology and superst!tious nonsense. No thanks.
This country on value is greed.
Values? The same that sparked the murderous rampage of the Crusades, and the sadism of the Inquisition? Murdering, arresting and silencing scientists who discover the nature of reality was done in the name of christian values, remember?
Ah, making this a political statement. Congrats on getting those synapses to fire.
Maybe the values you are talking about involve hanging people because their skin is darker than yours, or denying women the right to vote, or gays the right to marry. Come on, big mouth, tell us of those "values".
Lon,
I dont see what Obama has to do with this. I myself am a Christian. Obama has absolutely no affect on my ability to freely worship God. Obama isnt the problem here. The problem is that there are too many hypocritical Christians that say one thing, and do another. There are too many of us that are ok with being a "follower of Christ" on Sundays, but dont have a real testimony that glorifies God.
Everyone has their own values and should be free to do as they like. That's why it is good to live in a free society. Let's hope that never changes.
This article is flawed... they should not say "god"... they should say "god according to the writings of the tribesmen of a part of the middle east which called they scribblings christianity"
And that has been rewritten to the whim of emperors and popes… and translated how many times?
Actually it was call Judaism first, then The Way, then Christians, but lets not concern ourselves with facts.
The under 30's are affected by propaganda and do not take the time to look at the evidence about Jesus, which is great.
What Jesus said, what He did and who He was fact: Ergo, God is fact.. The propaganda emphasizes self above all.
what evidence?? ancient fairy tales?? pleasssssse!! break free of your brainwashing!!!
observer1776 HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD
The only evidence I see is how gullible and ignorant people are to believe that ancient mythology and superst!tious nonsense has anything at all to do with reality.
Observer: You sure seem to have an issue confusing fact with opinion
If you blame propaganda for lack of belief, is it not also responsible for belief in teh older generation?
American culture is awash in Christian propaganda, though the prevalence of such has declined in these last couple of decades. Instant, global communication has allowed the modern generation to be exposed to ideologies beyond that of their immediate culturual surroundings.
More information means the capacity to make more informed decisions.
Exposure to different ideas, opinions, cultures etc. is breaking down the stigma around moral relativism. Instead of being something to be feared, it is now accepted as the way things are.
Those who are unable to accept that Shintoism is just as valid a religion as Judaism (for example) are being dragged kicking and screaming into the modern era, but pandora's box is open.
It is nigh impossible to shield people from "heretical" ideas in the information age.
The under 30's are not affected by religious propaganda and took the time to look at the evidence about Jesus, which is non-existent.
What Jesus said, what he did and who he was made up strorys: Ergo, God is made up.. The propaganda emphasizes reason above all.
Gotta love the circular logic: How do you know Jesus is the son of God? Because the Bible tells me so. Why do you believe the Bible? Because it is the word of God. How do you know the Bible is the word of God? Because the Bible tells me so.
Pathetic.