Gen Z: Least Christian generation in US history

[Jose Fly]

Gen Z Is the Least Christian Generation in American History, Barna Finds

Teenagers today are the most non-Christian generation in American history as only four out of 100 teens hold a true biblical worldview and one out of every eight teens identify as non-heterosexual, a new survey released by one of the nation's leading evangelical polling firms has found...

...Barna's research discovered that more teens today who are part of Generation Z (born from 1999 to 2015) identify themselves as agnostic, atheist or not religiously affiliated.

The study indicates that 35 percent of Generation Z teens considered themselves to be atheist, agnostic or not affiliated with any religion. By comparison, only 30 percent of millenials, 30 percent of Generation X and 26 percent of Baby Boomers said the same.

The study shows that almost twice as many teens in Generation Z (13 percent) claimed to be atheist than millenials (7 percent).​

I found this part particularly interesting...

"Where is that latent unbelief happening? We see a lot of it in science," Hempell explained. "Teens are beginning to feel like they have to choose between science and the Bible, where as the Baby Boomer generation or Gen X said that they can see the Bible and science as being complementary ... When we get to millenials and Gen Z, they see them in conflict."

According to the data, 28 percent of Generation Z teens believed that "science and the Bible are complementary." By comparison, nearly half of Boomers (45 percent) and more than one-third of Generation X respondents (36 percent) said the same.

"For [many], they are going to fall on the side of science," Hempell continued. "A quarter of Gen Z would say, 'I don't see the Bible and science getting along so I am just going to go with what science says because to me that is the truth.'"​

And just who is pushing the narrative that long-standing scientific conclusions like an ancient universe and evolution are incompatible with the Bible? It's not scientists. That would be mostly fundamentalist Christians.

Looks like the kids are making their choice.

 

[genuineoriginal]

Looks like the falling away has come.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;​

 

[Jose Fly]

Looks like the falling away has come.

I believe you are likely correct.

 

[Greg Jennings]

Have teenagers in the past been asked these questions? I feel like it's pretty normal to be questioning religion in your teens and early 20s, only to come around back to it by 30.

I'll use myself as an example. I am a believing Christian now, but for a good 4 year stretch in my early 20s I was atheist, or at least agnostic. Logic didn't lead me back. My gut did. It's not rational. It just is

I feel that it's similar to politics: Teenagers/young adults have always leaned to the left, and as they get older and acquire wealth and have families they get more conservative.

I'm not saying that religious people aren't declining, but I don't think it's nearly as precipitous a fall as is indicated in the article

 

[Jose Fly]

Have teenagers in the past been asked these questions? I feel like it's pretty normal to be questioning religion in your teens and early 20s, only to come around back to it by 30.

The reports I've seen indicate that although people change their religion in all directions, in terms of faith vs no faith, the overall trend is towards the no faith category. Of course that's in part due to sheer numbers (there are a lot more in the faith category to begin with).