The Least Religious Generation

[trotsky]

Posting this here because 1) it's not news (it's the same Pew survey results that have been discussed in many threads), but mainly 2) the insulting, clueless comment from SDSU professor Jean M. Twenge at the end.

http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news_story.aspx?sid=75623

“Millennial adolescents are less religious than Boomers and GenX’ers were at the same age," Twenge continued. "We also looked at younger ages than the previous studies. More of today’s adolescents are abandoning religion before they reach adulthood, with an increasing number not raised with religion at all.”

...

Compared to the 1990s, 20 percent fewer college students described themselves as above average in spirituality, suggesting that religion has not been replaced with spirituality.

"These trends are part of a larger cultural context, a context that is often missing in polls about religion,” Twenge said. “One context is rising individualism in U.S. culture. Individualism puts the self first, which doesn't always fit well with the commitment to the institution and other people that religion often requires. As Americans become more individualistic, it makes sense that fewer would commit to religion.”

That bolded part is complete and utter bullshit. If anything, younger people have a BROADER respect for others and a recognition that we're all in this society together so it makes sense to treat each other decently, and be free to draw our own conclusions about morality and the universe rather than be dictated answers by an institution that is proving itself more culturally tone deaf every day.

No, religion isn't fading because kids are selfish. What anti-religious bigotry.

[mountain grammy]

1. Right you are...I believe religion is failing because it's too exclusive

and young people today are much more accepting and inclusive than any religion will allow them to be.

[Warpy]

2. Yeah, how fucking stupid can they get?

One thing I've seen with Millennials is more of a trend away from individualism, which had defined the younger Boomers and Gen X, especially. Their sense of community and being in this mess together is what is pulling them away from the "me first in heaven" sales job religion has been spouting for too many years.

No one is more selfish and individualistic than the fundy who is happy to see the world burn as long as it knocks Jebus off his heavenly throne to come down and save fundy bacon.

[whatthehey]

3. I don't see it that way. Individualistic does not mean selfish; it means nonconforming

Someone who does not follow the herd and need safety in mass movements but follows their own path.

[trotsky]

4. I disagree, because she clarifies exactly how she uses the word.

"Individualism puts the self first, which doesn't always fit well with the commitment to the institution and other people that religion often requires"

Not just someone who "follows their own path," as you put it, but someone who puts themselves FIRST and doesn't like to commit to other people. I.e., a selfish person.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/individualism

You are rolling with definition #2. The professor is favoring definition #3.