2021 American Worldview Inventory<\/a>, an annual study conducted by Arizona Christian University and Barna Research.<\/p>\nThat statistic lumps together agnostics (\u201cdon\u2019t know\u201d), atheists (don\u2019t believe), and the spiritually indifferent (\u201cdon\u2019t care\u201d).\u00a0 Atheists usually do<\/em> care about the issue of God\u2019s existence.\u00a0 I suspect that \u201cdon\u2019t care\u201d is the largest category.<\/p>\n\n
This indifference or opposition to religion is accompanied by distinct moral differences between Millennials and other generations.\u00a0 Of Millennials (born 1984-2002), 38% say that they \u201ctry to get even with people who have wronged you.\u201d\u00a0 That compares to 33 % of Generation X (born 1965-1983), 12% of Boomers (born 1946-1964), and 10% of Builders (1927-1945).<\/p>\n
Similarly, only 48% of Millennials\u2013less than half\u2013hold to the Golden Rule: \u201ctreat others as you want them to treat you.\u201d\u00a0 That compares with 53% of Generation X, 81% of Baby Boomers, and 90% of Builders.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, despite their reputation as the rebellious children of the \u201cgeneration gap,\u201d we Baby Boomers retained much of the moral capital of our parents\u2019 Christianity, which has steadily dwindled with the next two generations.\u00a0 (And yet, 57% of Millennials consider themselves to be Christians, as do 70% of Generation X, 79% of Boomers, and 83% of Builders.)<\/p>\n
But combined with other findings, the portrait emerges of a relatively mean and hard-bitten group of young adults.\u00a0 This, in spite of what they think about themselves.\u00a0 For example, the report notes,<\/p>\n
Millennials champion the concept of tolerating different points of view. Yet we see in the research that their behaviors\u2014such as promoting getting even, situational treatment of other people, or censoring specific viewpoints or policies\u2014conflicts with their alleged embrace of tolerance and diversity. In fact, Millennials are twice as likely as older adults to specify that the people they respect are those who hold the same religious and political views as they do. The attitudinal and behavioral evidence related to a variety of beliefs and related behaviors suggests that they are not a tolerant generation despite their self-image and public promotion as such.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The report also notes other factors:<\/p>\n
Interpersonal relationships will be more difficult to sustain due to declining levels of trust, diminished willingness to compromise, heightened reliance of technology for communication, and disappointments produced by the lack of moral consensus.<\/p>\n
Reshaped family units given fewer formal marriages, increased levels of divorce and separation, liberalized sexual morality, and the reduced appeal of raising children.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Does this growing spiritual apathy refute my contention that secularism is crumbling?\u00a0 Not at all.\u00a0 \u00a0The indifference to religion is manifesting itself\u00a0 in a distinct moral decline, not just in contentious areas such as sex and abortion, but in kindness and benevolence.\u00a0 That is a worldview failure that seems to be getting worse.<\/p>\n
Also notable is that the worldviews this study chronicles may be secular, but they are far from being scientific and rationalistic.\u00a0 Over half of Millennials\u201351%\u2013believe in the possibility of reincarnation, compared to 39% of Generation X, 29% of Boomers, and 20% of Builders.\u00a0 And a larger percentage of Millennials\u201335%\u2013get personal guidance from horoscopes than the earlier generations, with 32% of Generation X, 10% of Boomers, and only 3% of Builders.<\/p>\n
Their worldviews are also incoherent, but this is true of most Americans from all generations.\u00a0 The report says that most Americans\u201388%\u2013are \u201csyncretistic,\u201d picking and choosing from a variety of belief systems without trying to reconcile them with each other (89% of Millennials, 86% of Gen Xers, 83% of Boomers, and 86% of Builders).\u00a0 The study did find that Biblical Theism, while inconsistently held, was still an influential<\/em> worldview for 47% of Builders, 42% of Boomers, 22% of Generation Xers, and only 9% of Millennials.<\/p>\nSo a secularism that sought to replace religion with science, faith with reason, moral absolutes with universal beneficence, narrow mindedness with tolerance has to a large degree succeeded in replacing religion, faith, morality, and narrow mindedness.\u00a0 But secularism has failed to bring about a culture of science, reason, beneficence, and tolerance.\u00a0 In fact, anti-intellectualism, judgmentalism, and inhumane attitudes seem to be worse than in previous generations.\u00a0 All this in a climate of cultural and psychological malaise.<\/p>\n
The growing lack of interest in reproducing themselves\u2013in having children\u2013is also a sign of an overall hopelessness.<\/p>\n
But what about our progress in overcoming racism, sexism, and poverty?\u00a0 What about our increased economic prosperity, scientific knowledge, and technological innovations?\u00a0 Those are, indeed, objectively notable achievements.\u00a0 Notice, though that many activists are\u00a0denying<\/em> that we have made progress in these areas, insisting that ours is still a racist, sexist, and economically oppressive society, and that our economy, science, and technology are destroying the earth.\u00a0 So there is zeal for social justice ideals, but it is paralyzed by pessimism and cynicism.<\/p>\nSo, yes, the project of doing without religion is not going well.<\/p>\n
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