Bob Cornwall/Faith in the Public Square | Posted: Sunday, February 4, 2007 12:00 am
We/ve had the Baby Boomers, Generation X, and now we bid welcome to Generation Next (today/s 18-25-year-olds).
Each generation has its distinguishing marks and quirks, and marketers want to know everything they can about these generational shifts as they guide the development of everything from food products to cars. Political parties and religious groups also want to look at this data so they can better connect with target audiences. Understanding how people think and act can make a big difference in how we relate to the world in which we live and plan for the future.
So who are these 18-25-year-olds who are coming of age at this moment in history? The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press offers some answers in a study released in January entitled A Portrait of “Generation Next: How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics.C In this study, we learn that this technologically savvy generation is more liberal, more tolerant, and less religious than previous generations. This is also a marked generation, by which I mean, they have marked themselves physically 7 half of them are sporting tattoos, piercings, or untraditionally-colored hair.
With the recent midterm elections fresh in our minds, it might be worth noting that whereas Gen X was the most Republican of recent generations, Generation X may be the most Democratic (48 percent to 35 percent) in many a year. While not yet showing an inclination to vote in great numbers, they are very interested in politics, and should they vote in great numbers they could have significant impact on important issues facing the nation and the world. Though they don/t vote in great numbers, this generation seems less cynical about government and more trusting of government institutions.
Perhaps, therefore, it shouldn/t be surprising that on social and cultural issues, this generation demonstrates great tolerance of alternate religions and lifestyles. With regard to homosexuality, a large majority support gay rights, including the right to adopt 7 though they remain evenly divided on gay marriage. This suggests that even the youngest adults retain traditional views of marriage, but even here there/s significant change. As for abortion, this generation reflects societal views as a whole (which are largely open), and regarding the stem-cell issue, they/re not that aware yet. But given time, I expect that will change as well.
As interested as I may be in the political and cultural dimensions of this generation, my greatest interest is in their views of religion. Historically, young people are the least religious of Americans, but this cohort is even less so. Perhaps that can be explained by their parentage. Baby Boomers have been more likely to opt out than earlier generations, and so it/s not surprising that their children grow up in essentially nonreligious households. Still, the statistic that jumps out is the 20 percent who claim to have no religion or who are atheist or agnostic. That is a jump of 9 percent from the number given by the same age group in 1987-1988. It/s also a 9 percent differential from those who are over 26. Interestingly, the number saying they/re other 7 such as Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists 7 has remained stable. Catholic numbers are down 4 percent, but Protestant numbers have dropped 8 percent since 1987, from 52 percent to 44 percent in this survey. Though we often hear about the growth of conservative churches, such a steep drop can/t be explained simply by a continued decline in Mainline Protestantism.
One bell weather issue that may signal an important change in the nation/s religious thinking concerns the creation-evolution debate. Although 46 percent of Baby Boomers believe in something akin to young earth creationism, this drops to 33 percent among Generation Next (63 percent affirm evolution). I think this is a significant move, and as someone who believes that evolution is compatible with the Christian faith, I find it to be a welcome move.
What will the world look like in the coming years? It/s likely that things will be different. Today/s winners may be tomorrow/s losers, and vice versa, and while I don/t expect religion to disappear, it/s quite possible that we/re looking at the start of a redrawing of the nation/s religious map. The future will be interesting!
Dr. Bob Cornwall is Pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Lompoc (www.lompocdisciples.org). His blog can be found at http://pastorbobcornwall.blogspot.com, and he can be contacted at lompocdisciples@impulse.net or at First Christian Church, P.O. Box 1056, Lompoc, CA 93105.
Feb. 4, 2007