Research shows the role of religion in teens’ lives is in flux
Source: http://ydr.com/story/teen/84133/
A recent study by the Pew Research Center states that the percentage of younger adults not involved in religion has increased from 12 percent to 16 percent.
Oftentimes, even when teens are involved in a religious group, few want to talk about religion seriously.
The combination of packed schedules, changing attitudes and little religious knowledge lead the teenage years to being a hit-or-miss time when it comes to faith.
Shying away from religious topics
Jim Becker, a leader in the Living Word Community Church youth program in York Township, believes that teens are not open to talking about their religion for several reasons. One of the main reasons, he said, was that many kids feel they don’t know enough about their faith to talk about it.
Stephanie Tavss, a youth director at the York Jewish Community Center in York Township, agrees. She believes that many teenagers do not discuss faith outside of their religious groups because they do not see themselves as experts and so do not feel as though they should be discussing religion with others.
Teens might feel embarrassed about being put on the spot when asked about religion, she added.
“I generally don’t like talking about it because it always ends up in an argument,” said Will Klinedinst, a student at York Suburban Senior High School with mixed views on religion.
The National Study of Youth and Religion recently found that teens did not have much knowledge at all about religion and could not even discuss their own faith and beliefs in-depth.
An individual’s faith is very personal as what Becker describes as a “deep subject.”
“Getting students to talk about anything deep is hard,” Becker said.
Discussion of this type would leave the teen open to ridicule and embarrassment. These are possibly the two things that the average teenager dreads the most.
Little time for religion
Children are first drawn to religion because they attend places of worship with their families. However, when a child gets older, they begin to question everything, including their religion.
Becker and Tavss agree that younger teens are drawn to religion because it’s fun from a social standpoint.
But often even the social aspect isn’t enough to keep teens religious, and some abandon their faith completely.
The Youth and Religion study found that a combination of poor educational and youth programs, and competition for teens’ time from school, sports, friends and entertainment all play a role in teens’ attitude toward religion.
Changing perceptions
While many teens do not give up religion or being religious, their perceptions about God often changes.
The study also found that teens tend to start thinking of God as a “divine butler and cosmetic therapist” — in other words, God only exists to make people feel good and solve problems.
Christian Smith, a University of North Carolina sociologist who lead the study, wrote that teens are replacing the traditional vision of God with an “alternative religious vision of divinely underwritten personal happiness and interpersonal niceness.”
Religion a positive force
While most teens find that religion is important to them, they sometimes don’t follow the traditional view that their religion has set them to. Statistics show that the majority of teens believe in God, but perhaps a less traditional God than their parents.
Even as teens’ attitude toward God and religion change, the study found that religious youth typically are better off. Teens who view religion as important are more likely to:
· Do better in school.
· Feel better about themselves.
· Shun alcohol, drugs and sex.
· Care about the poor.
· Make moral choices based on what is right rather than what would make them happy.
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