Regular readers know that I often check in on the results from The Barna Group, an evangelical Christian polling outfit. On the one hand I think The Barna Group tends to be a bit alarmist (they have a very narrow definition for a “Biblically based Christian,” e.g., Catholics don’t count), but on the other hand you can be sure that they aren’t going to be pushing atheist wishful thinking. So I was really interested when I saw that a new study had come out, A New Generation Expresses its Skepticism and Frustration with Christianity. In short, the authors find that a growing number of young adults are unaffiliated with Christianity, and many are downright hostile toward the religion. The authors are at pains to point that this is not “just a phase,” a far smaller proportion of Baby Boomers at the same age were religiously skeptical.
This chart is particularly illustrative:
Source: The Barna Group, Ltd. 2007
The authors of the study paint a picture of a polarized America: while evangelical churches are marginalizing more liberal and moderate “mainline” Protestant denominations, a larger and larger proportion of the population rejects the central position of Christianity within American culture! I believe this is simply a lagging indicator of the fact that Western civilization is no longer fundamentally Christian in its self-identification as it has been since the 5th century (when the elite classical pagan tradition disappeared among the ruling class1). That being said, neither is it post-supernatural, a hostility toward Christianity does not necessarily imply full-throated espousal of scientific materialism. What we have developing is a culture of spiritual pluralism and theological faction. So long as Christianity remains the most powerful organized religious force atheists and non-Christian theists must form an alliance for pragmatic reasons.
In any case, for me the most interesting point was this:
Even among young Christians, many of the negative images generated significant traction. Half of young churchgoers said they perceive Christianity to be judgmental, hypocritical, and too political. One-third said it was old-fashioned and out of touch with reality.
Interestingly, the study discovered a new image that has steadily grown in prominence over the last decade. Today, the most common perception is that present-day Christianity is “anti-homosexual.” Overall, 91% of young non-Christians and 80% of young churchgoers say this phrase describes Christianity. As the research probed this perception, non-Christians and Christians explained that beyond their recognition that Christians oppose homosexuality, they believe that Christians show excessive contempt and unloving attitudes towards gays and lesbians. One of the most frequent criticisms of young Christians was that they believe the church has made homosexuality a “bigger sin” than anything else. Moreover, they claim that the church has not helped them apply the biblical teaching on homosexuality to their friendships with gays and lesbians.
Christianity will change on this subject, just as it has (in the generality) changed on divorce, that seems clear. The key is to remain relevant without pandering; often easier said than done.
1 – Paganism persisted among Neoplatonist intellectuals until the rise of Islam (and via the Sabeans of Haran down to the 10th century), so that is why I specified the ruling class. Additionally, I do understand some might object that great European states such as Lithuania remained pagan down to the 14th century. That is a fair point, but I hold that the “West” derives most anciently from the Greco-Roman tradition, non-classical accretions arrived in subsequent centuries.
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