The Millennials and Religion

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released the findings of its recent survey regarding the religious practices of the so-called Millennials, the generational cohort 18-29 who came of age after 2000.

The report's summary declares, "Compared with their elders today, young people are much less likely to affiliate with any religious tradition or to identify themselves as part of a Christian denomination. Fully one-in-four adults under age 30 (25%) are unaffiliated, describing their religion as 'atheist,' 'agnostic' or 'nothing in particular.' This compares with less than one-fifth of people in their 30s (19%), 15% of those in their 40s, 14% of those in their 50s and 10% or less among those 60 and older."

They are less religiously affiliated. "Yet in other ways, Millennials remain fairly traditional in their religious beliefs and practices. Pew Research Center surveys show, for instance, that young adults' beliefs about life after death and the existence of heaven, hell and miracles closely resemble the beliefs of older people."

Generally, religion is just a little less important for the Millennials than for the Generation Xers who preceded them. The more significant shift relates to formal affiliations. Hence the report's title and subtitle: "Religion Among the Millennials: Less Religiously Active Than Older Americans, But Fairly Traditional In Other Ways."

In my estimation this report further fills in the emerging outline of religion in the American Experience. The shift away from affiliations while keeping much of what is called "spirituality" differentiates Americans from the rest of Western Civilization, but in an increasingly transformed fashion.

Spirituality matters still matter, while institutional religion further ebbs.

Emotional Communion

The NY Times, Science Section reports today on a study regarding its own "most frequently emailed article" list conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.

The researchers concluded that "awe-inspiring" stories were at the top of the most-emailed list.

"But in general, people who share this kind of article seem to have loftier motives than trying to impress their friends. They’re seeking emotional communion, Dr. [Jonah] Berger said.

“'Emotion in general leads to transmission, and awe is quite a strong emotion,” he said. 'If I’ve just read this story that changes the way I understand the world and myself, I want to talk to others about what it means. I want to proselytize and share the feeling of awe. If you read the article and feel the same emotion, it will bring us closer together.'”

In my estimation this study offers insight into Natural Religion rooted in exerience and emotion, a subset of a broad category of Religious Experience. Awe is one of the strongest manifestations of Religious Experience. Tellingly, when experienced, awe makes us want to reach out to others, "to proseltyze and share." I love the term "emotional communion."

Emotional communion, a unique gestalt of affirmation and connection, is at the center of Religion. Religious Experience compels us to reach out, to be understood and to understand: a deep kindredness.

I'm Taking a Sabbatical from Garrison Keillor

In a mid-December column in Salon.com (and syndicated in several major papers), Garrison Keillor claimed Christmas for Christians in no uncertain words. "Christmas is a Christian holiday -- if you're not in the club, then buzz off."

He had curmudgeonly words for Unitarians and Jews. "Unitarians listen to the Inner Voice and so they have no creed that they all stand up and recite in unison, and that's their perfect right, but it is wrong, wrong, wrong to rewrite 'Silent Night.' If you don't believe Jesus was God, OK, go write your own damn 'Silent Night' and leave ours alone. This is spiritual piracy and cultural elitism and we Christians have stood for it long enough. And all those lousy holiday songs by Jewish guys that trash up the malls every year, Rudolph and the chestnuts and the rest of that dreck. Did one of our guys write 'Grab your loafers, come along if you wanna, and we'll blow that shofar for Rosh Hashanah'? No, we didn't.'"

In my estimation this poorly constructed, rambling diatribe of Mr. Keillor isn't satire. (I've reread it to discern the proverbial tongue in cheek.)

It contributes to a prevalent vein of ugly discourse of us against them. And it lacks a simple sense of history regarding the evolution of Christmas. Talk about cultural appropriation! Mr. Keillor knows better.

I honestly can't fathom his intentions in writing this mean spirited piece. It hardly reflects his big-cuddly-bear, aw-shucks persona as portrayed in the image, posted above, from his Salon.com page.

I've decided to take a sabbatical from Garrison Keillor, in the same way I've taken a sabbatical from the "nattering nabobs of negativism" that inhabit talk radio. I began yesterday, when I declined a special simulcast screening of Mr. Keillor's radio show. Before this article, I would have gone.