This is very interesting and the presentation is user-friendly. The KCs and the Marists have conducted a survey of American Millennials (age 18 to 29) on spirituality – moral values, world views, religious experiences, and social issues. They seem to be interested in spirituality, relativistic (to use a slippery term) on morality, and concerned about social issues. As we say in Minnesota, not half bad. Could be worse.
HT: Knights of Columbus
Studies comparing generations always strike me as odd because most questions seem to ask for individuals’ views at the time of the study rather than their views at a particular age. In this report, page 8 makes it clear that the question about life goals required those over 29 to think back to their opinions at age 21, but no other questions seem to do this.
This raises two questions for me:
1. Even if a study does require older generations to think back, how accurately can people recall their opinions and thoughts from years or decades ago?
2. How much do our views and faith-practices change as we age?
Oddly enough, one of the conclusions of studies such as this one as well as those showing that the opinions and beliefs of the “youth” change over time would be that we should not listen to the opinions of the “youth’ when it comes to issues that have long-term effects. Perhaps this is why some denominations have a “Council of Elders” rather than a “Council of Youths”?
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