This study will be picked up in local and perhaps national media in the next few days. "More post-Christian?" Whatever that means. To the study authors, it seems to mean they were not schooled sufficiently in basic Bible stuff as kids.

Young ones in Generation Z are atheists at twice the rate as before (now at 13%).

You've all seen the effects of fewer active youth and predicted the ultimate decline of TSCC.

https://www.barna.com/research/atheism-doubles-among-generation-z/

Discussion open...

Fascinated in the Midwest Wrote:
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> Young ones in Generation Z are atheists at twice
> the rate as before (now at 13%).

No idea where Barna gets its statistics from. The article doesn't say. But the Pew Research Poll on religion, done every 5 to 7 years in many countries, shows that self-described atheists were 22% of Americans by 2016, compared to 16% in the previous poll, around 2009ish.

Barna(dot)com is the internet home of a group dedicated to getting people back to Christianity. You can visit their home page and then navigate here and there on their site to get a feel for them.

My feel is that they are making a buck catering to the needs & desires of organized religious groups.

They have a 'speakers bureau' and I liked this talk best:

"You Lost Me

"Twentysomethings are a “lost” generation, as their spiritual journeys often lead them away from church involvement and out into the wider world.

"Learn about the ways in which young people quit the church, how long they stay away, and what are their reasons for leaving. More importantly, discover some of the things that a generation of nomads, skeptics and exiles are teaching the Christian community."

I don't think having someone from Barna is a free service.

And for $39, you can have their research on Gen Z:

"Produced in partnership with Impact 360 Institute, Gen Z: The Culture, Beliefs and Motivations Shaping the Next Generation is Barna’s most comprehensive research study investigating the perceptions, experiences and motivations of 13- to 18-year-olds in Generation Z. This report, based on new interviews and analysis, is our best thinking thus far on the worldview and priorities of teens in the next, next generation."

No refunds for the digital edition...


So it boils down to the Barna group NOT bein neutral.

Claiming that only 6 or 7% of Americans are atheist, without mentioning any sources, was a flashing red light to me.

Also, the article focused on kids aged 13-18. That's a vulnerable age when they will claim to agree with whatever parents and grandparents say, because that's where their money comes from lol.