A survey of young people around Europe shows that the majority of them no longer follow a specific religion. The research conducted by St Mary’s University Twickenham London, assessed religious practice among 16-29 year-olds in 21 different European countries.
The findings show that at least 70 per cent of British youngster do not associate themselves with any religion or religious practice, while 59 per cent said that the never attend a religious service beside special events like weddings. The bleak finding are summarized such
Christianity as a default, as a norm, is gone, and probably gone for good – or at least for the next 100 years.
Czech Republic was the country with the least religious percentage of young adults, with a huge 91 per cent identifying themselves as not having a faith. The research is based on data from the European Social Survey, in 2014 and 2016.
Other nations who scored 70 per cent or higher on the survey included The Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia and the United Kingdom. At the other end of the spectrum, Poland has the the most religious young people Poland, with 83 per cent identifying as having a faith.
What will become of the people, communities, and nations by a rising generation without a rudder? The trend is troubling, but As Joseph Smith expounded on the importance of such as seemingly small foundation in life. “You know, brethren, that a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the wind and the waves.” D&C 123:16 The Book of Mormon provides a compelling impetus for the important of religion in any time of the world, for any age, but especially for a generation of future leaders seeking stability in a world of shifting values.
- And thus were the Lamanites afflicted also, and began to decrease as to their faith and righteousness, because of the wickedness of the rising generation. 3 Nephi 1:30
- Now it came to pass that there were many of the rising generation that could not understand the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did not believe the tradition of their fathers. Mosiah 26:1
- And now I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again. Alma 5:49
There are a number of powerful and recent addresses on the topic from the LDS Archives here.The report continues. “For a large proportion of people who have been baptised, they have little family religious engagement after that, even for those attending faith schools.
Their parents and grandparents might have received a sufficient enough ‘dose’ of religion during their upbringing to still affiliate as such later in life, very few of today’s young adults have had any serious connection with religion at all.
He adds that in the next 10 to 20 years there will be even fewer young religious people in the UK as most religious people tend to be older.
However, speaking to The Guardian, the professor said he believes the figures, especially in the UK, might be down to immigration numbers, but people that remain religious in the future will be devoted followers of their faith.
One in five Catholics in the UK were not born in the UK.
And we know the Muslim birthrate is higher than the general population, and they have much higher [religious] retention rates
The new default setting is ‘no religion’, and the few who are religious see themselves as swimming against the tide.
In 20 or 30 years’ time, mainstream churches will be smaller, but the few people left will be highly committed.
Bullivant did warn that if these numbers were to continue along this trajectory, then Christianity will soon be extinct.
Christianity as a default, as a norm, is gone, and probably gone for good – or at least for the next 100 years.
