Within the growing portion of religious “nones,” many who leave their childhood religion behind do so as a teenager. The Deseret News quoted CRCC’s Richard Flory about this phenomenon, as well as what congregations are doing about it.
Here’s an excerpt from the in-depth story:
PRRI’s study showed that only one-third of nones don’t believe in God.
That data point is important to keep in mind if you’re trying to make a difference in young people’s lives, said Richard Flory, a sociologist and senior director of research and evaluation at the University of Southern California’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture.
“There remains a level of belief in God, spirits and miracles. These people pray a lot,” he said. “That tells me that it’s the delivery system that’s out of whack.”
…
Youth programs are most successful at drawing teenagers to religious belief when they help them see faith in action, said Flory, who studied young adults’ spiritual practices while writing a forthcoming book.
Youth groups should “engage the experience of religion instead of sitting around with pizza,” he said.
Click here to ready the full story.
One of Flory’s quotes in this piece also was included in an editorial from Deseret News on December 11.
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