During a time when morals have become a matter of individual preference rather than societal norm, the Christian Science Monitor wrote about how families are teaching their kids about how to live. The article quotes CRCC’s Richard Flory and Diane Winston.
Richard Flory speaks to The Christian Science Monitor about his study on youth and religion:
Richard Flory, executive director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California, says his 2020 study of young adults reveals a generation unable to articulate their religious and spiritual beliefs. Instead, they practice a do-it-yourself morality, with decisions based largely on feelings, not reason.
The study reveals a loose set of seven commonly held tenets that describe the young adult worldview: karma is real, everybody goes to heaven, just do good, it’s all good, religion is easy, morals are self-evident, and no regrets.
With less systemization than a formal moral code, the ideas are “more quickly morphing and developing,” lacking the power of a religious institution as both a carrier of the ideals and a provider of opportunities to live them out, reports Mr. Flory.
Fellow Diane Winston also chimes in on the topic:
“While it’s a badge of honor to be considered religious in some parts of the country, it’s sort of a badge of shame in other parts, and those parts where it’s a badge of shame tend to be media related,” says Diane Winston, Knight Chair in Media and Religion in the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California.
Read the full article on The Christian Science Monitor.
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Richard Flory is the executive director of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture.
Diane Winston is a university fellow with the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture.
