Washington, May 9, 2024.
According to a recent U.S. study, more young women are leaving the Church and breaking with official religion, though they are not necessarily losing their faith in God in the process, Christianheadlines.com reported.
The Survey Center on American Life surveyed 5,459 American adults in 2023 about people's views on religion. Compared to older generations, it found that a majority (57%) of Generation Z women (also "zoomers": those born between about 1997 and 2012) are moving away from formal religion.
Meanwhile, the majority of men who are disillusioned with official religion are from the baby boomer generation (born roughly 1946 to 1964; 57%), Generation X (born roughly 1964 to 1980; 55%), and the Millennials (also "Generation Y": those born between about 1981 and 1997; 53%).
According to the study, young women's skepticism about religion is primarily due to their belief that most churches in the country "do not treat men and women equally." That's the view held by 65% of women aged 18 to 19, 64% of respondents aged 30 to 49, 57% of those aged 50 to 64 and 53% of women over 65.
When asked, "Is it true that men and women are not treated equally in churches?" 55% of men ages 30 to 49, 55% of men ages 18 to 29, 49% of men ages 50 to 64 and 51% of men over 65 responded affirmatively.
Zoomers are not only the first generation in which the percentage of women who have said goodbye to official religion is higher than the percentage of men who have done so; they are also the first generation in which more women (39%) than their male counterparts (34%) describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated.
Also, 37% of Millennial men and 34% of Millennial women, 23% of men and 27% of women, also consider themselves currently irreligious Generation X, as well as 23% of men and 14% of women of the baby boomer generation.
The study also points to additional factors that may explain why young women are moving away from formal religion. One reason is that "61% of Generation Z women describe themselves as feminists, and this proportion is much higher than among women of previous generations."
Citing statistics cited by the Public Religion Research Institute, the study's authors point to another reason young people are leaving official religion: it has to do with "churches' negative attitudes toward gays and lesbians." The study also cited a 2022 Public Opinion Poll that found 54% of young women believe "every woman should have the right to terminate a pregnancy without restriction," which was cited as another possible reason for the decline in religiosity among Generation Z women.
"The decline in religiosity among young women presents unique challenges for churches and church communities. However, research shows that it is women who tend to be the ones who devote very ... Without dedicated, hard-working women, many congregations simply cannot serve their members," the study said.
"Other surveys show that mothers play an important role in passing on spiritual values and beliefs to their children. Americans raised in believing families are more likely to credit their mothers than their fathers for their spiritual upbringing; and children born and raised in blended (interfaith) families are more likely to choose their mother's faith as adults. The results of the latest survey are bad news for places of worship in America. Many of these young women are leaving for good," the study's authors conclude.
