By Jim Coggins

READ PART I

Who needs organized religion?

Millennials have inherited trends established by their grandparents and their parents - particularly a trend away from organized religion.

In the 1950s, more than 60 percent of Canadians attended a Christian church weekly. In the 21st century, less than 30 percent do. Conservative Protestants (evangelicals, Baptists, Pentecostals, Mennonites, Christian Reformed, etc.) have held steady at about eight percent of the population; but there have been very significant declines among mainline Protestants (United, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans), and Roman Catholics.

However, while many older Canadians "indicate that they have little use for organized religion," many "are quick to say that they are spiritual or interested in spirituality." Put another way: while organized religion has been declining among Boomers and post-Boomers, "God has continued to do well in the polls."

Even though they rarely attend church, many Canadians have continued to identify with a Christian church and to say they believe in God.

Theistic comeback?

It might have been expected that organized religion would continue to decline among Millennials. "However, this downward spiral . . . is showing signs of ending," Bibby says. "A theistic comeback could be in the works."

Monthly church attendance by teens "has remained stable"- in fact, it has increased slightly from 32 percent in 1992 to 33 percent in 2008. Moreover, Bibby says, "the majority of Canadian teenagers who are actively involved in religious groups are claiming that their involvement is both important and gratifying."

While only 13 percent of Millennials said religion is "very important," 68 percent of Millennials who attend church at least monthly said that involvement is "important." And 59 percent of those who attend monthly said they are receiving a high level of enjoyment from their involvement. This level of enjoyment is markedly higher than a generation ago, and even rises to 75 percent among conservative Protestants.

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A growing chasm

On the other hand, there seems to be a "growing polarization between teenagers who are actively involved in religious groups and those who are not."

Since 1984, the proportion of teenagers who never attended services has risen from 28 percent to 47 percent. Furthermore, among this group, God is no longer "doing well in the polls." While two-thirds of Millennials are convinced God exists, agnosticism and atheism are significant: 16 percent are convinced God does not exist; and 17 percent "don't think so."

This is taking the previous trend to the next stage. While Boomers and their children tended to move "from decisiveness about belief in God to tentative belief or increasing agnosticism," Millennials are moving "from tentativeness to agnosticism, and from agnosticism to atheism."

This does not mean Millennials are closed to the idea of God and church. In 2000, 37 percent of teens attending church less than once a month and 58 percent of those attending once a month or more said, "I'd be open to more involvement with religious groups, if I found it to be worthwhile." In 2008, those figures had risen to 38 percent and 62 percent.

Looked at another way, "Most Canadian teens still want God and church around for the most important occasions in their lives," says Ron Rolheiser, a Roman Catholic priest and one of two commentators asked to reflect on Bibby's findings within the book. Eighty-four percent of Millennials still want a religious wedding, 83 percent want a religious funeral, and 65 percent some kind of religious rites for their children (such as baptism or child dedication).

Faith inspires goodness

People "can be good without God," Bibby concedes. But his findings reveal that Millennials with a definite belief in God "are consistently more likely than teens who hold an atheistic position to place a high value on traits such as trust, honesty, concern for others and working hard."

The reason, Bibby says, is obvious: "Ideas invariably have social origins. They don't arise out of nowhere, nor do they typically originate with creative individuals. Rather, for the most part, they are learned from other people - parents, friends, teachers, authors, television, the Internet and so on."

One of Bibby's findings is that 95 percent of Millennials who definitely believe in God also believe this supreme being "expects us to be good to one another."

Rolheiser suggests there is a price to be paid "once we no longer drink very directly from the waters of faith and religion."

However, Bibby maintains, that particular well is far from dry. "In our current survey, the topic that easily received the most write-in comments from teenagers was religion," he said. "If religion doesn't matter, why does it matter so much?"

The Emerging Millennialsis available at bookstores across Canada. More information about Reginald Bibby's work with Project Teen Canada can be found at: reginaldbibby.com.

May 21/2009