A Portrait of "Generation Next"

The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press issued a report on January 9, 2007 that describes the lives and perspectives of "Generation Next," a cohort of 18-25 year-olds that every marketer seeks to connect with, whether their selling cars or Jesus.

Entitled A Portrait of "Generation Next": How Young People View their Lives, Futures, and Politics, this is a most interesting study and it offers those of us in the Mainline Protestant Church something to consider. Whereas Generation X was the most Republican Generation in decades, this one is the most liberal and at this point Democratic. If, as is believed to be true, our political ideals and commitments are formed early on -- during this point in time, then this news suggests a major sea change in America's political life. Could it be that 2006 was the harbinger of what's to come?

This is a generation that parties hard (likes to drink and even smoke a bit of marijuana), is tattooed and pierced, trusting in the government and corporations, and technologically savvy. Just when you thought that e-mail had replaced the postal service, you discover that people in the know text message (hey I just got a cell phone a couple years back). In matters such as homosexuality, they're quite open, which suggests that all the current battles over gay rights are going to be short lived ones.

Religiously, well, this is a wide open group. It's still Protestant, but less so (44%). More to the point this is a generation that is twice (20%) as likely to say they're not involved religiously, atheist, or agnostic (this should make Sam Harris happy). As for creationism -- well -- that battle seems to be a losing proposition. 63% say they believe in evolution, as opposed to 47% of Baby Boomers (my generation), and only 33% believe things are pretty much as they've always been.

All of this suggests we're at a religious cross roads. From what I'm reading here, Young People are likely to make one of 2 choices, no religion or progressive religion. Could it be that the decades long Mainline Protestant decline is about to end and Conservative Evangelicalism will see it's decline? If you go to any major city you'll find huge churches of another era with few denizens. Could the mammoth mega-churches of today look similar in a few decades? I think this is all good news for progressives, but are we ready to connect? With most of our churches still populated by persons over 60, can we re-gear quickly enough?

Only time will tell, but things do change. Remember when the NFC won the Super Bowl every year or the National League won the all-star game every year, well like I said the pendulum does swing.

By the way there's also a PBS documentary that's related to this hosted by Judy Woodruff.

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