One of the UK’s largest surveys on religion found that youngsters are more likely to believe in God than older generations as they seek answers in an ever-complicated world
Young Brits are increasingly embracing spirituality and religion, with a higher likelihood of believing in God than their older counterparts, according to one of the most comprehensive surveys on religion conducted in the past decade.
The survey, involving 10,000 participants, revealed that a staggering 82% of Gen Z, those born after 1996, identify as spiritual, while only 13% consider themselves atheists.
This contrasts with 22% of Boomers and 25% of Gen X who claim they have no belief in a higher power. The new ‘Belief in Britain’ report was compiled to illustrate and spotlight trends in belief in God.
Overall, 54% of all adults surveyed said they are Christian, compared to 27% who are atheist and 6% are Muslim.
It found that an increasing number of young people are seeking answers from God in an ever-complicated world, with nearly one-third stating they believe in God to feel a connection to something larger than themselves.
The report noted that Gen Z were more likely to believe that God explains the universe’s origins (25%) and to believe in life after death (24%).
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The report was commissioned by journalist and Sunday school teacher Christopher Gasson, coinciding with the launch of his book, The Devils’ Gospels: Finding God in Four Great Atheist Books.
Gasson was inspired to explore the subject after noticing that the teenagers in his Sunday school showed more interest in debating atheism than in traditional Bible stories.
“When you dig into it, you see that most atheism is not so much an attack on God, but an elegant criticism of the Church’s mistakes,” Gasson added. “We can learn from that, and in doing so get closer to God.”
Despite Gen Z’s growing spirituality, many remain disillusioned with organised religion. Two out of three adults reckon Christianity will lose believers in the coming decade – Gasson says this should be a wake-up call, for leaders.
A third reckon religious leaders should get more stuck in with local community action and should embrace social media to connect with youngers, and address debates about science.
Gasson argues that the Church has spent too much time fighting secularisation instead of addressing its own shortcomings.
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