WelCom April 2024
Nearly three-quarters of youth questioned in an international survey believe in God.
About 73 per cent of those surveyed said they believe in God, while a further eight per cent were ‘searching to believe in God.’ The survey canvassed the views of young people in eight countries about religious beliefs, prayer and social issues.
The survey found that believers and non-believers were very likely to agree about the severity of environmental problems and the danger of political corruption in the world.
Religious belief did play a role in attitudes on several other social issues, the survey said. For example, atheists tended to support the legalisation of prostitution and surrogacy, while Catholics were more likely to reject the death penalty and the justification of war compared to people of other religions and atheists.
Results of the survey, titled Young People: Expectations, Ideals, Beliefs, were released in February by the Footprints Research Group of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, together with seven other universities around the world.
The group said it wanted to look at young people from an international point of view since the vast majority of research on young people usually takes place at a national level.
The survey was conducted in Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines, Spain and the UK from 16 November to 11 December, 2023. It sampled at least 600 young people from each of the eight countries.
At least three-quarters of those surveyed believe sin exists and that parents should pass religion on to their children.
Source OSV News