Catholic millennials: We're a complex bunch

How does the author know that the aforementioned positions derive from conscience and not from convenience? She seems disturbingly pleased that a majority of her peers favor "same-sex marriage, gay and lesbian relations, having a baby outside of marriage, divorce, stem cell research and premarital sex." It's an extraordinary "conscience" that sees all these phenomena in the same positive light.

Dear Kate Childs Graham: You queried the KoC definition of "practicing Catholics." I do not recall the specifics but a year or so ago, an article posted on the NCR "cafe" reported a KoC definition as someone who attended Mass "x" times a month or year. I was quite surprised at the "liberality" of it. It certainly was not "every Sunday".

"Juxtaposed with the statistic that shows only 37 percent of Catholic Millennials consider themselves "liberal,""
- I'm not sure what this has to do with anything. I n, for all the hatred shown the 'reactionist' Holy Father Benedict XVI, when you read 'Charity in Truth', one hardly comes away with the image of a cheerleader for Republicans. I don't see where they defined the terms in the poll anyway.

"Perhaps I'm reading too much into it"
- Yup.

No, millennials aren't special at all. Think people that age back in the 1st century were less special? You're talking about every type of person, from every possible cultural background, from some very rich, to penniless 'barbarians', Jews and gentiles, slave and free. AND throw in the mix all the great controversies that rocked the world then and I think you'd have a MUCH more 'special' and different mix than now, especially considering how much of the world is 'westernized' now.

I think the better thing to look at is the net 19 million new catholics that were gained last year.

This is interesting, yet ultimately not very important. Regardless of what people think, what their opinion on issues is, the truth is the truth. Period. Moral teachings are not open to opinion, rather they are what they are. The challenge to Catholics today is exactly what it was in Jesus' time, to conform our lives to Him and His teaching, not to conform His teaching to fit our opinions, desires or preferences.

Pope Benedict XVI warned us about the "dictatorship of relativism", the idea that there is no such thing as absolute moral truth, and since there is no such thing, no one's behavior can be called into question. Thus, there is no act that can be called morally wrong in every circumstance. And, if that is the case, then it logically follows that any person can do anything he or she wants, whenever he or she wants. Obviously, such a thing is ludicrous, but it is the logical conclusion of the belief that moral absolutes do not exist, and thus every generation has the right to reinvent morality to their own desires.

Of course, the other side of relativism is that, since God Himself specifically has stated via the Commandments and the Law, that certain acts are always morally wrong, relativism calls God a liar; taken to its furthest extreme, relativism denies the very existence of God, which is why relativism is wholly incapable with Catholicism.

Statistics are ridiculous; numbers don't make morality. Numbers illustrate our fallen condition as children of Adam & Eve (or ish and isha, Hebrew for the primordial male & female).

Catholic (and indeed all) Millenials aren't complex at all. They, like all of us, like doing what we want and calling what we do "good" without question or interference. That's the oldest story in the world.

Very informative article, Kate. Thank you.

This is one of those time when I feel I need to devolve into Twitter/LOLcat speech. All I can think is, "SRSLY, WTF?"

I'm not terribly surprised that Catholic Millennials are morally relativistic or pro-gay marriage (I am sort-of one and all for the other).

But, goodness- how can Catholic young people be more okay with pre-marital sex and out-of-wedlock children than young people generally? What has happened that Catholics are LESS LIKELY to agree with Catholic moral teaching than the general population of non-Catholics?

Clearly, whatever we are doing is backfiring in a sad, sad way.

A fascinating article. But 1 Who or what are Millennials ? They seem to be young people, about 18 - 29 years old. But how do we define Millennial?

2 Why are the views of such young people taken so seriously? What about the views of older people, such as those over 70 like myself aged 72? I have views about divorce eg which are contrary to these, and I have experienced what it is to live with the same woman - and she with me - for some 49 years. Surely people such as me and my wife might have views based on a little experience. What do such young people make of Jesus' own words, What God has joined, let no human person take apart?

3 As for same-sex marriages, I have one daughter who has had several lesbian relationships, but has now contracted a marriage with a woman who has had a similar history. I was invited and spoke at the wedding. I do not think that lesbianism is to be encouraged -- but nor do lesbians themselves. Lesbians are like people born with a congenital fault, e.g. a Thalidomide baby. It i just unChristian to treat lesbians and homosexuals from a religious point of view as if they were like the lepers of not so long ago - condemned for no fault of their own to their own company, shunned and despised by "normal" people, subjected to such pressures from ordinary heterosexuals, that they turn with more than usual desperation towards anyone who will have them, and, asured by all normals that they are without redemption, they act as if they had no morals, just like others expect them to do. This is the reality of their situation. Offered the possibility by a tolerant, shall we say Chrisianly tolerant administration, lesbians and homosexuals wgo have committed themselves to each other are taking advantage of the opportunity to declare themselves publicly to their community, and often - because they are ordinary people in all other ways - have felt the desire to form a family.

I say, these same sex marriages should be welcomed, nothing but good is likely to come of them, WITHOUT in the very least denigrating heterosexual marriage, whibh will as a matter of course continue, just so long as young men and women are wlling to commit themselves to each other "till death do them part". It is total selfishness that will ruin all societies, not the sexual instinct.
I greet all married couples who may ...."think of murder twice a week, but of divorce... never!"
Charles Forder

Brava. You are a beacon of hope. Thanks for the lift.

"Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but the idea that we can rise above partisan politics and ideologies, look at the moral complexities of hot button issues and stand in opposition to our "party" line if our conscience compels us is pretty spectacular."

When the plurality say that something is "not a moral issue," in what way is that looking at "moral complexities"? All this survey shows is that non-practicing millenials are as bankrupt and amoral as the rest of America, and in the same way.

I hope all who wonder about these questions, & what is "right", will take a look at the thinking of Harvard professor, Michael J. Sandel, who has written on them in "Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?", and whose lectures are available at www.justiceharvard.org".

In other words, a lot of younger cultural Catholics don't have Catholic faith. They have a largely leftist set of personal beliefs that are incompatible with Catholic faith. Why should anyone be surprised? This rotten fruit is the result of shoddy catechesis.

As a sociologist interested in religion and in youth, I have downloaded the full report of the KoC/Marist poll but have not yet read it. I have downloaded the recent Pew study, "Religion Among the Millennials" also released this month. I have just begun to read it and summarize some of the findings.

In each case the results and any comparisons between studies will need to take into account sampling, question wording, socially desirable answering and the interpretation of questions by respondents.

It is no news at all the "most Americans believe in God." In fact by that measure the U.S. is just about the most "godly" nation in the world, certainly among the industrialized nations. The real question is how do people actually define "God."

Be that as it may, the Pew study found that 58% of all Catholics agree that "homosexuality should be accepted by society." Among Catholics aged 18-20, 72% accept that "homosexuality should be accepted by society," while "only" 55% of Catholics over 30 do. In fact the Pew study finds that Catholics (58%) are more likely than other Christians to find homosexuality acceptable; even more than Mainline Protestants (56%). In fact only those who are unaffiliated with any religion are more accepting of homosexuality (71%). Unaffiliated Youth (79%)are the only more accepting of homosexuality than Catholic youth (72%).

It will be interesting to read the KofC/Marist results along side results from other studies. I take seriously studies paid for and/or carried out by religious organizations. Often, however, certain choices are made and results published in such a way that results are "most useful" for the sponsor to tell his/her story in the best light, but not always as objectively as to foster comparison with other studies.

Anyway, once these studies go through the gristmill of academic critique, we may know more and be the better off for it.

NOTE: Although I haven't read the KofC study yet, if it defines "practicing catholic" as one who reports "going to church once a week or more," it will be in the mainstream of most survey research on religion. And it is an almost established "fact" that "church attendance" is one of the best predictor variables used in surveys of religion.

I, too, take hope in these additional notes from the survey. Although, I desparetly wish to beleive it, I am a bit unsure about the analysis that this indicates a generational rising above "partisan politics and ideologies." Relativism doesn't much care about partisan politics anyway. As an aging baby boomer I am hoping this generation's choices will directly affect the shape and service of the church of which I have been a part. Currently I live among Millenials who are on the opposite fringe from the opinions noted above (archconservatives and deeper!), and their notion of church exhausts me. Wasn't it Malcom X who said, "you cannot become what you need to be by remaining what you are." I am glad to work with you, and, if necessary step out of the way, so you can go forward and bring a new church into being.

From what I know of the KofC locally, in central Massachusetts anyhow, they are largely older men who see society and especially the RC church and its hierarchy in the lens of a century ago. That is to say that they are not active participants in the current world but are more in a state of raction to it.

I would like to know how many of these "Catholic Millenials" go to Mass each Sunday....hmmmmm.

I guess I don't understand . . . are you, Kate, happy/proud that, for example, "On having a baby outside of marriage, 64 percent of Catholic Millennials think it is morally acceptable or not a moral issue, compared with 60 percent of Millennials"?

I'm glad the Knights are spending money on stoping Gay Marriage and abortion because it's wrong and the bible says so.this newspaper is to liberial,

If I recall, it was the (late) sociologist of religion Dean Hoge and/or colleague James Davidson et al who reported that based on longitudinal studies, both old AND young Catholics have been moving in one direction while the so-called "JPII" clergy have been moving in the opposite direction (by definition, a "JPII priest" was described as one who believes he has final decision-making authority in a parish and that his ordination sets him above and apart from the laity).

The researcher(s) reported that at some point down the road, we can expect to see the "greatest expectation gap" between ordained and the rest of us.

I always question polling data know matter what it reflects in answers because the variables are so great depending on who asks the questions, to whom they are asking, and what results they wish to show to convince us of the conservative side or the liberal side of a way of thinking about an issue. The Knights of Columbus have aligned themselves with right wingers for several decades. I have several relatives who belong to this organization and we disagree on a number of topics but one thing I always do find is that we respect and love each other enough that we can agree to disagree. This offers some hope for those of us on the progressive side because with respect and love, many obstacles can indeed be overcome. Overall, I have found that Catholics on both sides of the spectrum feel it is theologically impossible to argue that God would not want women to be priests or bishops. On that point we totally agree. On the human sexuality issue, there seems to be a generational divide that is only overcome when the more conservative side has known a homosexual person and found them to be a good friend and a good person. This seems to open the door for at least a discussion that the entire issue of sexuality has to be re-examined by the Church in light of what we know now as opposed to the old ways of thinking about such issues. Most Millennial Catholics I know do not consider themselves conservative or liberal. It is a non-issue in the way they think about things and I also find hope here. So, I think there is actually great merit in the argument that we can actually rise above partisan politics and ideologies, but we must first tone down our name calling and violent language. This applies to both sides of the issues that are hot button items!

Kate:
Thank you for sticking to a commentary on the findings and not editorializing. You used good research judgement in your analysis. It follows my experience anecdotally. I hear about the conservative catholic millenials but have not yet met any except online! I find online in general a propensity for conservatism and liberal bashing in general. So it will be interesting to see if you get bashed.

And so modern "Catholics" continue slouching towards Gomorrah...

Catholics of all ages are far more liberal than the overall society. despite what the various knights, stormtroupers, legionaires, ubermenshen,ect. want to believe they collectively represent less than one per-cent of Catholics. While they would say that they are the REAL Catholics, I would say they are the Catholics who like to wear funny costumes

Amazing article...gives me hope too.

Surveys regarding religous beliefs are dfficult to analyze because there is no definition of the studied population.

For example, a survery of modern Jewish attitudes towards observing the sabbath could reveal both that modern Jews ae very particualt about traditional observances(Orthodox) or completely unconcerned with them (secularized Jews).

Another example, have there been any surveys and conclusions based solely on responses from say.... subscribers to the National Catholic Reporter?

So I can 'marry' another woman, adopt a child with my 'partner', have an abortion if I ever need one, and, without repentance and amendment of life, still be ok with Jesus?

I don't think so. The fact many Catholics appear to think this way is very sad.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

(Gospel of St. Matthew 7:14)

Only a true conservative can be a Christian as they seek to conserve respect for the divine mystery of Christ's incarnation and passion, whilst liberals defile this divine mystery by reducing Faith to mere human convenience and sentimentality.

http://www.chastitysf.com/protestants.htm

Loved this piece as I do always with all of your reflections. Our generation is indeed the hope of the world as well as the Church!

Great piece Ms Graham. I think it can be broken down that the later Gen Xers and Millennials have a "big tent" approach which would appear to fit some of the data presented. Most respect both the modern and traditional and respect that some people prefer more modern, and some people prefer more traditional. There is a place for everyone in the Church. This means same-sex couples are welcomed in some parishes and they are allowed to adopt through Catholic Charities and treated as equals in the eyes of the Church. Also those who prefer the old-style Latin mass can have their own parishes and feel confident in their spirituality.

This means the Church looks at our similarities and not our differences. The key is mutual respect for those who have differences in spirituality. Social media's effects on religion allow our own personal spirituality just like we pick our Fan feeds on Facebook.

NCR Bible: And when Jesus caught the woman in the very act of adultery, he said "it's ok this one is on me. Just be more careful not to get caught next time--and use a condom!"

And Jesus said to his disciples, "whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is basically the same as the ones who do follow, only they do less work for the same result. I want you to follow me, but not if it is hard for you."

And before he was taken up into heaven he said, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Big God, of the child, and of the sanctifier, unless of course you feel that baptism would offend their own native religious thoughts, which are just as good as faith in me because after all, many paths up the same mountain, right?"

And Jesus said to Peter, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, but you are just a symbol of the Middle Ages and no one has to listen to you anyway. You are no different than other people."

Strange question: "Having a baby outside of marriage"

Depends on when you ask the question. I can see someone who is opposed to sex outside of marriage answering that having a baby outside of marriage is morally acceptable. After all, if the baby is already concieved, it would be immoral NOT to have the baby out of wedlock. How is a good Catholic to answer that?