Glendale, AZ — Their elders have long claimed that Millennials have less respect for people, are less interested in faith and are less enthusiastic about America than any generation before them.
New research proves they're right.
The latest report drawn from the groundbreaking American Worldview Inventory 2020 (AWVI) from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University identified three specific dimensions in which the worldview of the youngest adult generation strays farthest from traditional norms: respect for others; interest in faith; and enthusiasm for America.
The insights are based on a combination of beliefs and behaviors that distinguish the perspective of Millennials from that of older adults. The American Worldview Inventory 2020 (AWVI) included 56 questions related to beliefs and behavior.
The two oldest generations among the nation’s adults, comprising citizens currently in their mid-50s and beyond (i.e., Baby Boomers and Elders) were surprisingly similar in their views on most of the items tested, with only 12 statistically significant differences between the two generations regarding the worldview factors evaluated.
The largest generational gap was between Millennials and Boomers.
Of the 56 variables studied, there were significant differences regarding 48 of the factors between Millennials and Boomers. Gen Xers weren't far behind, polling significantly differently than their Millennial counterparts in 39 categories.
The faith gap between Millennials and their predecessors, the study revealed, is the widest intergenerational difference identified at any time over the last seven decades.
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THE STUDY SAYS MILLENNIALS ARE:
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28 percentage points less likely than Boomers to say they treat other people the same way they want to be treated.
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the least tolerant generation – by their own admission. Millennials are twice as likely to say that the kind of people they always respect are those who hold the same religious and political views as they do.
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the generation most “committed to getting even” with those who wrong them. They are 28 percentage points more likely than Baby Boomers to hold a vengeful point of view.
- less than half as likely as other adults to say that life is sacred.
- Significantly less likely to:
- believe in the existence of absolute moral truth
- be deeply committed to practicing their faith
- contend that human beings were created by God, in His image
- believe that God is the basis of all truth
- view the purpose of life to be knowing, loving, and serving God
- consider the Bible to be a reliable source of moral guidance
- believe that God loves them unconditionally
- seek to avoid sinning because it breaks God’s heart
- possess a biblical view of the nature and character of God
- confess their sins and embrace Jesus Christ as their savior
- accept the Bible as the inerrant word of God
- pray during a typical week
- worship or thank God during a typical week
- seek and pursue God’s will
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George Barna, who has been researching both faith trends and generational differences for more than four decades and serves as the Director of Research at ACU, found the survey results troubling.
“These profiles are profoundly disturbing,” Barna noted. “The significantly divergent worldview perspectives and applications of the four generations – especially how different the Millennials are from their predecessors – suggests a nation that is at war with itself to adopt new values, lifestyles and a new identity. There is a war for worldview dominance taking place in America. But, as the Scriptures remind us, a nation at war with itself cannot persist."
He continued, “The data also points out that America is losing its spiritual unity at a rapid pace. Even a rudimentary understanding of the foundations of the American republic reminds us that unless the United States maintains spiritual unity under the hand of God, we will not be able to sustain the freedoms that have made this nation unique and desirable. The heart and soul of the nation will pursue other gods and beliefs to our demise as a nation."
"And a nation with an influential – and, indeed, its largest – generation reflecting indifference toward the health and well-being of that nation is one flirting with cultural decline.”
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The American Worldview Inventory 2020 (AWVI) is based on 51 worldview-related questions drawn from eight categories of worldview application, measuring both beliefs and behavior and was conducted in January, among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults.
