SANTA ANA COLLEGE el Don / eldonnews . org • MONDAY , NOVEMBER 7 , 2016 NEWS 5
GODLESS
Why are Millennials not as Christian as previous generations ? STORY BY NOEMI MOSQUEDA
Santa Ana College student Barbara Jaime , 19 , grew up surrounded by religious images in her home . A painting of The Last Supper hung above her dining room table , while a colorful woodcarving of Our Lady of Guadalupe looked down from the wall above her bed . Jaime grew up Catholic and went to Mass every Sunday , but as she aged , she started to distance herself from her religion . She became more spiritual and less religious . “ I used to go to church every Sunday and I loved it . It gave me security and I felt nice after Mass , but school and work got in the way ,” Jaime said . “ I didn ’ t have the time to go , and let ’ s face it [ Masses ] are not all that fun , so I simply stopped going . At first I felt guilty but now I don ’ t .” This disconnect from religion is becoming common among Americans , according to recent studies conducted by the Pew Research Center . A 2014 Pew survey on the country ’ s religious landscape , conducted as a follow up to a 2007 study , found that the number of adults who say they believe in God , pray daily and attend church regularly is declining , especially among Millennials , generally defined as those between 18 and 34 . The study also showed that the number of Americans who say that God exists also dropped from 71 percent in 2007 to 63 percent in 2014 , and that the number of Americans who say that religion is “ not at all important ” to them rose by eight percent from 2007 to 2014 . The same study showed that the newer generation is less likely to identify with Christianity and is more religiously unaffiliated . If these trends continue , according to the study , American society is likely to grow less religious over time . Jennifer Rodriguez , 18 , is not affiliated with any religion . Rodriguez grew up with a Catholic mother and an atheist father . The Fullerton resident chose to be an atheist like her father because his beliefs made more sense to her than her mothers ’. “ There is so much bad in this world and so many bad things that happen . If there was a God why would He let these things happen ?” Rodriguez said . Rodriguez has to see things to believe them . She has not seen God , nor anything demonic , so she believes in neither . She also does not believe in heaven or hell , and that frightens her . “ When someone dies , religious people believe they ’ ll see them in heaven and that ’ s an amazing thing to hold on to and hope that you ’ ll see them again ,” Rodriguez said . “ But as an atheist we believe that after you die that ’ s it , and that is one thing that scares me . ” Rodriguez said that one day she may become religious but as of now , she can ’ t say that there is a God . Millennials ’ exposure to new ideas may be contributing to a shift in their views on religion . A 2014 Pew study titled “ Millennials in Adulthood ” found that Millennials are America ’ s most racially diverse generation , they hold more liberal views than previous generations and are largely unattached to organized politics and religion . Racial diversity plays a key role in Millennials ’ political liberalism , the study says . But even as widespread shifts are taking place in society , not all Millennials are staying away from organized religion . There are still many church youth groups looking to connect with young people in a way that they can understand , and some Millennials who attend church on a regular basis say it helps them deal with everyday life . Jack Groger , now at Sanctify Christian Church in Orange , has been a pastor for 10 years and has seen a decline in the number of Millennials attending church . Groger said it has a lot to do with the way some people teach Biblical scripture . “ Young people are turned off by falsehood and many doubt the authenticity of scripture ,” said Groger , of Anaheim Hills . He also said that many Millennials get bored in traditional church services where they have to dress up , silence their phones , and listen to church leaders who they can ’ t identify with . He thinks that using real life scenarios to bring Biblical scripture to life is a successful way to get more young people to church . “ I am not only a pastor , I am also a fireman and I am very transparent . I share my struggles and just connect with them and create an experience and make each person get something out of attending church ,” Groger said . Marisol Hermosillo , 29 , attends Saint Anthony Claret Church in Anaheim every Sunday and prays on a daily basis . She enjoys having a strong bond with God and her Catholic faith . “ I love going to church ,” the Orange resident said . “ It makes me feel really nice after I leave Mass . I also like the security of knowing that I have someone watching over me at all times .” Katia Oliden rediscovered religion . Oliden belongs to a group of students that hosts informal Bible studies at Santa Ana College and other campuses across the county . She did not believe in God when she was younger , but after attending Bible study , her life changed . “ I used to be very hateful to God and then I was invited to Bible study by my sister ,” Oliden said . Oliden is now on the path to being baptized and teaches Biblical scripture to non-believers and people who are also experiencing tough times . “ God is our creator and Jesus Christ is our savior and over time , mankind has forgotten this ,” she said . “ The club helps us to fulfill the great commission Jesus Christ has given us : to make disciples .”