A new and Godless generation of students has moved into college campuses, sparking greater discussions of science and secularism, according to a new Pew poll and a student group that promotes atheism.
A new Pew Research Center poll of millennials–those born after 1980–finds that 31 percent doubt the existence of God, and that figure has more than doubled in just five years among Americans age 30 and below.
“Our generation is causing a fundamental shift in how society will see religion,” said Jesse Galef, of the Secular Student Alliance, which promotes atheism and non-religious views on college campuses.
Galef, who brought the Pew poll to our attention, said there is other evidence that God isn’t as big a part in the lives of millennials as with other groups like baby boomers and Generation X. For example, he said, his group has exploded, growing fourfold since 2007 from 81 campus groups to 357.
“We’re creating a ripple effect through our culture,” he said. “The more safe places we create for young people to discuss their doubts, the more they can inspire questions in others.”
He credited the internet for the change. “The internet has exposed young people to different worldviews, and they’re carrying their newfound skepticism into campus to organize.”
