S B C U P D AT E
iStockPhoto
Almost Half of Teens Believe Many Religions May Be True, Pew Finds BY DIANA CHANDLER
T
he largest portion of teenagers in the US believe that more than one religion may be true, Pew Research said in its latest revelation from a study of the religious beliefs and practices of teens and their parents. Among thirteen- to seventeen-year-old teenagers, 45 percent believe many religions may be true, far outpacing the 31 percent who believe only one religion is true, Pew said. A much smaller portion, 15 percent, believe there is little to no truth in any religion, and 8 percent believe no religion is true. Pew included a teenager and a parent from each household surveyed, and found that the religious
88
SBC.NET | SUMMER 2021
beliefs of teenagers largely mirrored those of their parents. The largest portion, 47 percent, of parents included in the study said many religions may be true, compared to 33 percent who expressed an exclusivist view of religion, and 19 percent who said there is little or no truth in any religion. When divided by religious affiliation, evangelical Protestant teenagers registered the largest portion of respondents, 66 percent, who believe in one religion, compared to 28 percent of the subset who believe many religions may be true, Pew said. A majority, 57 percent, of respondents who identified as mainline Protestant told Pew they