Turning from God

Statistics show that fewer and fewer young people bother to attend church. Has religion become an irrelevance to modern British teenagers? A team of Children's Express reporters interviewed other young people to find out.

For some people, religion is everything. "We sacrifice our life for religion, because we are so into it," says Imran, a 15-year-old Muslim from Sheffield. "And we want to pass that on to our generation."

He continues: "We came down here on this Earth to believe in God, to spread Islam around the world. That's what our prophet did. He used to go everywhere, anywhere to spread Islam about, so that's what our job is."

Esther, who is a Christian, agrees. "You can talk to friends about your beliefs and stuff, I mean, the whole thing is because you want to get your friends into church, you want to get your friends to become Christians. And if they can see it in you, they're more likely to change."

These are not sentiments you would normally associate with typical British teenagers - at least, not as characterised in the popular press. Yet neither Imran nor Esther is extremist - they are just young people with a strong faith.

However, Imran and Esther belong to a shrinking minority. Two-thirds of 18-24-year-olds in the UK say they have no religious affiliation and only a tiny number of young people go to church. Esther points out that even though she goes to a Catholic school, few of her fellow students are actually Christians. "It's not cool to be a Christian," she admits.

Even in the Muslim community, which is growing steadily, some young men are abandoning their faith. "We have a lot of Muslim people who are not reading their prayers," says Imran. "All they are is just Muslim in name. People who should call themselves Muslims are people who say their prayers, who follow the right path, who respect their elders."

The statistics (see factbox) and Imran and Esther's comments appear to lend support to the view that, compared to other western nations, the UK has an overwhelmingly secular culture. But is this really proof of a spiritual decline in youth culture, or a sign that young people are more willing to explore non-traditional ways of expressing spiritual feeling? Or is rejection of the church a rejection of faith?

Reverend Mike Breen, Rector of St Thomas' Church in Sheffield - the largest church in the north of England - admits that many young people are turned off going to church because they find it dull.

"It's boring," he says. "Honestly. That's the church's fault. I'm a vicar and I think that I'm part of the establishment that's made it dull and I'm taking responsibility for that, to try to reverse it."

Part of the problem, he says, is the church's failure to 'sell' religion to young people in terms that they might understand. "Being a Christian doesn't mean going to church once a week and working through a 16th century prayer book, it's about life."

And at St Thomas' they do seem to be bucking the general trend. More than 70 per cent of Breen's congregation is under 35, and one in five is under 21. In two years of holding weekly events at the Roxy in Sheffield city centre, he estimates that 3,000 people have come through the doors.

The secret of his success is to present the church experience in terms that are familiar to modern young people. Services at St Thomas' have more in common with club culture than with traditional worship - despite the hedonistic associations of clubland. In a sense, young people at St Thomas' are seeking a spiritual high.

"A leader of our church said to me that she went to Gatecrasher about a year ago," says Rev Breen, "and it was the closest thing to St Thomas' she'd ever seen. It was like worship service. I thought that was interesting, because obviously people who go to Gatecrasher are looking for something more than just the music.

"There is a community theme. I think the difference between what you find in Ibiza and at Gatecrasher and all that is that it's a very kind of staccato experience. You know, you go Ibiza once a year or you go the club once a week. But what we've got going is something that's there every day, community life every day, and I think that's one of the reasons why people are so into it."

Rev Breen claims the growth in his congregation is part of a larger movement of young people turning away from the materialistic ethos of their parents' generation. He links it to radical youth movements - such as environmental pressure groups and the the anti-capitalism movement - which seem to represent and an emerging set of spiritual beliefs.

"I think that a lot of issue-based groups that are emerging around the world that deal with the environment, that deal with the world, that deal with justice, that deal with the kind of world that we want, are really a response to the kind of materialism that we see around us. We think, you know, it's nice having material things but there must be more than that.

"I think a lot of the way the Bible is taught is outdated, but I can't imagine how anybody who knows how to translate what's in there into the modern culture can say that they're outdated, because they're about life. At the end of Matthew chapter seven it says "Treat people the way you want people to treat you." That can't possibly be outdated, can it?"

Yet, despite Rev Breen's argument that the ethics of religion continue to be relevant, the figures suggest that fewer young people are willing to embrace a religious life. In an age dominated by science and materialism, more young people are rejecting the most central tenet of all religions - belief on God.

A survey of 33,000 13-15-year-olds carried out by the Universty of Wales in 2000 found that 51 per cent of young people growing up in the Anglican faith claimed to be atheist. Just eight per cent of young Muslims adopted this stance.

Merlin Evans, 15, from Sheffield, says: "I have atheist parents, but I don't think that's had much of an effect. It's more my interest in science and the difficulty of believing in something which isn't backed up by proof, reason and logic."

"I feel that God is created in the minds of human beings to create a sense of assurance and comfort. I have no problem with people believing in religion or believing in God - in many ways it helps people - but I just feel that we've made so many scientific breakthroughs that the possibility of having a physical god is just unthinkable"

The fanaticism that can accompany religion is also a big turn-off, according to Merlin. By contrast, she says, atheism is more open, less condemning. "There's so many illogical and condemning ideas in the Bible that I find it too difficult to agree with. Christian views have caused severe difficulties for feminism."

Since September 11, we have been sharply reminded that we live in a multi-cultural society that is often divided by faith. For some young people, the bigotry and extremism have put them off religion. For others, the increased focus on faith has given them a chance to reconsider their own.

As Rachel Twort, 21, a convert to Islam, puts it: "I think it's organised religion that is in decline, not the basic, inner beliefs. I grew up in a fairly agnostic household, but I have always felt the need for religion in my life."

Nevertheless, children and teenagers are still largely undecided. Merlin sums up what is probably the best way to look at religion. "You should come to your own conclusions, based on all the evidence," she says.

About the team

This story was produced by Tessa Robins, Saarah Choudhury and Jenny Matthews, all 16. It was published in Young Minds magazine.