Millennials are least likely to have biblical worldview, according to new study

A new study has indicated that Millennials are least likely to possess a biblical worldview and also the least likely generation to become conservative in the future.

According to a study by the American Culture and Faith Institute (ACFI), only four percent of Millennials possess a biblical worldview. This compares to 16 percent of Baby Boomer and Builder generations and seven percent of Baby Busters, who possess a similar outlook.

The survey, which is part of the Worldview Measurement Project, was conducted last Feb. 1 to Feb. 5 among 1,000 Americans aged 18 or older.

The results also revealed that only 59 percent of Millennials identify as Christians, compared to 72 percent of adults from older generations. Only 18 percent of adults aged 30 or older claim to be in the atheist-agnostic-none faith preference category, compared to 29 percent among Millenials.

While 33 percent of older adults describe themselves as born-again Christians, only 20 percent of Millennials make the same claim.

Although conservatives outnumber liberals by a 2–1 margin among adults 30 or older, the opposite is true among Millenials, with only 12 percent identifying as conservatives and 26 percent describing themselves as liberals. As many as 44 percent of Millennials prefer socialism over capitalism.

When it comes to the subject of same-sex marriage, 43 percent of adults 30 or older were in favor of it, compared to 65 percent of adults under 30 who support it.

Out of 20 questions presented in the belief section of the Worldview Measurement Project, Millennials were found less likely than older adults to have a biblical view on 19 of the evaluated beliefs.

Millennials were more likely to have a biblical perspective than other adults only on the belief in the basic goodness of people. Forty-one percent of Millennials are less likely to believe that all people are basically good, compared with 22 percent of adults from the older generation.

George Barna, the Executive Director of ACFI, noted that "Millennials are so far to the left-of-center" that "even a typical amount of repositioning" will still leave them very liberal. He said that it is unlikely that even 10 percent of Millennials will ever hold a biblical worldview.

"Remember, a person's worldview is typically developed between the ages of about 18 months and 13 years," Barna explained.

"There is usually very little movement in a worldview after that point. You could say with confidence that the worldview a person possesses at age 13 is probably the worldview they will die with. Unless pre-existing patterns radically change, we are not likely to ever see the Millennial generation reach even ten percent who have a biblical worldview," he added.