ECUSA TEENS

How the Episcopal Church is doing with Teenagers National Survey of Youth and Religion 85% - all U.S. teens definitely believe in God 72% - ECUSA teens definitely believe in God 68% - all U.S. teens believe God is a personal being 61% - ECUSA teens believe God is a personal being 51% - all U.S. teens feel very or extremely close to God 36% - ECUSA teens feel very or extremely close to God 51% - all U.S. teens faith is very or extremely important in daily life 40% - ECUSA teens faith is very or extremely important in daily life 56% - all U.S. teens have made commitment to live life for God 32% - ECUSA teens have made commitment to live life for God 47% - all U.S. teens saying morality is relative 61% - ECUSA teens saying morality is relative 73% - all U.S. teens believe in a Judgement Day of divine reward/punishment 60% - ECUSA teens believe in a Judgement Day of divine reward/punishment 28% - all U.S. teens say some, most or all adults in their church are hypocrites 46% - ECUSA teens say some, most or all adults in their church are hypocrites This material is used with the permission of Dr. Christian Smith, Stuart Chapin Distinguished Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Smith writes: "I will restrict any more commentary on these findings, other than to say I think they raise some soul-searching questions and hard implications for those still invested in the" Episcopal Church. "What" the figures "show is that" Episcopal Church "teens are doing *significantly worse* across a variety of religion measures than the average of all U.S. teens (which includes 16% of non-religious teens and 32% who attend religious services only a few times a year or never)."