Does Growing Older Still Bring People Closer to God? The Generational Divide

There are many persistent assumptions about American religion. One is the idea that people tend to drift away from religion in their teens and twenties, then snap back to faith once they get married, have kids, and settle down. I’m not entirely sure where that idea comes from, but I’ve examined it using every data source I’m aware of, and I don’t find any compelling evidence for that claim among people born in the last fifty years or so. It may have been true for people born in the Greatest Generation or the Silent Generation, but it’s almost certainly not happening for Gen X and younger. Another assumption that gets tossed around all the time is that people tend to become more religious as they approach the end of their lives. I guess the impression is that as one moves closer to their “final destination,” they start thinking more about Already a member? Log in Unlock premium content! Get access to all Church Answers premium content from our expert contributors plus many other mem