Is a generational shift in regards to irreligion afoot?

[afleitch]

Someone who has never had religion in their life is not very likely to find god or whatever when they get older. 

Apart from personal anecdotes, do you have anything to back this assertion up with? 

The British Social Attitudes Survey stated that only 5% of those brought up with no faith find it later in life.

[So the Heroes Fall]

Britain is quite different from the US then:

[Frodo]

If I am reading that graph correctly, at least half of all those brought up in irreligious households (in the United States) find their way to a religious faith later in life. 

And that will eventually include me... 

[HockeyDude]

Someone who has never had religion in their life is not very likely to find god or whatever when they get older.  

Apart from personal anecdotes, do you have anything to back this assertion up with?  

No, it's an observation that I've seen in many, many people I've met.  I've noticed that those who become more religious through struggle tend to be re-affirming that faith rather than "finding" it for the first time.  Also, a vast, vast majority of those I personally know from the Baby Boomer generation went to church when they were younger but do not attend now... which in my experience would lead me to believe the opposite happens. 

afleitch's number would show I'm right.  BTRD's graph would show I'm wrong.  I'd personally like to do some more research on this to see what actually happens. 

[IDS Judicial Overlord John Dibble]

If I am reading that graph correctly, at least half of all those brought up in irreligious households (in the United States) find their way to a religious faith later in life.

That's not surprising. Not all irreligious households are anti-religion - many just don't care. It really wasn't an issue that came up in my household.

What's really interesting about the graph is that the irreligious appears to have doubled in size where the other groups either shrink, stay the same, or have a only very small amount of growth.

[greenforest32]

Another recent (U.S.) report on this topic:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/10/09/162582670/young-nones-set-to-transform-the-political-landscape?ft=1&f=1001

...

new survey from the Pew Research Center showing that a growing number of Americans are moving away from religious labels.

The study, titled "Nones" on the Rise, indicates that 1 in 5 Americans now identifies as "religiously unaffiliated," a group that includes those who say they have no particular religion, as well as atheists and agnostics.

Perhaps more instructive is a close look at the age breakdown: If you're under 30, there's a 1-in-3 chance that religion plays little or no role in your life, according to the survey.

http://www.pewforum.org/Unaffiliated/nones-on-the-rise.aspx

[opebo]

Good news, though awfully gradual.  I'd like to see more about how many of these poor young people have succumbed to 'libertiarianism', and how many are proper leftists.  One can always hope, but it is still america after all.

[DC Al Fine]

I think part of this trend might be explained by the lack of religious influence in society compared to 30 years ago. My experience among my peers is that church attendance is approximately the same in my generation as in my parents (~5-10%), but percentage of declared irreligious is swelling.

My friend's parents who were baptised Catholic in the 1970's and never went to Mass still call themselves Catholics, while their children who were baptised in the 1990's tick the no religion box. On the other hand, the dedicated believers seem to be keeping most of their kids in the faith.

[opebo]

Britain is quite different from the US then:

Ugh.. seeing those people moving from 'none' to various other things (the red tentacles) is terribly disturbing.

[Simfan34]

Another recent (U.S.) report on this topic:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/10/09/162582670/young-nones-set-to-transform-the-political-landscape?ft=1&f=1001

...

new survey from the Pew Research Center showing that a growing number of Americans are moving away from religious labels.

The study, titled "Nones" on the Rise, indicates that 1 in 5 Americans now identifies as "religiously unaffiliated," a group that includes those who say they have no particular religion, as well as atheists and agnostics.

Perhaps more instructive is a close look at the age breakdown: If you're under 30, there's a 1-in-3 chance that religion plays little or no role in your life, according to the survey.

http://www.pewforum.org/Unaffiliated/nones-on-the-rise.aspx

5% in five years? That's a landslide in demographic terms. A shift is afoot, certainly...