Do young people still believe in God? A look at church leaving statistics paints a rather bleak picture for the faith: in 2021, more people left the church than ever before – most of the leavings involve people between the ages of 25 and 34.
The latest figures from last October show that in 2021 28,536 people will have left the Evangelical Reformed Church. With 34,182 Catholics, there are even more people who no longer want to pay church taxes. But is that really the main reason for leaving the church?
Not all cantons levy church taxes – this is evident from the departure statistics. In the cantons of Geneva, Neuchâtel, Vaud and Valais, there were “virtually no” exits in 2021. A different organizational structure applies here: there is no formal membership associated with church taxes.
However, the cost argument seems to play an important role, as shown by Reto’s example. He thinks: “I am not prepared to spend more than 30,000 francs in my life for the pastor to say a few kind words and amen at my funeral.” According to his own calculations, the 27-year-old would have spent more than 30,000 francs in church taxes over the course of his life – it was not worth it to him. In an interview with Watson, he admits that he has not dealt with his faith in depth. Religion is not a relevant subject for him, which was one of the reasons why he finally decided to leave the Catholic Church.
When asked what he believes in, Reto struggles to find an answer. He’s not sure, he says. He believes in heaven and that souls ascend after death. “But in that sense I don’t believe in God.”
Juliana was also a member of the Catholic Church until her departure two years ago. She first thought about it when she decided not to have company. “All my friends said they were confirmed for the money and gifts – and I thought that was the wrong reason to be confirmed.” In addition, she felt disconnected from her parish – the pastor was “too narrow-minded and unsympathetic”. And further: “My church community didn’t appeal to me, maybe it would have been better somewhere else – I don’t know.”
The Swiss Pastoral Sociological Institute publishes online statistics about the church – and of course also looked at who is leaving and why. If you look at the exit statistics, it is striking that the figures always rise particularly sharply when the church is present in the media with negative headlines. For example in 2010 in connection with the assaults by the Pius Brothers.
Reto and Juliana also had the grievances within the church in mind when they left. In any case, the church is full of paradoxes, says 24-year-old Juliana. “It seems to me that everyone would go back and choose what fits the situation in the Bible and leave out the rest.” It irritates her that people preach charity, but do not accept other religions, for example.
This is by no means the only thing that bothers former members of the Catholic Church. One who is still a member and intends to stay is Tobias. He says he understands very well that many people have lost faith in the church after the events of recent years. The 24-year-old also thinks that many Catholic beliefs are simply outdated: “I would like it if the church broke some of its strict rules. Nowadays everyone can love and feel what they want. The church must protect minorities in instead of excluding. For example, that the pastor is not allowed to marry, what does that mean?”
Values that are no longer up-to-date were another reason for Reto to leave. He disagrees with the image of women represented by the Catholic Church, nor can he understand its attitude towards the LTBGQ community. Juliana regrets that the church is struggling with change. “The Catholic Church has stood still in so many things for a long time.” She hopes things change: “The Pope has an influence on countless people around the world – he could do so much if the tone changed from above. History is history, what happened has happened – it’s about admitting your mistakes and doing things differently in the future.” Juliana believes this is the only way to regain society’s trust.
She also attributes the problem to the structure of the organization. The fact that older men are more often on the upper floors does not make it any easier – she also believes that a generation change is needed there.
You agree with Tobias. The Vatican’s worldview may no longer reflect the reality of a majority of Church members. However, he also puts it into perspective: “It must be difficult to transform faith at the same rate as our society is changing.”
Although Tobias disagrees with the Catholic Church on many points, he does pay the church tax. Even as he says. In his eyes, the church renders a great, indispensable service to society. Every village in Switzerland, no matter how small, has a church – that’s nice, he says. «My church tax goes to the buildings that are needed, to the priest who prepares the mass, the gardener of the cemetery. Maybe some of the money will flow to the Pope or be used for dirty things – who knows. But that does not prevent me personally from wanting to continue paying my contribution.” For him, it’s comforting to know that there’s always a place to go when you’re feeling alone — and a lot of people feel that way, too.
As an argument against paying the church tax, it is often argued that the money goes to the Vatican, where it is not actually needed. According to the secretary general of the Roman Catholic Central Conference in Switzerland, Daniel Kosch, not a single franc goes to the pope in Rome. On average across all cantons, 85 percent of the revenue from the church tax remains in the respective parish – in the canton of Aargau, for example, even 100 percent. If you want to know more about how much money is being spent on what, visit the website kirchensteuern-sei-dank.ch for a more detailed insight into the finances of the cantons of Aargau, Lucerne and St. Gallen.
At the municipal level, this money is used to fund Church staff wages, building maintenance, religious education, Primary, Church music, and other projects.
With few exceptions, those who leave the church are no longer married or buried by the pastor. For Reto and Juliana, that was no reason why they would stay. And yet Reto admits in conversation that he mainly arranged his funeral before he wanted to leave permanently. When he found out that his local cemetery is a community affair and that he could hire a speaker to say a few last words at the ceremony, the decision was made.
For Tobias, on the other hand, a funeral is about much more. He says he’s been to a number of funerals over the past year and has always been happy with the service. It’s always a weird feeling to attend a funeral at first. “This crowd of people, all together in a small church. The pastor who speaks a few nice last words about the deceased. The opportunity to talk to like-minded people after mass – all of that gave me a lot of support during these difficult times.” And the idea that the loved ones are now with God in heaven and that they are doing well, comforts Tobias.
When asked if the church still needs it today, Tobias has a clear answer: “Yes. Because if the church and everything around it ceased to exist, there would be an emptiness.” Perhaps instead of a divide, there is a shift to other religions. Not in the classical sense, such as Islam, Judaism or Buddhism.
Much more a new generation that “believes in something divine” – as Juliana puts it – but not in a God as the Bible shows. “I would say our generation is just looking elsewhere for the meaning of life. Less in church, more outside, in your own living environment. This is how we create our own communities, without rules that everyone has to abide by.”
Tobias also sees this development: «The current information supply gives you a different way of accessing the world. You can also make other resolutions or practice other forms of spirituality. You believe in the power of attraction or karma or you develop your own beliefs.” However, he believes that this cannot be compared with the Christian faith – the community that ensures coherence and togetherness is missing here.
Source: Blick
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
