Pew: Evangelical Teens ‘Far More Likely’ to Practice Faith than Mainline and Catholic Teens

Teenagers whose parents attend evangelical or Catholic churches are far more likely to maintain the religious identity of their parents than are teens whose parents attend a mainline Protestant church, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

The poll also showed that evangelical teens stand out from other teens in practicing their faith.

The survey, released Thursday and conducted prior to the pandemic, found that 80 percent of teens (ages 13-17) whose parents are evangelical maintain that religious identity, while 81 percent of teens from Catholic homes share their parents’ religious views.

But among homes of teens whose parents attend a mainline Protestant congregation – such as ones affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church or the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – only 55 percent of teens share their parents’ religious views.

A total of 24 percent of teens from mainline Protestant homes are unaffiliated with religion, compared to 12 percent of teens from evangelical homes and 15 percent of teens from Catholic homes.

Meanwhile, the poll also found that evangelical teens “stand out from other adolescents” in their commitment to faith, according to a Pew analysis that also said evangelical teens are “far more likely” to practice their faith in specific tangible ways.

For example, about half of evangelical teens (48 percent)…