Secularism and Self-Identity

Greg had a post the other day titled "The Pro-Life Generation", in which he expressed hope for the future based on the activities of Students for Life.

There is another story about young people that is far less hopeful.  Psychology Today reports that, whereas in the past the secular identiy of atheism/agnosciticm was incidental to their identity, today college students increasingly "consider their secularism to be an important, primary aspect of self-identity."  The article continues:

Nothing demonstrates this point more clearly than the rapid growth of the Secular Student Alliance, the umbrella group for organized atheism and humanism on college campuses (and now high schools as well). SSA chapters have grown from less than 50 in 2007 to over 250 today, and there is no sign of slowing down....

In recent years, however, that has changed, as nonreligious identity has become increasingly important to many.

"After the September 11 attacks, I began thinking that perhaps I should speak out against what I felt was a mindset that is not only wrong but dangerous," says Ian, who was a student at the University of Wisconsin in 2001 when the religiously motivated 9-11 terrorists took the lives of 3000 innocent victims.

Ian expresses the sentiments of many young adults who increasingly have come to see traditional religion as having little value in the modern world. A secular lifestance, to many of these students, is not secondary or incidental, but a primary aspect of their self-identity.

It seems to me religion is not doing a very good job if we can't convey to young people how it is meaningful to them in today's world.