catholicsphere

The Barna Group Explores Teenage Views and Behavior Regarding the Supernatural

An article on the 47-page report states that 4 out of 5 teens have experieced the supernatural in media, such as horoscope usage, with 73% having “engaged in at least one type of psychic or witchcraft-related activity” beyond mere exposure or horoscope usage.

While perhaps alarming, the article on the report states that, along with Ouija board usage, it included “reading a book about witchcraft or Wicca”. It is unclear whether the latter includes fiction, such as the Harry Potter series, since they put this number around 33%.

While not the highest percentage (that was mainline Protestants - 81%), Catholics, 77%, were the second most likely to have experimented with supernatural things. Twenty-five percent believe that horoscopes are always or usually true.

A large majority believe in the orthodox Christian view of God, but only about 58% believe Satan is real. Only a slightly higher percentage, 61%, believe in Heaven.

The conclusion was that they observed that the supernatural world to teens is an area of experimentation just like any other area of their life, to form a “Mosaic” of beliefs. Hence they are labeled “the Mosaic Generation”.

This report was intended as a tool to help youth ministry evaluate and structure their programs toward the way kids learn and establish their beliefs.

Through its five divisions, The Barna Group provides primary research (The Barna Research Group); communications tools (BarnaFilms); printed resources (BarnaBooks); leadership development for young people (The Josiah Corps); and church facilitation and enhancement (Transformation Church Network). The ultimate aim of the firm is to partner with Christian ministries and individuals to be a catalyst in moral and spiritual transformation in the United States. It accomplishes these outcomes by providing vision, information, evaluation and resources through a network of intimate partnerships. Among its strategic partners are Church Communication Network, EMI Christian Music Group, Filmdisc, HollywoodJesus.com, Kingdom Inc., and Tyndale House Publishers.