What does it mean to grow up without religion? A new book, Growing Up Godless: Non-religious Childhoods in Contemporary England, by Anna Strhan and Rachael Shillitoe, reveals that non-religious children find significant meaning and value in their lives, providing a robust challenge to the old-fashioned stereotype of the morally adrift non-believer. The book is the result of a research project involving conversations with 8-11 year olds, their parents, and their teachers.
Aims and findings
The study aimed to look more deeply at non-religious children’s experiences in the UK, as it is younger generations driving the change in the overall religious picture of Britain.
Contrary to some media narratives which spuriously equate religious decline with social decline or unhappiness, the authors discovered that the children’s non-religious worldviews were rich with joy, wonder, and the expression of strong moral values. The authors reported that their young lives were permeated with what they called a ‘pervasive humanism’.
Many of the children said their lack of belief in a god or gods was due to an absence of empirical evidence for religious claims, applying a scientific, evidence-based worldview (although this did not always preclude beliefs in Santa, unicorns, or ghosts). Children also questioned the compatibility of a benevolent god with the existence of suffering in the world. While acknowledging their parents’ role in shaping their religious or non-religious identity, the children emphasised their own autonomy in matters of belief. Although unfamiliar with the term ‘humanist’, many readily embraced it when researchers presented it as a way of describing their beliefs and values.
Nothing ‘lacking’ for non-religious children
The research highlights that these children did not perceive their non-religious worldview as lacking. They found enchantment in science and discovery, and awe and wonder in the natural world. Friendship and connection were key sources of meaning and happiness, and they considered their lives to be full. The study also strongly refutes the idea that non-religious individuals lack a moral compass, demonstrating the children’s commitment to humanist values such as respect, autonomy, equality, and care for others and the animal world.
In exploring the origins of this ‘pervasive humanism’, the authors pointed to a lack of religious socialisation at home. This factor has already been cited in many other studies as the key driver of the trend away from religion. However, the research also offers a fascinating insight into the role of schools in fostering a humanist outlook. The authors argue that the culture of schools and educational frameworks — emphasising rights, freedoms, rationality, equality, authenticity, and choice — create fertile ground for humanist attitudes to flourish. Furthermore, the study suggests that Religious Education (RE) lessons, by introducing many children to religion for the first time, made them aware of their own lack of religious beliefs and prompted many to critically evaluate or consciously reject belief in gods for the first time.
Humanists UK Director of Understanding Humanism Luke Donnellan commented on the research:
‘This research reinforces what we’ve long known to be true: that children can grow up to be kind, ethical, and fulfilled without religion playing any part in their lives.
‘While it remains to be seen how these young people’s worldviews will evolve over time, the evidence suggests that most of them are unlikely to adopt a religion later on. What’s already clear is that the absence of religious belief has in no way hindered their moral development or their ability to lead rewarding, meaningful lives.’
Humanists UK Education Campaigns Manager Lewis Young raised the concern that many non-religious children were still being forced to attend religious schools. Lewis said:
‘The vast majority of parents of school-age children are not religious and we’ve never had a less religious generation of young people attending schools. At the same time, the proportion of state school places that are subject to religious selection is growing. This leads to more and more families being unable to get into their local school, or forced to attend a local faith school because it’s their only option. At the same time, the law in England and Wales also requires all non-faith schools to hold daily acts of Christian ‘collective worship’ by default.
‘This amounts to a postcode lottery, and it demands serious attention. All children deserve the freedom to make up their own mind about religion as they grow older, along with the benefit of an objective, age-appropriate education about things like sex and relationships.‘
Notes
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.
Humanists UK leads the national campaign against faith schools. It argues for inclusive state schools where every child receives an objective, balanced curriculum and no one is subjected to discrimination on the basis of religion or belief in admissions.
Understanding Humanism is Humanists UK’s education service, supporting teachers, parents, and pupils to study humanism as an example of a non-religious worldview. Through understandinghumanism.org.uk, we offer free school speakers, classroom resources, and training to support high-quality lessons about humanism.