Post submitted by Daniel G. Ball, Mississippi HRC Faith and Outreach Organizer

HRC Mississippi recently took part in Jackson station WPBQ’s morning talk show to discuss faith and religion. Jim Carstensen, who is also Chair of The Mississippi Religious Leadership Council, hosted the dialogue, which was titled, “Why Millennials are Leaving the Church.” 

According to the National Pew Review, millennials’ affiliation with organized religion has declined by more than 5 percent over the past year. I discussed how faith communities who advocate for anti-LGBTQ legislation and promote efforts to limit equal rights for diverse groups of people have an impact on how younger generations view organized religion. Though there are many other factors that have caused this decrease, anti-LGBTQ rhetoric from faith leaders and religiously affiliated organizations have a large impact on what drives people away from religion.

HRC Mississippi is very grateful to have had an opportunity of this magnitude to discuss the roles of our faith communities and ways in which they can stand up and speak out against social and civil injustices in order to gain the confidence and trust of millennials. HRC Mississippi would like to thank WPBQ for the opportunity to engage in dialogue around this issue. We are committed to continuing discussions such as these so that we can help build a state in which everyone feels welcomed and valued.