Millennials Losing Their Religion, Keeping God

A new survey finds that while millennials are rejecting religion in increasing numbers, they aren't necessarily giving up their faith in God.

Carnegie Mellon University released numbers last week that found a slight majority, 52 percent, of millennials "look to religion" but that a much higher portion, 62 percent, "talk to God."

Kaya Oakes, a writer from Berkeley, Calif., told Vox that millenials seek a "do-it-yourself faith" because "institutional religions fail to welcome the kinds of questions [they] bring to the table."

Carnegie Mellon's research supports previous polls that show young people eschewing religion for myriad reasons but especially because of organized religion's hostility to LGBT people.

The Public Religion Research Institute reported in March, "Among Millennials who no longer identify with their childhood religion, nearly one-third say negative teachings about, or treatment of, gay and lesbian people was either a somewhat important (17 percent) or very important (14 percent) factor in their disaffiliation from religion."

Follow Michael O'Loughlin on Twitter at @mikeoloughlin.