Belief in God surges among Finland's youth

Belief in God among Finland’s young people is growing at a remarkable rate, with the percentage of boys professing belief almost doubling in just six years.

A study among the 75 per cent of the nation’s young people who attended confirmation preparation classes last year unearthed the stunning new statistics, which confirmed that 67 per cent of Finland’s boys expressed belief in God, up from 36 per cent in 2019, while the number of girls who believe increased from 35 per cent to 56 per cent.

More encouraging findings revealed that 64 per cent of boys also believe in Christ’s resurrection, compared to 52 per cent of girls, highlighting that the increase in belief appears to be tied to Christianity, according to a report on website Evangelical Focus.

Asked about what has prompted such a strong increase, Arto Nousiainen of the Evangelical Alliance of Finland told en that the upward trend cannot simply be attributed to “rising cultural conservatism” as belief has even grown amongst the nation’s liberal youth.

Citing Pauli Juusela, the editor-in-chief of a Lutheran weekly newspaper, he claimed that global unrest has driven them to “seek safety from the grand millennia-old Christian narrative,” which appeals due to its countercultural “unchanging, perennial values.”

Nousiainen continued: “A more surprising contributing factor is the unapologetic attitude towards their inherited religion in the fast-growing demographic of immigrants. That has turned many young native Finnish men to see dialogue about religion as more natural and unthreatening to masculinity than [it] was for many decades.”

Nousiainen also believes that social media has strengthened religious interest, particularly in men. He said: “Young men use it a lot to strengthen their own spiritual identity. It is particularly Jesus, more than just religion itself, that is a draw to young men. The uncompromising and authentic persona of Jesus has a profound appeal to Gen-Z men. Faith in Jesus gives [permission] to unload their thoughts and experiences in prayer and find comfort. He is someone who really cares and listens.”