Cohort split in young‑adult religiosity

Pew’s latest surveys show conflicting signals among Gen‑Z cohorts: the very youngest adults (born 2004–2008, ~18–22) report relatively high rates of attending religious services, while the slightly older young adults (born 2000–2003, ~23–26) score lowest on prayer, religiosity’s importance, and religious identification. This suggests a cohort‑specific divergence (attendance vs internal belief/identity) rather than a simple upward or downward trend. — If attendance and identity pull in different directions across adjacent cohorts, pundits, political organizers, and religious institutions will misread ‘resurgence’ claims unless they account for age/cohort measurement and which religious metric matters for social and political outcomes.