The respected academic joined RadioLIVE's Mark Sainsbury to discuss how new age and traditional religions are evolving in the 21st century. Listen to the interview

The same survey shows that the perceived change in personal trust in churches in the same period to be greater than the participants' answers actually indicate.

The results indicate a score of 7 for reduced net trust. The perceived net reduced trust was scored 23.

The Colmar Brunton survey asked people how much they trust key groups such as government ministers, police, medical practitioners, churches, charities, small businesses, the media and bloggers.

The 2018 survey also scored charities as significantly less trustworthy than they were in 2016.

But when compared with 2016, New Zealanders are significantly more trusting of police, judges and courts, local government, government ministers and members of parliament.

Medical practitioners and police are perceived to be the most trustworthy.

The media, bloggers and online commentators are least trustworthy.

These results were obtained by a random survey of 1,000 New Zealanders aged 18 years and over.

They were interviewed online from 26 February to 4 March 2018.

In total, 472 respondents completed both the 2016 and 2018 surveys. The remaining respondents were new to the survey in 2018 and were randomly sourced from Colmar Brunton's online panel and invited to take part.

The data also points to differences in overall trust levels across age groups, with older people being more trusting.

Of those aged 60 or older, 62 percent reported a high level of trust generally in people, compared with 38 percent high trust in the 18-29 year old group and 44 percent for those aged 30 to 59.

"It is unclear if we observe this pattern because people trust more as they age," says researcher Dr Chapple, "or whether younger people today are generally less trusting than young people a generation ago. But overseas evidence suggests that trust levels may be falling in younger generations."

The survey was commissioned by the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, and School of Government of Victoria University of Wellington.

Source

• victoria.ac.nz
• victoria.ac.nz
• Image: psychologytoday.com

A century ago New Zealand was one of most religious places on the planet, with the great majority of Kiwis, Pakeha and Maori alike, believing in some form of Christianity.

Fast forward a few generations and not only Christianity, but belief in any form of religion, has dissipated to the point where almost half of all Kiwis don't associate with any religious belief at all.

Comparing the decline in religious belief over the past five national censuses shows just how accelerated non-belief has become since the 1990s.

So what's behind the decline?

Massey University professor Peter Lineham has studied religious history in New Zealand for decades, and says today's society does not value religious commitment, as our free time and financial circumstances have changed.

"Historically, religion flourished among what we would call middle income people, the middle classes. Now today, that's the area of tremendous decline in religiosity."

Auckland is still our most religious city

New Zealand's biggest city is by far the country's most religious, but the topography of where that religion is based has changed markedly.

"In the old days, Remuera and the North Shore were the areas of strong religious groups," Professor Lineham says.

"Today they're significantly weaker, that's because in South Auckland and West Auckland you have these very large pentecostal mega-churches frequented by Pasifika peoples, and the large Catholic churches are still flourishing."

Migrants are far more religious than Pakeha and Maori

Most migrants to New Zealand bring with them some kind of religious belief - but they arrive in a country that has very little.

Professor Lineham says Pacific Island peoples, Chinese, Koreans and Filipinos are now the dominant people in New Zealand's traditional churches.

"That's a very big change. New Zealand is very irreligious compared to most other societies. Koreans come here to live and are alarmed by our secular society." Continue reading

Sources

• Article by Tony Wright, Newshub.
• Image: NZ Catholic