Want the latest news from Swansea sent straight to your inbox? Don't miss anything from your city! Sign up for regular updates Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

There are around a million young people living in Wales, nearly three quarters of whom say they have no religious beliefs.

But what about the 250,000 young people who say they do?

How do they feel about being religious in a country where most young people aren’t?

We spoke to young people from a whole host of backgrounds - from more established religions in Wales such as Muslims and Christians, to lesser-known yet growing religions in Wales, like Pagans, Hare Krishna and Spiritualists.

(Image: BBC)

How are their lives shaped by religion? And why is religion so important to them?

Here’s how they see their lives, their religion and what they think about young people with faith.

Father Ross Maidment - Christian

(Image: BBC)

Christianity is still the largest religion in Wales, according to the 2011 census.

But between 2001 and 2011, the number of Christians in Wales dropped by over 10 percent.

In the same time, Muslims, Hindu and Buddhist populations have doubled.

So how does one recently ordained priest feel about joining a church where numbers are lowering but in a church where number of people training for ministry are increasing - and 30 percent are under 30?

Father Ross is one of The Church in Wales’ youngest priests, based in Cardiff.

Born in the Welsh capital, and having grown up in Rumney, 28-year-old Father Ross has now returned home to the church where he married his wife, Stephanie, to continue his training as a priest.

“I was ordained on June 23, 2018,” he said.

“My parents were not necessarily religious but had this sense that Christianity is a good thing, so they sent me to a Baptist church and I went to Sunday School.

“It was about the time of secondary school, when I was 12 or 13, when I went to a faith school - St Teilo’s - and it was as a teenager attending a faith school and attending church that I decided to get baptised.

“I was baptised at 13 at the Baptist Church in Tremorfa and there was a very particular sermon talking about God being like a mother hen looking after her chicks.

“When Jesus was crucified, he had his arms spread like a mother hen. That image stuck with me.

"It was that message and image that led me to deciding to being baptised and spurring me on in more of a sense of how I might respond to that.

“I had this niggling sense of what my plan now was going to be in Christianity and I had a sense that God was calling me to ministry in the church."

After completing his A Levels at college, Father Ross went on to study theology at Oxford University.

"It was when I was at Oxford that I had the urge to delve into Church life," he said.

"I fell in love with the subject and did a Masters, and now I’m doing a research Phd."

Now in his second year of training, he hopes his youth can help dispel myths that young people aren’t interested in religion.

“I think me being so young is definitely a positive,” he said. “There is an element of surprise. When people come to the church where they wouldn’t otherwise - for a baptism, a wedding or when I’m working in the community - people may sometimes be surprised when they see me.

“Does that mean I can relate to people differently? Maybe or maybe not. But if that makes people ask questions, that’s good.

"I want to change that premonition that young people don’t religious or aren’t interested in religion.

"That’s not my experience.

"I’ve been a minister in two churches and both of them are growing and having people of all ages and have young people.

"Things are changing in Wales. Young people are increasingly describing themselves as spiritual, captivated by stories of the other.

“I find that young people are especially curious about faith. Perhaps more than anything, they want to know what difference having a faith can make. I believe the wind direction is changing in our nation."

"The intrigue of the next generation offers the Church a unique opportunity, one which should be grasped in hope," he added.

"I would challenge the premise, ‘young people aren’t religious’. The conversation has not only just started. It is alive and well.

"The Church needs to join in."

Gopala-Raya Dasa - Hare Krishna

(Image: BBC)

Born Thomas Charles, Gopala-Raya Dasa is a Hare Krishna monk from Swansea.

A branch of Hinduism, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, known as Hare Krishna, and was bought to New York in 1966 after being founded in the 16th century.

Its name comes from its chant, Hare Krishna, and is known for its public dancing and chanting.

It is now the youngest religion in Wales.

After attending St David’s Catholic School, Gopala said he wanted to find out more about himself - and found a new faith.

“At a certain stage in my life after college, I wanted to take a break and think what life was about,” he said.

"I felt like I was on a conveyor belt and wanted to take time out to find out who I was.

“I started reading about Hare Krishnas in book and chanting. I also started going to Govinda's vegetarian restaurant in Swansea.

"Hare Krishna, it answered all my questions. I didn’t find all the answers anywhere else and it was the community and chanting that appealed to me.

"This is my life now. I’m vegetarian, and my friends are different. My whole view of the world is different."

"Everyone has some sort of belief," he added. "I meet a lot of people who are looking for genuine spiritual experiences and have had enough of institutions.

"They don’t want rules and regulations. They want a spiritual experience.

"I think people are disillusioned and I think people want something deeper."

Sahar Al Fafi - Muslim

(Image: BBC)

Sahar Al Faifi is part of the oldest non-Christian faith in Wales - Islam.

Brought into the country by seamen who settled in Cardiff at the end of the 18th century, now Wales has 40 mosques, mainly based in south Wales.

It’s the fastest growing religion in Wales- with nearly 50,000 Muslims now living in Wales.

But for Sahar, a molecular geneticist and training to be a licenced solo skydiver, the ever-growing rise of Islam has bought problems about her identity in the country she was born in.

“It’s very important for me to fight stereotypes and prejudices because I am suffering from it,” she said.

“I’ve been verbally and even physically abused in the street because of these constant negative stories about us, about women of colour, about women of faith and it’s painful.

“It’s excruciating when someone tells you you’re an F-word bomber or go back to your country.

“I’m like no, I’m from Cardiff. Wales is a part of me and I’m a part of Wales. I am a proud Welsh Muslim and you’ve got to accept me for who I am.”

“I was born and raised as a Muslim,” she said. “Islam has been a big part of my life - since I was seven years old I started praying, I started memorising the Quaran at the age of 10 and now I have memorised half of it by heart.

"It’s always been a part of my life. I’m trying to put God at the centre of my life.

"When I was a teenager, I rebelled against everything, including my religion. But I remembered I stopped praying for a while and I started reading about other faiths and other religions, and every time I did that, I found myself going back to my own religion. It makes the most sense to me.

"I found myself coming back to my religion even stronger."

Now Sahar devotes her time to defend her faith, giving up her NHS job, despite the social media backlash she has faced.

"It’s not easy being a Welsh Muslim nowadays because of the rise of Islamophobia.

"Most of the abuse I got when Boris Johnson described veiled Muslim women as letter boxes.

"I was called a c***.

"I was also told I don't belong here.

"People still think that I'm a suicide bomber and that I'm not a human being.

"It's hurtful when someone sees you as a criminal and a suicide bomber who wants to kill other people. It's really painful.

"I'm trying to cope with it but I cannot believe that there are people out there who think of me like this. I am not a suicide bomber."

"My religion is so important to me because it maintains my soul spiritually and it maintains my being,” she added.

"It makes it much easier to go through the difficulties of life."

Mhara Starling - Pagan

(Image: BBC)

Living in Anglesey, 22-year-old Mhara Starling works as a sales assistant in a department store after having studied dance at university.

But in her spare time, she’s a pagan - a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who worshipped several gods.

"I live a normal life," she said. "I go to my job and I spend time with my partner Matthew.

"But there will be certain aspects of my life, like for example I’ll sweep the floor with a broom. Sweeping the floor with a broom in witchcraft could just be sweeping but also while doing that we visualise that we are sweeping away negative energy.

"A lot of witchcraft is about being in control of your life, and that was very empowering for someone like me.

I was marginalised as a teenager - at 13 I came out as gay and later on in life, came out as transgender.

"As someone on the outlines, always bullied, always left to the side, paganism was very attractive because not only was it very accepting, but also it was a way to stand in your own power and say ‘I’m powerful, I’m special, why shouldn’t I be?’

"My Paganism connects me to my cultural heritage, my 'Welsh-ness' if you wish," she added.

"I find so much strength and power connecting to the land I call home, and working with the spirits and entities of that land.

"How many 22 year olds from Wales can realistically recite Welsh mythology and folklore? How many of them have read and studied the Mabinogi, or know the history of druids on Anglesey?

"My Paganism helped me to do this and more.

"My paganism also empowers me to be wholly authentic to myself. It reminds me that I am a powerful, confident being who deserves to be on this planet.

"Paganism doesn’t shun me for being different, for being transgender, or for being anything at all.

"It breathes power into my day to day life, and through Paganism I have learnt so much about myself.

"Even before I knew what Paganism was it was influencing my life. I grew up on the tales of Branwen, Cerridwen and Bran, and now they play a prominent role in my practice.

"I also grew up by the sea and so I knew the beauty and the unapologetic power of nature.

"Paganism continues to teach me that I know so very little, and this path will continually enlighten me and empower me.

Will Moore - Christian

(Image: BBC)

University student Will Moore recently came out as bisexual and attends The Gathering, an LGBT+ Christian group in Cardiff.

Growing up with a mum as a priest, religion has always been a part of his life.

“My mum is a priest in the Church of England and so it’s been a part of family life for quite some time now,” Will said.

“She trained for ordination when I was growing up, has now been a hospice chaplain, and is off to her first Vicar post in a few weeks’ time.

"My life has always centred around religion to an extent, and now that I am a full participating member of the church, and particularly discerning ordination, it seems it might continue in that way."

But after coming out, Will struggled.

“I came out as bisexual the summer just gone,” he said. “Being in Cardiff, the Christians I know are absolutely accepting of it. But my church at home never talks about it.

“People are terrified to speak out about things that the rest of their church have the complete opposite view about.

"Some people think that not being straight and being a Christian are completely incompatible and it’s never going to happen.

But Will has found a place to worship that does accept him.

"Attending The Gathering, an LGBT+ church, has been one of the most important benchmarks for the impact of religion in my life and has proved to me that we are all loved by God, no matter who we are or who we love,” he said.

“Good and healthy religion can be an incredible thing."

Hannah Gerson - Jewish

(Image: BBC)

24-year-old Hannah Gerson grew up in a Jewish family in Lisvane in Cardiff.

Now working in London for a Jewish charity, Hannah has never seen religion as something she’s consciously chosen.

"When you have done something your whole life, you haven’t known any different,” she said.

"I think religion is just something I couldn’t imagine my life without."

Although Hannah was one of only around 2,000 Jews in Wales, she said being Jewish was like being part of a bigger family.

"If you live in a place where there aren’t many Jews, like in Cardiff, people are more than happy to open their homes,” she said.

"For us in the Jewish community, even if you’re not religious, I know most Jews will go home to their family and friends and do something special on a Friday night, even if it’s just Shabbat dinner.

"I think it’s lovely to know wherever I go, there’s always somewhere for me to go."

With a smaller Jewish population in the Welsh capital, though, there weren’t many people Hannah’s age with a similar background.

Now having moved to London, mainly for her job with a Jewish charity, there are many more people her age to relate to.

“There aren’t many Jewish people in Cardiff because a lot of them have moved to London and Manchester and Leeds because it’s easier to get things like Kosher meat and Jewish stuff,” Hannah said.

“In London, there are definitely a lot of people my age who are Jewish.”

But regardless of where Hannah is, she says the faith will always mean Jewish people will be willing to help her out.

“We’re a social religion as Jews every festival has something to do with food and inviting guests into our homes,” she said.

“We are historically used to being on the move so we’re always inviting people.

"I think it’s a lovely way to grow up.

"I think it’s a wonderful religion to be a part of. I think having a religion for me has been a big part of my life."

Siwan Reynolds - Spiritualist

(Image: BBC)

After being diagnosed with epilepsy in her teens, Siwan Reynolds from Cardiff wanted something to help her manage her condition when medication she was on gave her nasty side effects.

"We weren’t really religious as a family growing up,” Siwan, now 24, said. “My mum and dad went to chapel when they were younger but we weren’t religious

“When I was 14 I was diagnosed with epilepsy and when I was 20 I started to have more seizures and I went to the doctors and they advised me to take more medication.

"But they were causing more side effects like poor memory and it wasn’t fun to be on them, so I was open to anything else.

"I came across meditation and I started meditating as I heard it could decrease seizures.

"After four months, my life changed. My seizures decreased, my grades at University increased and I had physical energy. The main thing was I saw the world differently.

"It’s like I took off glasses I was wearing in my life until then and I started seeing the world as it is.

"I saw myself more clearly."

Siwan is now a spiritualist, where she collects elements of different religions and is forging her own belief system.

Some people would call me a spiritualist but I don’t really refer to myself as that,” she said.

"I believe that everything comes from within. Any religion, if they have qualities or beliefs that I resonate with, I celebrate that.

"For example, the Hare Krishnas all celebrate the Hare Krishna festival and it’s just lots of fun and lots of dancing and positive energy. When I dance with them I connect to the universe."

Now Siwan is a meditation teacher in Cardiff, and has started her own business called Calm Cloud to help teachers provide meditation in schools.

“I’d say if someone wants to find out more about themselves and go deeper, I’d advise them to start meditation,” she said.

“All the answers are within. If you meditate, you will find the way and take a step on that journey.

"The faith I have in the universe and my own power has made me look at life differently,” Siwan added.

“The universe is made out of love. What you think might be a big, scary monster in the future or the past is actually only a tiny gremlin.

"It’s seeing things more clearly."

Yousra Elsadig - Muslim

(Image: BBC)

31-year-old Yousra Elsadig is a Muslim mum-of-two who combines parenting with studying to become a designer of modest fashion wear.

For Yousra, being a Muslim has been a huge part of her life, even influencing her career.

"Religion is a big part of my life," she said. "I pray five times a day and read the Quaran to calm me down.

"It's a part of my daily life.

"Every time I'm in doubt, I always pray for guidance.

"Faith is a way of life. Every time I lose direction, I revert back to faith.

"It's a part of who I am as a human being."

After moving from Canada to the UK in 2010, Yousra realised there was no fashionable clothing that was modest and would therefore would adhere to her religion.

So she decided to do something about it, and now is studying design for her second degree at Cardiff University.

"I was always shy in high school but at that time, modest clothing was not up and coming," she recalled.

"I went to get a gown but couldn't find any clothing, so I designed my own prom dress and that was it.

"Ever since then, I've never looked back."

Chloe Richards - Evangelical Christian

(Image: BBC)

At a former Aldi store in Swansea, 25-year-old Chloe Richards attends her parents’ Evangelical Church, Cornerstone Church.

"Our church is different to other more traditional churches in the sense that I’d say we’re quite modern,” she said.

"We have a band and we often use YouTube clips and just things that relate to the average person.

"Our church is filled with young people. We have loads of 18-30s - about 100.

"Our church building is an old Aldi supermarket. My parents planted the church 27 years ago in their home with a group of young people and then they moved into an old Post Office.

"Then a couple of years ago we grew so big we couldn’t fit there anymore, so on Sundays we meet here."

"I've grown up in the church and I would go every Sunday, but there was definitely a point where I decided to chose for myself," she said.

"My parents made the choice to have have this faith but for me, I needed to chose if I was going to be a Christian.

"I remember where I decided that I do believe this and I want to be that way. Growing up, there were also a lot of different moments where I reaffirmed my faith."

"My faith is everything to me," she added. "It's the whole reason why I live.

"Religion for me isn't like a hobby. My faith defines my relationships, my time and my finances.

"It gives me peace and purpose and meaning.

"In our society these days, so many people are lost and on Instagram trying to find meaning. My faith gives me that.

"I wish more young people had that hope and love and peace and happiness my faith gives me."

All the people featured in this article appear in BBC show, Young, Welsh and Pretty Religious, which is available now on BBC iPlayer.