A STUDY ON ADOLESCENTS' RELIGIOUS FAITH, DOUBT, AND RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES

Adolescence when people experience intense physiological and psychological changes is one of the most important issues on which the Developmental Psychology scholars studied. This period during which identity and personality begin to take shape is described as a period when people experience both the religious awakening and awareness and religious doubt and uncertainty in the most intense level. Along with the development of mental abilities, the doubts and queries regarding religious issues begin to emerge. While the process of questioning and doubt in puberty strengthen and reinforce the religious beliefs on the imitation level for some people, it may result with religious neglect and disbelief for some others. The impact of the age, gender, type of school; education, income and pious levels of parents of the adolescents on their religious beliefs, attitudes and religious doubts were studied in this research. It was found that there is a significant difference among religious beliefs, attitudes and religious doubts in terms of the type of school; the older the adolescent, the more doubt on religion; the worship and pray points of the girls are higher than boys; the students whose family are rich get higher points and have more religious doubt than the students whose family have middle level income in terms of the topics of fate and fatality, good and evil and belief in the hereafter. It was also found that the higher the education level of parents the more acceptance of that the religion restrict the independence.