Religion and morality in the consciousness of university students: bioethical and moral liberalization from the perspective of Osmer’s model

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine the extent to which the level of bioethical liberalization among young people in a rapidly secularising Polish society is related to socio-demographic factors, religious socialisation, and perceptions of the normative functions of religion. This issue concerns both axiological changes and the changing role of religion in the process of shaping moral attitudes. The study is based on Richard Osmer’s four-element model, which served as a theoretical framework for the analysis of empirical data and the interpretation of its results. The analysis is based on data from quantitative research conducted in Poland by CBOS in 2024 on a sample of 1,000 students. The results indicate a high level of selective acceptance of selected bioethical beliefs and practices and a limited attribution of a normative function to religion. Religion gains significance where it offers support and a sense of security, but loses it as a source of social norms.