The Relationship between the Religiosity and Integrity of Young Generations in Papua, Indonesia: Studies from a Christian Perspective

Abstract

Papua, Indonesia, is a region of cultural and religious diversity. However, in facing social challenges, the development of youth character has become a critical issue. The Research and Development Centre for Religion, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Republic of Indonesia, conducted a survey of secondary schools. In 2021, the high school student index in Papua Province was below the national average. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship and level of correlation between religiosity and integrity among youth in Papua. We employed Christian biblical figures as models to illustrate their methods of developing and maintaining moral and ethical attributes. The method used is a quantitative approach with descriptive and correlational techniques. The findings indicate a significant positive correlation (0.629) between the religious dimension and the integrity dimension. This demonstrates a strong relationship between these two dimensions. The conclusion of this study essentially implies that there is a beneficial and strong relationship between religious discipline and integrity. This suggests that the two dimensions work together to shape and develop the personality of the younger generation.

1. Introduction

Religiosity refers to the level of commitment and adherence that an individual has towards a religious system or belief that they follow (Paloutzian and Park 2005; Israpil 2019). Religiosity can be understood as an abstract concept encompassing belief in and engagement with religion. On the other hand, religious behavior can be described as the specific religious beliefs that underpin the faith of a religious adherent, which can be either influenced by external factors or driven by personal motivations. This behavior helps individuals or groups establish a distinct identity (Cotton et al. 2010). In the field of behavioral science, various metrics are employed to assess religiosity. These measurements encompass five key dimensions: comprehensive diversity, ideology or doctrine, personal practice, external practice, religious pride, and religious prestige (Murtadlo et al. 2021). A religious character’s values include a profound belief in the existence of a singular deity. The adherence to religious teachings and beliefs, the recognition and acceptance of religious diversity, the fostering of a tolerant mindset towards the observance of different religious practices and beliefs, and the pursuit of righteous and peaceful coexistence with adherents of other faiths manifest these values. Integrity is an attitude that is consistent, honest, moral, and trustworthy, has the flexibility to adapt personal behavior to a given situation, (Gentry et al. 2016), and demonstrates a sense of respect and moral responsibility (Bates 2019). Integrity has the ability to both dismantle and uphold robust social networks and relationships, while also facilitating trust in others (Gentry et al. 2016). Integrity is the unwavering dedication to upholding five core principles: honesty, justice, trust, responsibility, and respect. These five values constitute a moral code or ethical policy that individuals should adhere to in different aspects of life. Character integrity is a core value that involves being dependable and trustworthy in one’s words, actions, and work. It entails a strong dedication and loyalty to both human and moral values (Murtadlo et al. 2021). Integrity is a crucial personal attribute that individuals in positions of power or responsibility, whether in public or private life, should possess (Akir and Malie 2012).

Integritras refers to a type of integration that characterizes the state of harmony between an individual’s views, particularly their ethical beliefs, and their actions. Most people’s religious views are objective—they believe in what is right and how to live. A religious person does not adhere to a religion that promotes abomination; instead, their faith guides their behavior. While this may be accurate in terms of individuals’ perceptions of their connection to their beliefs, it could potentially hold value. The most important thing is that their actions align with the religious principles that ensure or maintain their integrity (Jones 2018). Integrity is a concept that is embraced by everyone but can be defined by only a few, an ideal that is believed in by many but understood by few. Etymologically, it denotes an individual who possesses an unbroken, firm, genuine, or truthful nature. A biblical perspective describes a person as righteous if they follow God’s prescribed rules in both their words and actions. An individual with integrity is one whose words and actions reflect Jesus Christ’s character and conduct (Remmel 2023). According to Henry Cloud, a person who possesses integrity demonstrates faith and fosters it, confronts and acknowledges reality, operates in a manner that yields outcomes, embraces and resolves negative circumstances, fosters personal development and advancement, and inspires a sense of transcendence and purpose in life (Cloud 2009). Nigel Wright (2005), in his book, he describes how integrity and empowering relationships appear to have become two positive character traits in the lives of Jesus and his disciples, resulting in something unique and/or having a tangible positive impact on societies and communities in their respective times and cultures. Akir and Malie (2012), conducted a study investigating the correlation between different aspects of employee work behavior and dimensions of integrity and religious orientation. The research findings demonstrated a positive correlation between religious orientation and behavior. Dollahite and Marks conducted a study that explored the impact of religious and spiritual growth within the family on the positive development of adolescents. In this study, Dollahite and Marks emphasized how participation in religious communities, ministries, and youth groups can foster the development of moral and ethical character in adolescents, drawing on studies of young individuals from various religious communities including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam (Dollahite and Marks 2019). Jaroslaw Horowski’s article delves into the implications of Christian education, drawing from Thomas Aquinas’ theory of moral virtue and its modern Neo-Thomis development. This research centers on the development of cardinal virtues like wisdom, justice, resilience, and courage through Christian education, specifically focusing on schools in Poland (Horowski 2020). Marcin Wnuk’s research on religious connections and character, which explores how religious commitment moderates the relationship between faith and character strength, also reveals that practical religious activities like prayer, Mass attendance, and positive religious coffee strengthen the connection between faith and life’s essential elements like food, hope, and gratitude. His research emphasizes that without religious commitment, faith alone is insufficient to enhance character strength (Wnuk 2021).

Papua, Indonesia, is a region of cultural and religious diversity. However, in the face of social challenges, the development of the younger generation’s character has become a critical issue. The Centre for Religious Research and Development of the Indonesian Ministry of Religion conducted surveys of secondary school levels throughout Indonesia (34 provinces) to measure character values for the research. From 2019 to 2021, Papua was one of the provinces with low grade ratings. By 2021, Papua Province’s high school student ratings index of 66.17% was below the national average of 69.52% and ranked 33rd out of 34 provinces (Murtadlo et al. 2021). This concept implies that a person’s integrity is linked to their religiosity life. A person who believes in God and has integrity is honest, moral, accountable, and trustworthy. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship and degree of correlation between religiosity and integrity among youth in Papua. We use Christian biblical figures as models to illustrate their method of developing and nurturing their moral and ethical attributes. Within the Old Testament, numerous biblical characters have a profound reverence for God and exhibit unwavering moral uprightness. Joseph demonstrates his trustworthiness, honesty, and faithfulness via his integrity (Genesis 39: 1–23). Daniel, who demonstrates unwavering commitment to his religious practices, engages in kneeling, praying, and praising God three times daily (Daniel 6: 10–12). Habakuk demonstrates resilience and unwavering commitment in the face of difficult situations (Habakuk 3: 17–19). The objective of this research is to improve and perfect the caliber of human resources, namely by promoting the advancement and cultivation of character education among the younger population in Papua. Henry Cloud argues that integrity plays a crucial role in nurturing and maintaining faith. It involves the capacity to accurately perceive and confront reality, as well as the ability to act in a way that produces desired results. Additionally, integrity involves acknowledging and resolving unfavorable situations, promoting personal growth and improvement, and inspiring a sense of meaning and purpose in life. Integrity is a concept that is universally acknowledged, yet its exact definition is understood by only a few individuals. It is a concept that is widely accepted yet fully understood by just a few.

2. Results

This study analyzed the characteristics of the respondents, including their gender and age (as shown in

Table 1. Characteristics of Respondents.

Characteristics	n (%)	Religious			Integrity
		Mean ± SD	Max	Min	Mean ± SD	Max	Min
Sex
Male	95 (41.13)	75.28 ± 8.83	92	37	68.79 ± 8.61	80	34
Female	136 (58.87)	75.40 ± 8.35	92	25	68.98 ± 7.24	80	50
Age
17–20 years old	160 (69.26)	74.74 ± 8.46	92	25	68.94 ± 7.72	80	34
21–25 years old	71 (30.74)	76.73 ± 8.59	92	57	68.80 ± 8.06	80	48

Note: n = 231 respondents.

), as well religious and integrity dimensions. This study included a total of 231 respondents, with a higher proportion of female participants. The majority of respondents were in the age range of 17–20 years. There was no discernible difference in the average values of the religion and integrity dimensions. This indicates that both men and women had identical perceptions regarding these dimensions, as did individuals aged 17–25 years.

2.1. The Religious Dimension

The measurement of the character value of the religious dimension consists of five aspects and twenty-three indicators. Aspects of this dimension are doctrine or belief, personal practice, social practice, religious pride, and religious excellence. Each aspect is organized and measured by derivative indicators, with results as shown in

Table 2. Religious dimension profile.

Religious Aspects	Mean ± SD	Max	Min
Doctrine/Beliefs	9.92 ± 1.435	12	3
Personal Practice	17.26 ± 2.271	20	5
Social Practice	25.19 ± 3.513	32	8
Religious Pride/Religious Exclusivity	13.19 ± 2.270	16	4
Religious Prominence	9.80 ± 1.661	12	3

.

2.1.1. Aspects of Doctrine/Belief

Belief in God is a major feature in the lives of billions of people and is a topic that always attracts attention. Several factors can influence beliefs, such as, cognitive, motivational, and social factors (Mercier et al. 2018). People who have high self-enhancers are people with a strong desire to see themselves positively have a higher level of intrinsic religiosity, especially in societies that value religion more. They argue that religious elements such as belief in a relationship with God create positive feelings of self-worth, motivating people with high self-enhancers to adopt stronger religious beliefs (Sedikides and Gebauer 2010; Mercier et al. 2018). As Proverbs 3: 5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding”. In this study, there are as many as 71% of young people in Papua strongly agree if in this life must believe in God, 28% of them only agree and approximately 1% of the younger generation strongly disagree. In fact, people with a more analytic cognitive style tend to be less trusting (Pennycook et al. 2012; Critcher and Lee 2018). This decline in confidence is accelerated by feedback as cultural norms change. In a religious society, people are socialized to believe in God through a community that values and encourages faith (Mercier et al. 2018). Belief in God is motivated by a perceived need for control, which they demonstrate by showing that experimentally threatening one’s sense of control can increase belief in God (Kay et al. 2008; Mercier et al. 2018). Most of them also believe that the scriptures are the true guide to life as written in 2 Timothy 3:15, “From infancy, you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith”. Approximately 1% of young people disagree and strongly disagree, 69% strongly agree and 29% agree if scripture is used as a guide in their lives. The last indicator in this aspect is believing in vengeance, and the retribution in question is that retribution comes from God and not from humans as written in Romans 12: 19 “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay.” This study found that many young people in Papua still believe that retribution comes from God and not their will, 19% strongly agree and 33% agree, and almost half of them feel that retaliation is their will (32% disagree and 16% strongly disagree). They believe that revenge is a psychological and emotional state that is activated automatically and provides a strong impetus to retaliate when someone is treated maliciously by others (Mcdermott et al. 2017; Nainggolan 2023).

2.1.2. Aspects of Personal Practice

The religious life of Christians today cannot be separated from the religious life of God’s people in Old Testament times centered on the Tabernacle and the Temple (Purba 2021). Worship is a core activity of religious worshippers, worship practices rooted in religious traditions, sociocultural heritage, ideas about the proper way for humans to relate to God and sacred things, and congregational efforts to provide valuable experiences for people (Roso et al. 2020). In this world, God has designed the church to be a place where gifts are found, nurtured, and used to build up the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 14). Paul also describes the church as God’s home (1 Timothy 3: 15) and the church as a family (Galatians 3: 28; Hebrews 13: 1). Based on the results of this study, young people in Papua strongly agree (55%) if they have to be diligent in coming and worshiping in places of worship (44% agree) and studying religious teachings seriously (42% agree); there are still 1% of them who strongly disagree with these two activities. For Christians the Bible is a source of guidance for life, so the majority of young people in Papua diligently read the Bible (46% strongly agree and 51% agree) and practice the teachings of the holy book (46% strongly agree and 50% agree), as written in 2 Timothy 3: 16, “Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness”. The majority of people pray every day, prayer is a constant throughout the history of religion. We generally know that prayer is an individual and collective ritual that creates interaction or communication addressed to God, and a mechanism that increases belief in the supernatural (Froese and Jones 2021). Prayer is said to possibly promote inner peace and contemplation, build community and belonging, strengthen hope, faith and trust (Stöckigt et al. 2021). Praying is a commandment, God’s Word says in 1 Thessalonians 5: 17, “Pray without ceasing”. Therefore, the young generation in Papua strongly agrees (45%) to pray regularly and as many as 52% agree, while there are still approximately 3% of them who do not pray regularly this is very unfortunate because, prayer is an important part of the Christian faith in expressing their hearts and asking for enlightenment, and in the practice of faith (Fan 2024).

2.1.3. Aspects of Social Practice

The aspect of social practice consists of eight indicators, namely, caring for human affairs, associating with neighbors, cooperating with others of different religions and understanding, peace-loving, violence in the name of religion, prioritizing friendship, valuing others with sincerity and not imposing will. As social creatures, it is an obligation for the younger generation to care for each other’s affairs and get along with each other, so it is not surprising that most young people in Papua have a very high sense of care (34% strongly agree and 56% agree) and good association between neighbors or others (32% strongly agree and 64% agree). In addition, Christianity advocates doing good without discriminating, cultivating the autonomous will of all people, and trying to love regardless of one’s moral worthiness (Fan 2024). Collaborating or cooperating with people of different religions and understandings (41% strongly agree–50% agree), prioritize friendship (39% strongly agree–54% agree), judge others with sincerity (43% strongly agree and 48% agree) and do not impose the will of others (28% strongly agree, 57% agree) are common things performed by young people in Papua, as it is written in James 2: 8 and Matthew 22: 39, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Peace is an integral part of human existence. In everything we do, in everything we say, in every thought we have, there is always a place for peace (Leckman et al. 2021). Based on the results of research on young people in Papua who love peace, 58% strongly agree and 40% agree; where they strongly disagree if there is violence in the name of religion, as many as 25% disagree and as many as 36% strongly disagree. The social activities associated with religion in Papua are highly commendable, as evidenced not only by research findings but also by the data from the index of religious assemblies in Papua conducted by the Litbang and Diklat Agency of the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia. This index ranks in the high category, with an average score of 75.72. Exemplary tolerance is also demonstrated via activities such as constructing places of worship collectively, organizing forums for communal gatherings, and commemorating significant religious occasions. As an illustration, Muslims residing in Papua frequently extend invitations to their Christian neighbors to jointly commemorate Idul Fitri, and reciprocally, Muslim are invited to celebrate Christmas. They will mutually influence one another in promoting the security and organization of worship within each religious group.

2.1.4. Aspects of Religious Pride/Religious Exclusivity

Religious pride is the fourth aspect in the religious dimension which consists of four indicators. Readiness to defend religion, proud to practice the teachings of the religion adhered to, comfortable with the banaran of the religion adhered to, and amazed by the teachings of the religion adhered to. In the Bible it is written, “Therefore he who resists the euthority, withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgement. For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority?” (Roma 13: 2–3). Therefore, in terms of readiness to defend the country, many young people in Papua agree (56%) and strongly agree (as many as 35%) even though there are still those who do not agree (5%) and strongly disagree (3%). For indicators of pride in practicing the teachings adhered to, as many as 45% chose to strongly agree, 43% to agree, 7% to disagree and 4% to strongly disagree. Most young people in Papua are comfortable with the truth of their religion—49% strongly agree and 44% agree. On the other hand, there is a small percentage who do not feel comfortable with the truth of their religion—as many as 5% vote not to agree and 2% vote strongly disagree. In general, young people in Papua have admiration for their religious teachings (41% strongly agree and 46% agree), but a small number do not (9% disagree and 4% strongly disagree).

2.1.5. Aspects of Religious Prominence

The last aspect is religious prominence, which consists of three categories, assessing good and bad norms based on religion, making religion a source of decision making and religion as the peak of individual affiliation. This aspect refers to Proverbs 3: 5–6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight”. The majority of young people agree that the good and bad of a norm can be judged based on religion because as many as 47% agree and 42% strongly agree—the rest disagree that they judge the good and bad of a norm based only on religion (8% disagree and 3% strongly disagree). In terms of living life as among the young generation who believe in religious teachings, with a religion a main source in decision making, 49% agree and 39% strongly agree; and with religion as the peak of individual affiliation, 39% strongly agree and 50% agree.

2.2. The Integrity Dimension

In the integrity dimension, the characteristic measurement of this dimension consists of five aspects and twenty indicators, five of which are honesty, trustworthy, admiration/respect, responsible, and fair. Each aspect is and measured by derivative indicators, with results as shown in

Table 3. Profile dimension integrity.

Integrity Aspects	Mean ± SD	Max	Min
Honesty	12.96 ± 2.158	16	7
Trustworthy	13.95 ± 1.759	16	7
Admiration or Respect	17.87 ± 2.137	20	9
Responsible	10.44 ± 1.365	12	5
Fair	13.69 ± 1.827	16	4

.

2.2.1. Aspect of Honesty

Honesty is a trait, attitude or habit of an individual who can be trusted in deeds, words and work both for himself and for others, and always says everything as it is also in harmony between what is said and what has been done. Honesty is telling what is, having an open nature, consistent with what is said and done; in other words, integrity, so they can be trusted and do not cheat (Auliyairrahmah et al. 2021). In the Bible, the Lord Jesus said “But let your words be so, if yes say yes, if not say no: For what is more than that of the evil one.” (Matthew 5: 37). This aspect consists of four indicators, namely, conformity between thoughts and feelings, conformity between thoughts and actions, conformity between feelings and actions, and avoiding cheating behavior and various forms of cheating in school. Based on the results of this study, of the young generation in Papua, 34% strongly agree and 61% agree that there is compatibility between thoughts and feelings, 33% strongly agree and 57 agree that is compatibility between thoughts and actions, 34% strongly agree and 54% agree that there is compatibility between feelings and actions and the remaining 1–10% do not agree and strongly disagree with the three indicators. The last indicator, namely avoiding cheating behavior and various forms of cheating in schools, needs attention because although 47% strongly agree and 36% agree that it is good considering “Do not steal, deceive, or lie to one another” (Proverbs 12: 22), there are still approximately 17% who think that this should not be avoided by them (10% disagree and 7% strongly disagree).

2.2.2. Aspect of Trustworthy

Living dependent on God means truly having surrender to God and not walking in one’s own strength, even involving God in all aspects of daily life (Gea 2020). The trustworthiness aspect is divided into four indicators, keeping the mandate from parents, keeping the mandate from friends, keeping the mandate from the teacher and centered on the truth that everyone agrees on. This aspect is reflected in 1 Corinthians 15: 33, which reads “Don’t be deceived: Evil companionships corrupts good morals”. Maintaining the mandate of parents is very important for the younger generation. The results of this study show that the younger generation in Papua always keeps the mandate from their parents; as many as 65% strongly agree, 32% agree, 2% disagree and 1% strongly disagree (Table 3). In addition to parents, teachers are parents at school so it is necessary for them to maintain the mandate of the teacher; in general, the youth maintain the mandate of the teacher—as many as 61% strongly agree and 38% agree to always keep every mandate from the teacher. It is not only parents and teachers who must be trusted but also friends—it is necessary for the younger generation to keep the trust from a friend because they are always around us. A total of 61% voted in favor and 32% strongly agreed to keep the mandate from friends, while the remaining 4% disagreed and 2% strongly disagreed. Love for the truth that everyone agrees on is a good thing to keep the trust, so it is a good thing to do; therefore, the majority of generations in Papua strongly agree (52%) and agree (45%) to embrace it.

2.2.3. Aspect of Admiration/Respect

Respect means paying attention to the respected subject, taking into account its specificity and peculiarities, as well as taking into account the well-being of the subject. The act of giving attention as a prerequisite of respect does not mean that we should spend our lives trying to understand the specific opinions and beliefs of each individual we meet. Respect supposes concern for others, considers their interests, helps them where possible, or acts for their well-being (Voinea et al. 2022). This aspect consists of four predictors, and the first is respect for parents. According to Ephesians 6: 1–3, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for it must be so. This honor your father and mother is an important commandment, as is evident from this promise: that you may be happy and live long on earth.” The results of this study (Table 3) show that the majority of young people in Papua have great respect for their parents—as many as 72% strongly agree and 26% agree although there are still approximately 1% (strongly disagree) of those who do not respect their parents, perhaps because they lack attention or because they have trauma during childhood. Teachers are parents at school; therefore, they also respect teachers as they respect their parents, with 69% strongly agreeing and 30% agreeing. Respecting others means valuing others not just for being themselves but for being themselves, which means that we must consider their well-being, while each person must (as it were) abstract from certain glaring structures of inequality in which we find them (Metcalfe and Moulin-Stożek 2020). In 1 Peter 2: 17, it says “Honor all men, have mercy on your brethren, fear God, honor the king”. In terms of respecting seniors, 51% strongly agree and 48% agree. In terms of protecting underclassmen, 50% strongly agree and 49% agree. Further, the youth in Papua respect and value people with disabilities, with 54% strongly agreeing and 43% agreeing that they should respect people with special needs.

2.2.4. Aspect of Responsible

Responsibility is the ability to respond, meaning that we answer to what we do. If we are going to do something, follow our promise. If we follow a mistake, we must be honest with that mistake and take responsibility by dealing with the consequences. Responsibility is literally the ability to respond and answer, meaning responsibility is oriented towards others, paying attention, and actively responding to what they want (Ansori et al. 2021). The responsible aspect consists of three indicators, carrying out the duties of the teacher well, avoiding rule-breaking tendencies, and being an example for everyone. This aspect refers to Galatians 6: 5, “For each man will bear his own burden”. As a student, it cannot be separated from the duties and responsibilities, namely doing the tasks given by the teacher. So it is not surprising that the young generation in Papua carry out every task given by teachers very well—based on the results of research, as many as 59% strongly agree and 40% agree. Likewise, in terms of being a good role model for everyone, especially in terms of kindness, as many as 62% strongly agree and 37% agree—this indicates that the young generation in Papua have a sense of responsibility. Unlike the case with staying away from rule-breaking tendencies, although many of them choose not to break the rules, 39% strongly agree and 52% agree, but there are still approximately 9% of young people in Papua who tend to break the rules, which means that some young people in Papua still cannot take responsibility for themselves.

2.2.5. Aspect of Fair

The principle of justice inherently intertwines with the preservation of harmonious social relations in life. Prioritizing justice is crucial, as its absence can cause significant disruptions in social interactions, potentially leading to anarchy (Manurung 2021). When it comes to acting justly in social relationships, the Bible strongly supports this because, on many occasions, the Bible gives direction through His prophets for God’s people in the past to act on justice (Bua et al. 2019; Manurung 2021). Learning from the Bible through the story of Moses, the Lord God told the Israelites to do justice right because that is why they would live in the land God gave them (Deuteronomy 16: 20). Through the prophet Micah, God required the Israelites to do the good thing of being just (Micah 6: 8); and in Psalm 11: 7, it reads “For God is just and He loves justice; the sincere shall look upon his face”. The results showed that young people in Papua uphold the value of justice in life because as many as 50% strongly agree and 48% agree, although not all of them view themselves proportionally because 10% disagree and 1% strongly disagree that they need to view themselves proportionally. The value of life has always been practiced by the young generation in Papua—as many as 59% strongly agree and 38% agree that they can accept schoolmates and others with all the advantages and disadvantages of that person. In addition, they were able to put themselves in appropriate situations and conditions—as many as 45% strongly agree and 52% agree.

2.3. The Correlation between Religious Aspects and Integrity Aspects

Conventional religious education serves to make children have faith and piety, as well as noble morals, so that they can live in society peacefully and happily, without experiencing significant difficulties (Winia et al. 2020). The ability of belief in God and religion in general to alleviate the impact of negative events in life has been put forward as one explanation for the relationship between religiosity and better well-being (Whitehead and Bergeman 2012; Mercier et al. 2018). Integrity holds to one’s principles, moral or otherwise, in the face of temptation. Integrity is also about obedience to norms or moral expectations. Integrity is a complex concept that is harmonious and inseparable from moral standards. In addition to consistency and commitment to one’s values and principles, integrity is also about moral convictions, self-knowledge, and the absence of self-deception (Prinsloo and De Klerk 2020). The results indicate a significant positive correlation (correlation coefficient = 0.629) between the religious dimension and the integrity dimension. This suggests a strong relationship between these two dimensions.

Table 4. Relationship between aspects in the religious dimension to integrity.

			Integrity
			Honesty	Trustworthy	Admiration or Respect	Responsible	Fair
Religious	Doctrine/Beliefs	Correl. Coefficient	0.273 **	0.262 **	0.288 **	0.335 **	0.272 **
		Sig. (2-tailed)	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000
	Personal Practice	Correl. Coefficient	0.392 **	0.424 **	0.535 **	0.503 **	0.417 **
		Sig. (2-tailed)	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000
	Social Practice	Correl. Coefficient	0.387 **	0.317 **	0.331 **	0.306 **	0.347 **
		Sig. (2-tailed)	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000
	Religious Pride/Religious Exclusivity	Correl. Coefficient	0.471 **	0.448 **	0.525 **	0.474 **	0.480 **
		Sig. (2-tailed)	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000
	Religious Prominence	Correl. Coefficient	0.466 **	0.380 **	0.301 **	0.391 **	0.437 **
		Sig. (2-tailed)	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000

** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

shows a significant link (p-Value = 0.000 < 0.05) between religious and integrity dimensions at various levels. The level of relationship between the belief aspect and each aspect of the integrity dimension is weak, with the lowest correlation coefficient value being 0.262 in the relationship between belief and trust and the highest being 0.288 in the relationship between belief and respect. Personal practice varies according to the integrity dimension. The correlation coefficient between personal practice and honesty is 0.392, indicating a weak association between the two factors. While the association between components of personal practice and trust (0.424), respect (0.535), accountability (0.503), and fairness (0.417) is moderate. The association between aspects of social practice and each aspect of the integrity dimension is weak, with the responsible aspect having the lowest correlation coefficient value (0.306) and the honesty aspect having the highest (0.387). The link between religious pride and all aspects of the integrity dimension is moderate. Religious pride and trustworthiness have the lowest connection coefficient of 0.448, while religious pride and respect have the greatest correlation coefficient of 0.525.

3. Discussion

Religion is attractive (Critcher and Lee 2018), because it can offer a sense of belonging to those experiencing affiliative setbacks (Aydin et al. 2010), reduce hostility to the uncertainties of the world (Hogg et al. 2010) and serve to dampen existential anxieties (Norenzayan and Hansen 2006). The religious atmosphere in a community can be seen as a cultural perception that provides a shared intellectual framework based on religious ideology (Shao et al. 2023). As an ancient and important phenomenon, religious beliefs are considered to have two attributes: spirituality and organization. Spirituality refers to the ways in which religion fundamentally shapes people’s values, beliefs, and attitudes. The organization describes how religion plays an important role in the identification of groups in a particular society (Xia et al. 2021). The value of religious character is to reflect faith in God Almighty, which is manifested in the behavior of carrying out religious teachings and beliefs professed, respecting religious differences, upholding a tolerant attitude towards the implementation of religious worship and other beliefs, and living in harmony and peace with followers of other religions. The value of integrity character is the value that underlies behavior based on making himself a person who can always be trusted in words, actions, and work and who has commitment and loyalty to human and moral values (Murtadlo et al. 2021).

Based on the character values of both dimensions, there are three figures in the Old Testament who uphold the values of both dimensions: Joseph, Daniel, and Habakkuk. Joseph, thanks to his honesty and integrity, was trusted by his master to take care of his house and assets. Genesis 39: 3–4 “His master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did posper in his hand. Joseph found favour in his sight. He ministered to him, and he made him oversee his house, and all that he had he put into his hand”. With great trust and power, he had many opportunities to abuse that authority. But out of respect for God, he refused to commit adultery by his master’s wife and chose to flee, even risking being slandered and imprisoned. Genesis 39: 9 “Even in this house, she is no more powerful than me, and there is nothing he has not handed over to me but you, for you are his wife. How can I commit this great evil and sin against God?” From Joseph, we can learn that integrity means being trustworthy, honest, and faithful to the right thing. We become trustworthy people if we believe in God and make the scriptures the right guide for life, and our words and deeds must be in line.

As the most prominent authority in the Persian Media, the prophet Daniel aroused envy and discontent among many other officials. They manipulated King Darius into issuing a decree that banned worship of anybody other than the king, which led to Daniel’s downfall (Daniel 6: 4–7). “Therefore, King Darius made a warrant with that prohibition. To hear Daniel say that the warrant had been made, he went to his house. In the upper room were windows that opened towards Jerusalem; three times a day he kneeled down, prayed, and praised his God, as he usually did. Then, the men rushed in and found Daniel praying and begging God”. The prophet Daniel was a man of integrity. He was firm in his commitment to prayer and not to worship idols. Even being put into the lion’s den, he could not shake his heart and faith in the Lord God because he was comfortable with the truth he professed. As Christians and young individuals, we can derive valuable lessons from the prophet Daniel. By consistently adhering to the teachings of the scriptures and engaging in frequent prayer, we can cultivate a strong sense of integrity, mirroring Daniel’s unwavering dedication to God and obedience to His word.

Prophet Habakkuk is known as one of the prophets who has integrity in his leadership. The difficult situations he faced, such as oppression, injustice, and violence, did not make him leave the Lord God. He remained hopeful and trusted that God would establish justice for the righteous. “Though the fig tree does not bloom, the vine does not bear fruit, the olive tree disappoints, though the fields produce no food, the sheep are driven out of confinement, and there are no oxen in the stable, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, in the God who saved me. God, my Lord, is my strength. He made my feet like deer’s feet; He let me trace my hills” (Habakkuk 3: 17–19). From the prophet Habakkuk, we can learn that integrity means willingness to accept responsibility, and an attitude of responsibility is a sign of personal maturity. A person who has a good personality is one who studies the teachings of the scriptures seriously and practices them. Those who have integrity are those who are willing to carry out their duties to the best of their ability, even in difficult circumstances.

This research is limited to the younger generation who continue their studies at the Christian public colleges in Papua Province and has not accommodated the opinions of younger generations from other colleges, even the young generation who have not continued their studies in college. The constraints encountered in terms of time, cost, and questionnaire filling were performed manually due to an unoptimal digital literacy.

4. Materials and Methods

This study used a survey research methodology, utilizing prospective data, to examine the correlation between religious characteristics and the development of integrity in the younger generation. The data gathering method employed is observational and involves the use of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by new students of Sentani State Christian College in July 2023, at the age criterion of ≤25 years, who graduated from high schools in Papua, originating from Papua (the Papua tribe), filling out the questionnaires in full. The total number of new students was 492, which met the inclusion criteria of 231 samples, so the researchers took the entire sample to respond to the research.

The research instrument uses a questionnaire that covers questions about religious dimensions and integrity. The religious dimension consists of 23 indicators grouped into five aspects (doctrine/belief, personal practice, social practice, religious pride/religious exclusiveness, religion excellence), and the integrity dimension is composed of 20 indicators grouped into five aspects (honesty, trustworthy, admire/respect, responsible, fair). Respondents’ answers were evaluated using a Likert scale of “1 very disagree”, “2 disagree”, “3 agree”, and “4 very agree”.

The data obtained were entered into MS Excel and subsequently cleaned. Further analysis was conducted using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (IBM SPSS). The method employed in this study is quantitative, with descriptive and correlational approaches. The descriptive approach was utilized to describe the characteristics of the respondents and the profiles of the religious and integrity dimensions. The correlational approach was used to examine the relationship between the religious and integrity dimensions. Reliability testing yielded reliable results (Cronbach’s alpha value > 0.60), and normality testing using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test indicated that the data were not normally distributed (p < 0.05). In this case, Spearman’s rank-order correlation was used due to the non-normal distribution of the data.

5. Conclusions

From a Christian perspective, this study aims to examine how religious dimensions can play a role in shaping the character of integrity among the youth in Papua, Indonesia. The findings indicate a significant and positive relationship between the religious dimension and the dimension of integrity, with a correlation coefficient of 0.629. This demonstrates that the relationship between these two dimensions is not only present but also quite strong. The religious dimension studied encompasses various religious aspects, such as beliefs, personal practices, social practices, religious pride, and the prominence of religion. This dimension plays a crucial role in shaping the moral and ethical framework of the youth, which forms the foundation of their integrity. Integrity, in this context, is defined as consistency in actions that reflect honesty, trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, and commitment to strong ethical principles. The correlation coefficient from this study indicates that the higher an individual’s religiosity, the higher their level of integrity. This demonstrates that the Christian teachings received and practiced by the youth in Papua significantly contribute to the development of an integrity character. This strong relationship indicates that religious teachings not only shape the spiritual aspect but also mirror ethical and moral behavior in daily life. This study highlights the need for educational institutions and churches in Papua to enhance holistic religious education, emphasizing not only the spiritual dimension but also character development.

This research focuses exclusively on the younger generation attending Christian public colleges in Papua Province. It aims to conduct a comparative study between those who are currently studying and those who have not yet formed opinions on the views of the younger generation from other colleges, including those who are not pursuing higher education. Due to suboptimal digital literacy, we faced manual limitations in terms of time, cost, and questionnaire completion.