Why the country’s youth are abandoning religious conservatism

[OldWiseGuy]

Sure, people perceive things in different ways and through their own filter. Some people, are big on hearing what they want to hear and selectively listen and ignore the rest.

Didn't Paul Simon say that?

And again, back to the spirit of the OP, the reason young people are leaving the church in larger numbers, is because they don't agree with the church's stand on certain issues.

Young people tend to be pretty liberal, especially if they see their non-churched friends sinning freely and seeming getting away with it. They don't consider victimless sins as being all that bad.

The good news is that many such kids grow up with a strong sense of morals, albeit without the 'religion', that was instilled in them while they were in the church. Few 'go to hell in a handbasket' because they leave the church.

 

[brewmama]

The end of white Christian America is nigh: Why the country’s youth are abandoning religious conservatism - Salon.com
This part Nonsense to me. More like who cares.
Abortions are down, Thanks to contraception. So why try to get rid of them or make the harder to get? So people will start having more abortions instead.

I have to say I get turn off, about Christians trying to force people to live a certain way.

The premises of this article are so false it's hard to take it seriously.

"None of this is a reaction to any changes in people’s sexual behavior or reproductive choices. It’s not like there was a spike in abortions causing this panic. In fact, the abortion rate has been declining. And despite continuing media panic over adolescent sexuality, the fact is that teenagers are waiting longer to have sex, on average, than in the past. Despite this, not only are you seeing a dramatic increase in attacks on legal abortion, the Christian right has expanded its attacks to contraception access, suggesting that something has worked them into a panic they believe can only be resolved by trying to reassert their religious and sexual values."

Fact: the majority of people, including millenials, are against abortion now, so politically it makes sense. Saying the Christian right has expanded its attacks to contraception access is just an outright lie.

The fact that these changes in attitude are rising alongside the growth of irreligiosity is not a coincidence. More perhaps even than the 1960s, Americans are in a period of questioning rigid sexual and religious mores, and concluding, in increasing numbers, that they are not down with guilt-tripping people for victimless behavior and demanding conformity for its own sake. Some of them–now a whopping 22% of Americans!–are leaving religion entirely. Some are continuing in their faith but choosing to interpret their values differently than Christian conservatives would like.

Well of course sin turns you away from God, that's not newsworthy. If you honestly think that the sexual revolution and abandonment of morals has made society better, than you are missing a huge piece of the picture. People harmed by the damages done by evil will most likely turn again toward God.

By the way, I didn't see anything there about it being the young leaving. Is that identified somewhere else?

 

[bhsmte]

Didn't Paul Simon say that?

No idea.

Young people tend to be pretty liberal, especially if they see their non-churched friends sinning freely and seeming getting away with it. They don't consider victimless sins as being all that bad.

You assume the above. Of course, if you really want to know why young people leave church, you should ask them and they will tell you. That is what the Barna study did and it is a Christian source. If you want to know why people are motivated to do something; ask them.

 

[Supreme]

No idea.




You assume the above. Of course, if you really want to know why young people leave church, you should ask them and they will tell you. That is what the Barna study did and it is a Christian source. If you want to know why people are motivated to do something; ask them.

People's reasons for leaving the Church are really so diverse they can never be summarized by one article.

 

[bhsmte]

People's reasons for leaving the Church are really so diverse they can never be summarized by one article.

I disagree. If a study is done properly, you can get a good idea why young people are leaving church.

The study that I posted mentions 6 main reasons, which is a fairly diverse list to begin with.

 

[JustOneWay]

Didn't Paul Simon say that?

He did, although I doubt he was the first.

Still, a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest.

 

[bhsmte]

He did, although I doubt he was the first.

Still, a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest.

We all use the defense mechanisms of; denial and confirmation bias to some degree.

The difference is in; how often and to what degree people will use the same, in the face of well evidenced reality.

 

[HannahT]

You assume the above. Of course, if you really want to know why young people leave church, you should ask them and they will tell you. That is what the Barna study did and it is a Christian source. If you want to know why people are motivated to do something; ask them.

I have read a number of studies on why people are leaving the church, or doing church differently. Then you have the follow up articles of people going into more details on certain points.

Its normally received in a defensive manner, and followed up by some flippant response. ie: They like their sin to much.

When individuals refuse to listen, interact, and not act maturely? They will continue to leave. The church will continue to blame the world, culture, etc. Then claim the narrow path.

Sadly, I have seen this pattern to often.

 

[Sketcher]

Good points. It reminds that, overwhelmingly, it's the parent's fault if their kids reject the church. It is the parent's duty to frame church teaching in a way that they can understand. Parents must also 'walk the talk'; be an example of what they want their kids to become morally and spiritually.

It doesn't help that so many parents have divorced.

 

[Sketcher]

I have read a number of studies on why people are leaving the church, or doing church differently. Then you have the follow up articles of people going into more details on certain points.

Its normally received in a defensive manner, and followed up by some flippant response. ie: They like their sin to much.

In fairness, that does happen too.

 

[Tallguy88]

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