Why do teenagers and young adults hate Christianity ?

[Desk trauma]

It is not going to matter with a person like him. He said himself it was not that he suffered spiritual abuse. It is on him to accept the Truth and he doesn't. People want all Christians to be tolerant and loving or whatever. But when someone has been given a chance to believe time and time again and they deny or circumvent issues then you know what is going on inside them and it has nothing to do with how Christians are treating him.

Correct, it has to do with the claims of Christianity not being persuasive.

 

[Desk trauma]

Probably not enough beatings. [/sarcasm]

And not enough vitriol about the gay.

 

[MehGuy]

I just passed by (didn't watch, but will) a video discussing the proposal that there are so few true women atheists (people with zero belief in any form of supernaturality) than male atheists. My immediate response is to agree (at least in my own way of thinking).

Are you able to post the video here? I am curious to watch it.

While I am passionate about the subject of gender, when it comes to the tendency for men or woman to be atheist, I don't have any real strong feelings nor strong opinions. I have thought about it before, and my best guess is that men on average are less coddled than women and generally have less of a social safety net compared to women. So, our gender is willing to face concepts that many find harsh and disturbing such as the idea of a Godless universe.

This is just a guess though, I'm not very confident one way or the other about the reasons why. That's just my take at the moment. There was a recent study I saw posted here that says gen-Z women are less religious on average compared to gen-Z men.

 

[MehGuy]

I don't think there's a waning interest in the supernatural per se. But exploration is occurring outside of mainstream institutions and influences. It's more personal and inquisitive. What some might deem as spiritual is more prevalent than alignment to a belief system. I think we've reached the point where many are willing to admit no one knows it all.

~bella

I'm pretty sure the number of atheists/agnostics is rising each generation. It's probably a mixture of that are siphoning the number of Christians away. Non-belief and more independent spiritual paths. The latter I personally view as wishy washy and imagine many of them will become atheists/agnostics down the line.

This can quickly change though. With global warming and increased tribalism and society possibly falling apart I imagine many future generations will revert back to spirituality, and probably find strength in numbers religions like Christianity appealing.

 

[Robban]

I'm now reminded what my son said when asked why he rejects Christianity: "Christians use the Bible for ego instead of the other way around."

I am not comfortable with the word "Bible", Bible/bibliotek/libary. though good to have for me Torah is all we need, there is nothing better.

For prayer Psalms are unbeatabe .

 

[dlamberth]

I'm not sure I understand what "the other way around" would be. What is using ego for the Bible, and why is it preferable?

I believe what my son was referring to believers using the Bible to justify the building up of their own ego in their attitude towards non-believers, sinners and those considered outside of the fold. The other way around would be humbleness which one finds in things like love, compassion, empathy and service to those in need.

 

[dlamberth]

That's nice. Repentance is anything but ego. It is ego death. That is why atheists hate Christianity. That is why they try and be atheist evangelists.

You may not realize it, but your proving my point.
Thank You!

 

[PloverWing]

That's nice. Repentance is anything but ego. It is ego death. That is why atheists hate Christianity. That is why they try and be atheist evangelists.

Stop that. If you have concrete evidence of an evil action that Bradskii has committed for which he feels no remorse, present that evidence now. Otherwise, do not bear false witness against your neighbor.

 

[All Becomes New]

Stop that. If you have concrete evidence of an evil action that Bradskii has committed for which he feels no remorse, present that evidence now. Otherwise, do not bear false witness against your neighbor.

We are all sinners. I do not need a specific thing to point out about him. The difference between him and Christians is that Christians repent of their sin and atheists think they have nothing to repent of.

 

[All Becomes New]

Christ commands everyone everywhere to repent. Somehow I am in the wrong for pointing out that an atheist who does not fear God needs to repent. Somehow I am the bad guy here even on a Christian forum.

I think it is exactly this sort of manby-panby sentimentalism that is wrong with the Church. It is feeling sorry for the wrong people. Feeling sorry for degenerates. Feeling sorry for the rebellious. Feeling sorry for the God-haters. No, I am afraid that if this person was face to face with Christ, he would still reject him and then Christ would rebuke his rebellion.

 

[Paulos23]

Christ commands everyone everywhere to repent. Somehow I am in the wrong for pointing out that an atheist who does not fear God needs to repent. Somehow I am the bad guy here even on a Christian forum.

I think it is exactly this sort of manby-panby sentimentalism that is wrong with the Church. It is feeling sorry for the wrong people. Feeling sorry for degenerates. Feeling sorry for the rebellious. Feeling sorry for the God-haters. No, I am afraid that if this person was face to face with Christ, he would still reject him and then Christ would rebuke his rebellion.

When someone comes up to me on the street and yells at me to repent and that I am a sinner, is it any wonder I don't want to listen to them?

When someone comes up to my friend and says they are a sinner because they look gay, is it any wonder we don't want to listen to them?

I understand how good it feels to you that you are speaking what you feel is truth. But you may get better results if you talk in a softer way.

 

[All Becomes New]

When someone comes up to me on the street and yells at me to repent and that I am a sinner, is it any wonder I don't want to listen to them?

When someone comes up to my friend and says they are a sinner because they look gay, is it any wonder we don't want to listen to them?

I understand how good it feels to you that you are speaking what you feel is truth. But you may get better results if you talk in a softer way.

All you atheists and non-Christians on this site already know the evidence. It is not the same thing as some street preacher yelling ostensibly at passers-by. You come here of your own volition. You engage with our content. You have been told. You have been given good reasons. Still, you bury your head in the sand to the plain facts. Ever a nay-sayer never making a positive case of your own. Simply denying what is there.

 

[RDKirk]

Are you able to post the video here? I am curious to watch it.

While I am passionate about the subject of gender, when it comes to the tendency for men or woman to be atheist, I don't have any real strong feelings nor strong opinions. I have thought about it before, and my best guess is that men on average are less coddled than women and generally have less of a social safety net compared to women. So, our gender is willing to face concepts that many find harsh and disturbing such as the idea of a Godless universe.

This is just a guess though, I'm not very confident one way or the other about the reasons why. That's just my take at the moment. There was a recent study I saw posted here that says gen-Z women are less religious on average compared to gen-Z men.

The video is below. The author's primary contention is that women are more religious because that has been their refuge from gender oppression. I don't fully agree with that being the simple cause, because although the author briefly mentioned the greater participation of women in New Age and other non-traditional forms of spirituality and supernaturality, he mostly examines Western organized religion and its place in Western society. His contention is that religion is the refuge of all oppressed people, and those who are on the top of their societies are naturally less inclined to depend upon anything other than themselves.

There is some truth to that, of course. Even an ancient Roman remarked that "Christianity is the religion of slaves and women." However...Roman men at the top of that society were extremely religions toward their own pagan deities. That Roman's remark was directed specifically at the particular democratizing characteristics of Christian belief. And you this difference still appearing even in the most egalitarian societies today.

Plus, we'd have to wonder why women continue to be more religious even in particular religions that are themselves specifically oppressive to women, and often willingly adopt the most ascetic forms of those religions.

When we broaden the concept beyond organized religion, we find women more involved more varied forms of supernaturality than men. Astrology, crystals, witchcraft, voodoo, "manifesting," et cetera. The extensive variety of forms of feminine supernaturality is as significant as the extent of their participation in supernaturality. This is commented upon in the Old and New Testaments, as well.

 

[Paulos23]

All you atheists and non-Christians on this site already know the evidence. It is not the same thing as some street preacher yelling ostensibly at passers-by. You come here of your own volition. You engage with our content. You have been told. You have been given good reasons. Still, you bury your head in the sand to the plain facts. Ever a nay-sayer never making a positive case of your own. Simply denying what is there.

Would it surprise you that this site is one of the reasons I became an atheist?

I do see evidence on this site, and it is not all positive for Christianity.

 

[Larniavc]

That is why atheists hate Christianity.

They don’t. They find Christianity and all the other religions irrelevant. There are some firebrands but that’s just people being people.

That’s not to say people don’t hate the way Christians behave. But you can hate the behaviour without hating the person.

 

[Larniavc]

The difference between him and Christians is that Christians repent of their sin and atheists think they have nothing to repent of.

It’s more like we think that there is no one to repent to (unless it’s the person we have wronged).

But that’s just saying sorry. Nothing supernatural.

 

[PloverWing]

We are all sinners. I do not need a specific thing to point out about him. The difference between him and Christians is that Christians repent of their sin and atheists think they have nothing to repent of.

I agree that we are all sinners. We all do things in the course of our lives that hurt the people around us. When you say that "atheists think they have nothing to repent of", you are claiming that atheists have no remorse for the ways they've hurt people and that they do not try to improve their actions in the future. That's a serious charge, and I want to see your evidence for it.

Christ commands everyone everywhere to repent. Somehow I am in the wrong for pointing out that an atheist who does not fear God needs to repent. Somehow I am the bad guy here even on a Christian forum.

I think it is exactly this sort of manby-panby sentimentalism that is wrong with the Church. It is feeling sorry for the wrong people. Feeling sorry for degenerates. Feeling sorry for the rebellious. Feeling sorry for the God-haters. No, I am afraid that if this person was face to face with Christ, he would still reject him and then Christ would rebuke his rebellion.

When we tell other people about our faith, we have to tell the truth. Starting off with unjustified slander does not help us to persuade people that we are telling the truth when we speak of God.

Many atheists genuinely do not see adequate reason to believe that God exists. That's what I was hearing in Bradskii's story, and that's the case with some of my friends who are atheists. If you put a person like that in the direct, visible presence of God, so that there's no guesswork any more about whether God exists, that's a totally different situation from what we have now, in this life where we see everything through a glass darkly.

 

[All Becomes New]

When you say that "atheists think they have nothing to repent of", you are claiming that atheists have no remorse for the ways they've hurt people and that they do not try to improve their actions in the future. That's a serious charge, and I want to see your evidence for it.

False. Repentance is more than just remorse. Repentance is confessing your sin to God and turning to Christ as the author and perfector of your faith. As such, there is no one for an atheist to repent to and remorse is not going to cut it.

Many atheists genuinely do not see adequate reason to believe that God exists.

False. Most atheists do not have good reasons for their unbelief. They insist it is that they are somehow smarter than the rest of us in why they are not saved. In actual fact, there is no case an atheist can make to demonstrate, for example, that physical determinism is true and there is loads of evidence against it. Atheism, at its root, is a heart problem, not a head problem.

 

[bèlla]

Non-belief and more independent spiritual paths. The latter I personally view as wishy washy and imagine many of them will become atheists/agnostics down the line.

Why do you think they're wishy washy?

This can quickly change though. With global warming and increased tribalism and society possibly falling apart I imagine many future generations will revert back to spirituality, and probably find strength in numbers religions like Christianity appealing.

I've noticed growing examples of tribalism and calls for communal living, sharing resources and building networks. There's a lot of fear and uncertainty about the future. I don't see a healthy religion emerging from those conditions. Oftentimes it's the seed for questionable teachings, doomsday cults and fanaticism.

~bella

 

[dlamberth]

These alternative spiritual paths strike me as shallow.. and I imagine many of these youths will eventually cannot help but acknowledge it too.

Some alternative spiritual paths are shallow, that's true. But it's also its true that some are not. There seems to be a spiritual hunger that Christianity isn't able to nourish with the youth so they go searching elsewhere.