What is wrong with modern youth?

[MYAC1]

(This is a view from Finland. I'd also like views from other countries)

Here in Finland, the amount of people who believe in the Christian God is 19%. The amount of people who belong to the church is near 80% (What the?) The amount of true young (under 18-year-old) Christians is even lower. Probably around 1-5%.

But that's not my point. Seriously, why does the youth culture judge religion so harshly? All of my friends, with the exception of one, are atheists who claim they're not atheists although they deny the existence of God. They also speak bad about Christians: "They're gay." "Don't be a fanatic." And of course, as Christians, me and my orthodox friend are included in the mocking.

The stereotypical view which is very common in the Finnish youth culture is that science has denied the existence of God. It's annoying.

 

[HollyVB]

In the United States, most of my friends who reject God reject him because of Christians. Christians in the USA don't act as Christ would the majority of the time. We are labelled judgmental and ignorant. There also is the problem of people seeing science and religion as enemies. As a Christian who believes in science and evolution, I get both ends of the anger. Christians say I lack faith, Agnostics/Atheists say I'm ignorant.

The youth (including myself) have been given mixed signals. We are told that premarital sex is wrong, yet most parents have had it. We are told to follow Christ's commandments, yet most parents are divorced. We are told to do well in school, but to reject basic scientific facts.

It isn't just the youth. It is society.

 

[MYAC1]

In the United States, most of my friends who reject God reject him because of Christians. Christians in the USA don't act as Christ would the majority of the time. We are labelled judgmental and ignorant. There also is the problem of people seeing science and religion as enemies. As a Christian who believes in science and evolution, I get both ends of the anger. Christians say I lack faith, Agnostics/Atheists say I'm ignorant.

The youth (including myself) have been given mixed signals. We are told that premarital sex is wrong, yet most parents have had it. We are told to follow Christ's commandments, yet most parents are divorced. We are told to do well in school, but to reject basic scientific facts.

It isn't just the youth. It is society.

We are given conflicting information by the society here in Finland too. For an example, you need to go to the "spring church" at the end of school, but we're taught freedom of religion.

Even at the start of a parliament season all the members of parliament and government need to go church. I don't understand why as only about 10-20% of Finns believe in God (19% in the MTV3 research).

 

[Humble Pie]

What is MTV3 research?

 

[zijiatimothy]

What is wrong with modern youths?

In singapore, our youths goes to church for the company of friends instead rather then focusing on the worship of God. They sometimes dress inappropriately, and most of the time, forget their commitments to the church(that's if they have taken any positions)

 

[HarborOrange]

(This is a view from Finland. I'd also like views from other countries)

Here in Finland, the amount of people who believe in the Christian God is 19%. The amount of people who belong to the church is near 80% (What the?) The amount of true young (under 18-year-old) Christians is even lower. Probably around 1-5%.

But that's not my point. Seriously, why does the youth culture judge religion so harshly? All of my friends, with the exception of one, are atheists who claim they're not atheists although they deny the existence of God. They also speak bad about Christians: "They're gay." "Don't be a fanatic." And of course, as Christians, me and my orthodox friend are included in the mocking.

The stereotypical view which is very common in the Finnish youth culture is that science has denied the existence of God. It's annoying.

They judge religion harshly because they can see its ridiculous faults. I am no longer religious at all, for I discovered that nearly ALL of Christianity is based on Paganism and false doctrine... It's a shame, really. However, these youth can see that in the church. Since they don't have abundant truth to turn to, they turn to mocking and atheism. If only the actual truth was embraced by the church, then maybe they would see. Sadly, the truth is buried in one thousand lies.

 

[MYAC1]

What is MTV3 research?

MTV3 is a Finnish TV-channel. The term MTV comes from the word mainostelevisio (= Advertisement Television). MTV3 sometimes carries out research on different things, most often according to the news they broadcast. In this case, it was that 70% of Finns want to keep the Christian traditions but only 19% believe in the Christian God.

 

[gav1nzdad]

It is the great falling away mentioned in the Bible. Todays society is so accustomed to instant gratification. We drive thru McDonalds instead of going how to prepare a meal, we research things online instead of going to the library, we do our banking on our smartphones instead driving to the bank or using the postal service, etc, etc...
No one wants to take the time to study the scriptures or seek out the will of God through prayer. They want the fast answer, and they want any excuse to indulge themselves.
Keep praying for the lost brother, it's likely to get worse before it ever gets any better!

 

[MYAC1]

"They judge religion harshly because they can see its ridiculous faults"

And your hate towards religion hasn't clearly affected this fact.

"Nearly all of Christianity is based on Paganism and false doctrine"

Oh really? Tell that to the Muslims and Jews too.

"If only the actual truth was embraced by the church, then maybe they would see. Sadly, the truth is buried in one thousand lies"

You use the word truth a lot, so define it. Is it your truth or someone else's? Science hasn't officially claimed that God doesn't exist. And besides, most of people agree that it can't be proven or disproven. You can't define truth with 100% certainty when it comes to religion.

 

[HarborOrange]

And your hate towards religion hasn't clearly affected this fact.
Oh really? Tell that to the Muslims and Jews too.

You use the word truth a lot, so define it. Is it your truth or someone else's? Science hasn't officially claimed that God doesn't exist. And besides, most of people agree that it can't be proven or disproven. You can't define truth with 100% certainty when it comes to religion.

Okay, obviously you know nothing about the foundations of the Christian faith.

And LOL at the fact you automatically think I don't believe in God just because I'm not a part of a religion. Just because I'm not a Christian doesn't mean I don't follow the Bible and believe in the Creator.
Religion is false, the truth in the Bible is not.

Also, Islam and Judaism are based on Paganism as well. I don't even find Islam valid, actually.

Also, truth is unshaken, absolutely unadulterated, fact.

I believe in God, I believe in the Messiah, I follow the whole Scripture, not just the New Testament like the church. Seriously man, I want you to go to Google right now, and look up the origin of Christmas and Easter. I also dare you to find a spot in Scripture that says the Law and Biblical Feasts and Festivals have been done away with. You'll pull something out of Galatians, probably, or really any of Paul's writings. But in all honesty, he never mentions the death of the Law... Christians just misunderstand him because they don't understand the cultural and spiritual grounds upon which Paul speaks.

And one final point, if science was only half the man it says it is... Honestly, most of it is guess work.

Seriously, just because I'm not your common Christian doesn't mean I think God is false and I believe that science is the only way. Don't be so quick to judge before you even know what I believe.

 

[shabbo148]

Mmm we're all too caught up in modern day pop and stuff.. it's hard for a teen to beileve a "man in the sky" As god is reffered too.

 

[MYAC1]

Okay, obviously you know nothing about the foundations of the Christian faith.

And LOL at the fact you automatically think I don't believe in God just because I'm not a part of a religion. Just because I'm not a Christian doesn't mean I don't follow the Bible and believe in the Creator.
Religion is false, the truth in the Bible is not.

Also, Islam and Judaism are based on Paganism as well. I don't even find Islam valid, actually.

Also, truth is unshaken, absolutely unadulterated, fact.

I believe in God, I believe in the Messiah, I follow the whole Scripture, not just the New Testament like the church. Seriously man, I want you to go to Google right now, and look up the origin of Christmas and Easter. I also dare you to find a spot in Scripture that says the Law and Biblical Feasts and Festivals have been done away with. You'll pull something out of Galatians, probably, or really any of Paul's writings. But in all honesty, he never mentions the death of the Law... Christians just misunderstand him because they don't understand the cultural and spiritual grounds upon which Paul speaks.

And one final point, if science was only half the man it says it is... Honestly, most of it is guess work.

Seriously, just because I'm not your common Christian doesn't mean I think God is false and I believe that science is the only way. Don't be so quick to judge before you even know what I believe.

Oh, sorry. Your faith still is Christian based since you believe in Christ. I'd like to know more details about it.

You were right that I'd pull some writings of Paul and something out of the Galatians:

- Romans 3:20 "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."

- Galatians 5:1-4: "It is for freedom that Messiah has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Messiah will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Messiah; you have fallen away from grace."

Even Jesus Himself commented on the law: Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Since He fulfilled the law, we don't need to obey it to be saved.

 

[lankyguy007]

Because many people view it as a religion rather than a relationship. There are a lot of youths across the world who are on fire for God. There are also a lot who view it as a strict ideology and get put off because of that.

Jesus didn't come to the world to start a religion in the sense that many people portray it. He came to bring the love of God back to those who had lost it. Some people focus on laws rather than love. Laws of course cannot be lost. They are there for good reason. But some Christians get so caught up in the laws or traditions that they lose sight of the whole reason Jesus died.

 

[Foreshadow]

I don't think anything is wrong with modern youth. People are beginning to think for themselves. I would say without a doubt that a majority of the Christians in this forum had christian parents. People just blindly believe in something without question because their parents told them to. I was raised to think for myself. I was born into a agnostic family. More and more people are questioning their beliefs. Our generation isn't losing faith because we are self-centered and only care about ourselves. We are losing faith because in modern society, the bible sounds like a fairy tale storybook and many of its values and principles have no place in a world of actual reality. It was written 1700 years ago, and people still follow it's every word.
It completely baffles me how people can believe such obviously total horse crap. When your main argument is based on the lack of proof, there's something wrong. When a church ignores parts of the bible because they too graphic and violent for children, something is wrong.

 

[GrizzlyMonKeH]

Our generation consists of children Gen X parents. This causes us to have more tendencies towards open-mindedness as well as carelessness (in my opinion). I'll quote some Gen X info from Wikipedia for ya:

"Generation X encompasses the 44 to 50 million Americans born between 1965 and 1980."

"Members of Generation X are largely in their 30’s and early 40’s. On the whole, they are more ethnically diverse and better educated than the Baby Boomers. Over 60% of Generation X attended college."

"Generation X came of age in an era of two-income families, rising divorce rates and a faltering economy."

"Generation X is independent, resourceful and self-sufficient. In the workplace, Generation X values freedom and responsibility. Many in this generation display a casual disdain for authority and structured work hours. They dislike being micro-managed and embrace a hands-off management philosophy."

"Unlike previous generations, members of Generation X work to live rather than live to work. They appreciate fun in the workplace and espouse a work hard/play hard mentality."


Since I find this stuff so interesting, I'll post some info about my generation as well. (Gen Y, "The Millennials")

"Generation Y has been described in a New York Times opinion piece as entrepreneurial and, "a 'post-emotional' generation. No anger, no edge, no ego."

"Generation Y grew up in a time of great change in the music industry, and does not have a discernible sound unlike recent generations."

"Generation Y are said to be much closer to their parents than their parents' generation. 90% of Generation Y'ers claimed to be "extremely close" to their parents in one study. Most also claim that the older generations had better morals."

 

[AfanofJesus]

(This is a view from Finland. I'd also like views from other countries)

Here in Finland, the amount of people who believe in the Christian God is 19%. The amount of people who belong to the church is near 80% (What the?) The amount of true young (under 18-year-old) Christians is even lower. Probably around 1-5%.

But that's not my point. Seriously, why does the youth culture judge religion so harshly? All of my friends, with the exception of one, are atheists who claim they're not atheists although they deny the existence of God. They also speak bad about Christians: "They're gay." "Don't be a fanatic." And of course, as Christians, me and my orthodox friend are included in the mocking.

The stereotypical view which is very common in the Finnish youth culture is that science has denied the existence of God. It's annoying.

Hardly surprising I can give you an almost identical report from Sweden. I even think the statistics you posted are about the same.

Although I actually think other posters here are very right when they have pointed out that the problem is not only (if at all) with the youths, but with society in it's whole. Although I agree that it's sad and annoying that our friends in our age has those aggresive views on our belief in God. The tendency of being higly aggresive, ignorant against faith in God is not only seen on the streets and in media - I often find it among churches as well. For example, in my youth group - talking about our life as Christian, about God, the Bible etc. results in the same reactions as if you'd fart in an elevator. Not always, but sadly often. We live in a society and age when people are very afraid of being different from the mainstream view presented by media.

I just hope that we together over time can work to change this!

God bless!

 

[zijiatimothy]

In Singapore, the youths in mega churches are known to worship the pastor rather then God...... And i find youths sometimes too influenced by adults who don't know the best for them, and they don't care about the decisions that they are making.

 

[AfanofJesus]

In Singapore, the youths in mega churches are known to worship the pastor rather then God...... And i find youths sometimes too influenced by adults who don't know the best for them, and they don't care about the decisions that they are making.

That's just so sad. I just wished we were living in a world where Christians actually were Christians, where Christians actually wanted to be more Christ-like, where people actually wanted the best for everyone. I don't know what's going on in the world but we need to keep fighting in the most humble, sincere and down-to-earth way that's possible, without hesitating in spreading the word of God, our faith.

Sadly that's easier to say than to do, although we have too. Just imaging someone like Paul coming into this world now, he wouldn't believe his eyes...

 

[I Eat Pie]

Everything you see on the television is "buy this buy this buy this!" "try this pill and lose weight so you can fit in!". People want to be accepted so they try to be like the actors they see on the TV. It's not just that they ignore their religion. They push other things aside too. School, parents, real friends etc. to be one of the "cool" people. So it doesn't surprise me that anyone is losing faith or ignoring their religion completely, because the constant need to fit in with trends is just too much for some kids to overcome. I know. I was like this.

 

[Shane Plew]

The problem is that we as humans are getting ever more efficient at breeding ignorance. The further you go back in history, the more reason to be ignorant of certain things. Today there is not much of an excuse. I'm not even specifically talking about religion. I believe that we have a generation of mostly idiots (mostly being more than 50 percent). I don't believe we are much different than any other generation other than that we have so much opportunity to eliminate ignorance thus eliminating a vast majority of the idiots. Perhaps that should be reversed. No, it probably shouldn't.