NYT: Evangelical Teens Deserting Their Faith In Droves

[stopbush]

Evangelicals Fear the Loss of Their Teenagers

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: October 6, 2006
Despite their packed megachurches, their political clout and their increasing visibility on the national stage, evangelical Christian leaders are warning one another that their teenagers are abandoning the faith in droves.

At an unusual series of leadership meetings in 44 cities this fall, more than 6,000 pastors are hearing dire forecasts from some of the biggest names in the conservative evangelical movement.

Their alarm has been stoked by a highly suspect claim that if current trends continue, only 4 percent of teenagers will be “Bible-believing Christians” as adults. That would be a sharp decline compared with 35 percent of the current generation of baby boomers, and before that, 65 percent of the World War II generation.

While some critics say the statistics are greatly exaggerated (one evangelical magazine for youth ministers dubbed it “the 4 percent panic attack”), there is widespread consensus among evangelical leaders that they risk losing their teenagers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/06/us/06evangelical.html?ei=5094&en=5519ede029c494c4&hp=&ex=1160193600&partner=homepage&pagewanted=all

[tridim]

1. Fabulous news! n/t

[agates]

2. Teens nearly always leave their church

It is a normal developmental stage. Many do return as adults, often after marrying and having children. Nothing new but I'm sure its sending the fundies into a panic.

[anitar1]

3. I hope this is true. Must be hard to watch adults foaming

at the mouth and filled with hatred of all outside their "faith". Maybe the youth do not want Armageddon.

[Porcupine]

4. It's that crappy "Christian" rock they play; and the "rap fo' Jesus"

that teens have to listen to instead of real music. Kids want to please their parents but they're not deaf. That shit would drive me into the arms of Santa all by itself.

[David__77]

6. "Arms of Santa?" HO HO HO....

...

[Straight Shooter]

5. They aren't deserting their faith.

They are deserting the hysteria-driven manifestations of their parents' faith.

I believe these teens will continue to believe in some form of God, or some higher power, but perhaps tempered with the realism that this world was not created to be a battleground for good versus evil, but rather is a place to learn how to love, and how to forgive.

[Sherman A1]

7. Agreed

There are probably as many reasons as there are teens for declining attendance, but one suspects that these hate-based faiths are a significant factor.

[catabryna]

9. Hammer, meet nail...

I do believe you are exactly right. They used the term "Bible-believing churches". That phrase has such a narrow definition but, many teenagers don't like things to be thrust down their throats without having the opportunity to question. That is what happened with my husband who was very intellectual; there was no room for discussion in his household or church. He did, however, as you say continue to believe in God and we eventually found a church that wasn't the least bit fundie and my husband was finally able to ask questions that were once considered too heretical for him to even think about let alone voice aloud.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Are those churches too closely associated with Bush?

When you lie down with dogs, you get fleas, etc. After the megachurches enthusiastically supported Bush and his idea of morality, and the end result is the invasion of Iraq, and Katrina in New Orleans, it wouldn't be at all surprising is many young people, not yet stuck in the churches, said "wait a minute, this isn't the right way to live your life".

[TallahasseeGrannie]

10. Not around here, they're not.

But that whole "Bible Believing" is a pretty strong variable.

[Bill McBlueState]

13. I always found that term a little odd.

I think most Christians would say they believe the Bible, even though they might differ on what they mean by "believe." But some churches use that term to imply that somehow they're better than everyone else.

[heidler1]

11. I am part of the WW2 generation an one of the minority who did not believe

My Mother was a strong believer and it was imperative that we play along. If your mind can't accept believing in a literal view of the Biblical dogma you can't change. Even today some people, friends or relatives, want the heavenly rewards for converting a 81 year old Atheist, which causes a lot of arguments. Recently a believing Niece excused them for trying to save my soul. I replied that humans tend to strongly behave in selfish ways and in the this case I was sure their motive was saving their own soul.

These people do tend to be Republicans and love Bush for cutting taxes and eliminating as many safety nets for the less fortunate as possible. To me they seem capable of compartmentalized thinking where crossed purposes are ignored. I'm sure their Churches sanction this un-Christian viewpoint.

[NAO]

12. Now is an ideal time for the People of Reason to mount a coordinated

attack on the xtian religious superstition. With numbers like those, even if only 10% of the apostatizes became active secular activists, that would represent an ARMY of REASON the likes of which we have never seen.

We may see xtianity marginilized to the point of insiginificance in our lifetime.