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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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 Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2006 11:25 pm Post subject: Evangelicals Fear the Loss of Their Teenagers |
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America the (future) secular?
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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?_r=1&oref=slogin
I've thought this to be the case for a long while. The evangelical movement is a 'last stand', the final kick-and-scream of Western Christianity. The allure of modernity, science and a remarkably dynamic popular culture is just far too strong.
Is this the final victory of the Enlightenment? |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 1:05 am Post subject: |
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| My bad. |
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seoulunitarian
Joined: 06 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 1:10 am Post subject: Re: Evangelicals Fear the Loss of Their Teenagers |
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| BJWD wrote: |
America the (future) secular?
| Quote: |
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?_r=1&oref=slogin
I've thought this to be the case for a long while. The evangelical movement is a 'last stand', the final kick-and-scream of Western Christianity. The allure of modernity, science and a remarkably dynamic popular culture is just far too strong.
Is this the final victory of the Enlightenment? |
It is true that many teens / early adults are leaving evangelicalism behind, and I think this is a good thing. However, most are not leaving God behind in the process. They're just opting for more open spiritualities, of either Christian or non-Christian varieties.
Peace |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 1:15 am Post subject: |
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SU, I very much agree with you. They aren't going to become godless. But the important issue is that they may no longer define themselves wholly in terms of their religious identity. This frees up much room in them for a wide variety of things. None the more important that more liberal social ideas (gays, drugs, war, bush etc).
I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I think they will become more reasonable, and much easier to compromise with. |
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