A friend of mine recently sent me a link discussing the disturbing trend where more and more young people are walking away from their faith. This has been something that has been on my heart for a long time and is directly related to the need for programs such as Pursuit that challenge young adults to embrace their faith in a life transforming manner. Here’s a quote from the article sent to me:
What pushed them out? Again, the reasons for departing in each case were unique, but I realized that most leavers had been exposed to a superficial form of Christianity that effectively inoculated them against authentic faith. When sociologist Christian Smith and his fellow researchers examined the spiritual lives of American teenagers, they found most teens practicing a religion best called “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism,” which casts God as a distant Creator who blesses people who are “good, nice, and fair.” Its central goal is to help believers “be happy and feel good about oneself.”
Where did teenagers learn this faith? Unfortunately, it’s one taught, implicitly and sometimes explicitly, at every age level in many churches. It’s in the air that many churchgoers breathe, from seeker-friendly worship services to low-commitment small groups. When this na?ve and coldly utilitarian view of God crashes on the hard rocks of reality, we shouldn’t be surprised to see people of any age walk away.
Check out the rest of the article here (Christianity Today).
In my introduction, I use the word ‘program’ to describe Pursuit. I don’t like that word. A program