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I think you make some valid points (but then, I'm no longer a christian). But I'm curious ... have you seriously asked any christians the question of why they consider premarital sex, pornography, abortion, etc. to be harmful, and actually listened to the answers they give? Or do you just assume they'll only say "because the bible says so" or tune out to whatever else they might have to say if that is their first response?
All they ever say is because "the Bible says so". They don't use logic, or intelligence. They don't study those issues, or Biblical hermeneutics.
Because young people don't see Christianity for the teaching of a kind, young Jewish man trying to provide a form of enlightenment.
They see the vocal Christians, both major and minor. They see the Roman Catholic Church
Here's Christianity as a young person sees it as they mature and grow:
1) Those feelings of attraction blossoming are dangerous and must be controlled. When you lost your virginity at (insert an age between 15 and 20), you desecrated your body. That you probably (in your mind) loved or cared for this person in some small measure doesn't matter. It is a dire violation. If this occurs with the same sex, oh boy!
2) Specific to the Roman Catholic Church and male-only priesthood denominations. By God's choice in prophets and Jesus's apostles, we infer from tradition that only men can function in the role of priesthood and leadership of the Church. To add to this bias, the Garden of Eden story put a permanent black mark on woman that arguably still impacts the faith today. Never mind of course that Christ came into this world because of a woman revered in both Christian and Islamic tradition. Modern young women aren't going to allow themselves to be considered second class.
3) A total or nearly total opposition to abortion. Most people would hate to have an abortion, but prefer the option kept available. The attempt of organised religion to force governments to outlaw the practice grates against the fundamental instincts of many citizens in liberal, democratic societies. Young people hate being told what not to do.
4) An opposition to LGBT lifestyles. At worst, they're perverse and evil. At best they're "disordered" but not inherently sinful. The result? A proscription of sexuality, effectively sentencing the LGBT faithful to lives of loneliness, repression, and involuntary celibacy. Most young people will come into contact with someone who is LGBT, find them to be reasonably decent, and sympathize on some level. That is not a recipe for damning someone.
5) Total or near total ban on birth control. A young person will grow up hearing about AIDS in Africa, world hunger, overpopulation, depletion of resources etc. Combining these, all but the most "on fire" (to use a previous poster's term) will disregard this ban.
The peripheral issues are ruining Christianity. Want to promote Christianity? Young people would love to hear about loving thy neighbour, exercising responsible stewardship over creation, the necessity and benefits of charity, etc etc. From my Catholic school days, the most loved and influential clergy were those like Father G, who in his tiny office with what looked like scavenged furniture (compared to Fr. President's office with luxurious, heavy hardwood and rich leather) always had time for a kid in need. He regularly went with students on missions of charity. His favorite activities involved building and carpentry (think habitats for humanity). He had a much larger impact than those telling us why masturbation was a sin.
Disclaimer: At best I am agnostic. I am certainly not Catholic (although I've been baptised and confirmed as such).
Young people today, especially those raised in Christian homes, for the most part have not only turned their back on religion but also hate it to the point they will look down upon anybody who keeps their faith. Militant atheism among the younger generation is not only a belief system but also a cultural fad. If you are religious and under 30, if you let your peers know you will likely not be looked on as highly as someone who is a professed atheist. Most of these people think they are the intelligent, enlightened, and tolerant ones while the religious people are backwards, ignorant, and despicable, but what they don't see is their brand of atheism has almost everything in common with evangelical Christianity except the lack of the belief in a deity. Most churches are filled with people over 50. I've lived in Little Rock, Charlotte, and Oklahoma City within the last five years and in all of these places, there are just a few churches that even have younger twentysomething people and the vast majority are made up entirely of senior citizens. Millennials aren't the first generation with science and evolution so while those are commonly given as the reasons behind this cultural phenomenon, there is something more to it.
Keep in mind I am talking specifically about the younger generation (under 30). Belief in a deity is still very high for older generations and religious people in that generation don't suffer from the stigma they do in the younger generation.
This is the generation of know-it-all's and unaccountability.
This is the generation of know-it-all's and unaccountability.
Would you prefer mindless automatons? See much of the Middle East: That's the result of ignorance.
What do you mean by unaccountability? How are current generations any less accountable than previous ones? Is yours another advertisement for the "greatest generation" myth or simply nostalgia?
Its not lazy, its the truth. That's the right answer. Why do Christians seem to appear to be "holier than thou"? Because the young adults are so far into the worldly view of things that's how a Christian is viewed. The OP asked a question and I answered it.
Christians such as yourself are the ones who help keep people away from the faith. You think your little religion is perfect and if anyone doesn't follow it, it's because they're defective some how or they're "know it all's" or "pagans" but you've never stopped to remove the log from your own eye before casting judgement. Why is Christianity holier than thou? Because they come to places like this and condemn the majority of the world's population for not mindlessly accepting the fairy tales their religions preaches. Christianity wants automatons and people won't mindlessly accept that.
One of the main problems with this young generation is that they go to church and many of them go just because there parents drag them there, but they have nothing that involves them in the church. Many just go and hear a message in which many dont really relate to and go back home or if its a hooting and hollering church they can tell you they saw everyone catch the spirit, but cant even tell what the message was about.
My church started a youth service and it stopped after 6 months and within 2 months it was down to 1-2 teens left. If young adults dont have a ministry they can be a part of or atleast cater to what there going through, there wont be much for them to look forward to and when they reach 18 they dont come back to church much and when they go to college and someone picks up a history book and points out how Christianity started with pagan origins, they cant even up pick the bible and defend there beliefs and faith. This is probably why so many kids go off to college and come back with little to no faith.
Young people today, especially those raised in Christian homes, for the most part have not only turned their back on religion but also hate it to the point they will look down upon anybody who keeps their faith. Militant atheism among the younger generation is not only a belief system but also a cultural fad. If you are religious and under 30, if you let your peers know you will likely not be looked on as highly as someone who is a professed atheist. Most of these people think they are the intelligent, enlightened, and tolerant ones while the religious people are backwards, ignorant, and despicable, but what they don't see is their brand of atheism has almost everything in common with evangelical Christianity except the lack of the belief in a deity. Most churches are filled with people over 50. I've lived in Little Rock, Charlotte, and Oklahoma City within the last five years and in all of these places, there are just a few churches that even have younger twentysomething people and the vast majority are made up entirely of senior citizens. Millennials aren't the first generation with science and evolution so while those are commonly given as the reasons behind this cultural phenomenon, there is something more to it.
Keep in mind I am talking specifically about the younger generation (under 30). Belief in a deity is still very high for older generations and religious people in that generation don't suffer from the stigma they do in the younger generation.
Because it is a bunch of BS and with today's flow of information it is hard to believe the stuff that is forced down their throats from a young age. What was once seen a miracles of God can now easily be explained by science.
This is the generation of know-it-all's and unaccountability.
This generation has access to the most amount of information of any generation. This allows them to hold the churches accountable for what they preach - especially if it isn't backed up by science or history. Fundamentalist churches that teach a 6000 year old earth or that evolution is a myth, won't be able stand up to this information age too much longer.
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