The second article on millennials that I found thought provoking is “Ten reasons millennials are backing away from God and Christianity.” It was on FoxNews.com.
The author begins by noting that millennials are the least outwardly religious American generation, where one in four are unaffiliated with any religion. He also notes that of youth raised in “Christian” homes, three-fourths will jettison that faith, at least for a time, after high school.
According to research, the ten reasons they are leaving are:
1. Millennials are eclectic on all fronts, and there is little or no “brand loyalty” in most areas of life.
2. The breakdown of the family has left them without an understanding of the heavenly Father.
3. Militant secularism has taught them that “true” truth claims are divorced from any supernatural context and impose no moral obligation on human behavior.
4. They have had almost no exposure to adults who know what they believe, why they believe it, and are committed to living it out.
5. The church is assumed to be irrelevant and there is no cultural guilt for leaving.
6. Objective moral truth and ethical norms are unknown or rejected.
7. Claiming to have answers about life is viewed as “impolite.”
8. Pop-level atheists have made atheism cool.
9. Tolerance is the new god, and it has become impossible to rationally critique any belief or behavior without a backlash of criticism.
10. The cultural trend toward rejection of God resonates strongly with the desire for autonomy felt in young adulthood.
The author concludes by saying, “Finally, is it really any wonder that kids raised in the churches of the 21st century America aren’t often stirred to lifelong commitment? Most churches are so occupied with “marketing” themselves to prospective attendees that they wouldn’t dream of risking their “brand” by speaking tough-as- nails truth.”
Let’s make certain that we never stop taking the risk.
God Bless, Rick
Chatham Christian Church 