Why young evangelicals are leaving church
satansbed
Posts: 2,139
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/16/opini ... index.html
CNN) -- Republican conservatives should be worried. Evangelical churches that frequently support conservative candidates are finally admitting something the rest of us have known for some time: Their young adult members are abandoning church in significant numbers and taking their voting power with them.
David Kinnaman, the 38-year-old president of the Barna Group, an evangelical research firm, is the latest to sound the alarm. In his new book, "You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church and Rethinking Faith," he says that 18- to 29-year-olds have fallen down a "black hole" of church attendance. There is a 43% drop in Christian church attendance between the teen and early adult years, he says.
I'm not surprised. These young dropouts value the sense of community their churches provide but are tired of being told how they should live their lives. They don't appreciate being condemned for living with a partner, straight or gay, outside of marriage or opting for abortion to terminate an unplanned pregnancy.
This doesn't mean that they necessarily will vote for President Obama in 2012. Jobs and higher wages are their priority just as they are for everyone else; the nominee who convinces the millennials that they'll be better off financially will get their vote. But if neither party is persuasive, the former evangelicals may vote Democratic because of that party's more moderate stance on social issues. Or they could simply sit out the election.
Brittany, a 24-year-old veterinary technician, is an example of the newly disaffected. In high school, she attended a conservative Episcopal church in northern Virginia. She enrolled in college thinking of herself as a conservative and not wanting to have sex until she was married. Her views changed when she met her boyfriend. She began to question the theology of her home church on a number of social issues.
"I know I'm a Christian and believe in God, but the church hasn't helped me in my struggles," she says. "It really doesn't affect anything in life right now."
The result? "I don't go to any church." And how does she feel about next year's election? "There are many times I think I'd rather not vote at all."
In lifestyle and beliefs, she is far from an outlier. Consider the following facts about millennials in general:
• Seven in 10 millennials say sex between an unmarried man and woman is morally acceptable (PDF). (According to Kinnaman, young Christians are as sexually active as non-Christians.)
• Most women in their early 20s who give birth are unmarried.
• More than six in 10 millennials (including 49% of Republican millennials) support same-sex marriages.
• Six in 10 millennials say abortion should be legal (PDF), a higher proportion than found in the general population. A higher percentage say abortion services should be available in local communities.
Millennials also part ways with conservative orthodoxy on wealth distribution and caring for the environment. According to a report in The Christian Science Monitor, three out of four say that wealthy corporations and financiers have too much power and that taxes should be raised on the very wealthy, and two out of three say financial institutions should be regulated more closely. In addition, most say that creationists' view on evolution is outdated.
Sounds a lot like Democratic ideology to me.
Of course, every generation rethinks its beliefs and values during young adulthood. Even the most liberal tend to moderate their views once they marry, have children and start paying a mortgage. Some of them return to church, if only for the structured support of a congregation and the moral instruction their sons and daughters can receive.
But here's the thing: This particular generation is marrying later than prior generations, if they marry at all. They're having children -- and assuming a mortgage -- later. The longer they stay away from church, the less likely they are to come back.
"What used to be two or three years of dropping out is a decade or more," author Kinnaman said.
In 2008, then-presidential contender Obama received a healthy 33% of the young white evangelical vote. If he and his team offer millennials concrete ideas for improving their dismal job situation, he could repeat or even improve upon that in 2012.
So far, however, Obama and mainstream Democrats have done little to reach out to younger voters other than ease the burden of paying off college loans, a not-insignificant move. Perhaps they hold to the theory that presidential elections are the domain of the 40-plus crowd, an assumption increasingly outdated by the speed and breadth with which millennials communicate over the Internet.
In a very tight race, votes cast by this generation -- which has grown in number by 4 million since the last election -- might make the difference. Their votes will be significant for sure by the end of this decade because by then, millennials will make up a third of the U.S. adult population.
And that's a good thing. As the most diverse generation ever, they've shown themselves to be better than their elders at seeking areas of common ground and making compromises. They're also more optimistic: Despite the economic instability of their generation, more than two-thirds believe they can achieve success regardless of race, ethnicity or social class. All of us, whether we're churched or unchurched, could use that kind of faith
CNN) -- Republican conservatives should be worried. Evangelical churches that frequently support conservative candidates are finally admitting something the rest of us have known for some time: Their young adult members are abandoning church in significant numbers and taking their voting power with them.
David Kinnaman, the 38-year-old president of the Barna Group, an evangelical research firm, is the latest to sound the alarm. In his new book, "You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church and Rethinking Faith," he says that 18- to 29-year-olds have fallen down a "black hole" of church attendance. There is a 43% drop in Christian church attendance between the teen and early adult years, he says.
I'm not surprised. These young dropouts value the sense of community their churches provide but are tired of being told how they should live their lives. They don't appreciate being condemned for living with a partner, straight or gay, outside of marriage or opting for abortion to terminate an unplanned pregnancy.
This doesn't mean that they necessarily will vote for President Obama in 2012. Jobs and higher wages are their priority just as they are for everyone else; the nominee who convinces the millennials that they'll be better off financially will get their vote. But if neither party is persuasive, the former evangelicals may vote Democratic because of that party's more moderate stance on social issues. Or they could simply sit out the election.
Brittany, a 24-year-old veterinary technician, is an example of the newly disaffected. In high school, she attended a conservative Episcopal church in northern Virginia. She enrolled in college thinking of herself as a conservative and not wanting to have sex until she was married. Her views changed when she met her boyfriend. She began to question the theology of her home church on a number of social issues.
"I know I'm a Christian and believe in God, but the church hasn't helped me in my struggles," she says. "It really doesn't affect anything in life right now."
The result? "I don't go to any church." And how does she feel about next year's election? "There are many times I think I'd rather not vote at all."
In lifestyle and beliefs, she is far from an outlier. Consider the following facts about millennials in general:
• Seven in 10 millennials say sex between an unmarried man and woman is morally acceptable (PDF). (According to Kinnaman, young Christians are as sexually active as non-Christians.)
• Most women in their early 20s who give birth are unmarried.
• More than six in 10 millennials (including 49% of Republican millennials) support same-sex marriages.
• Six in 10 millennials say abortion should be legal (PDF), a higher proportion than found in the general population. A higher percentage say abortion services should be available in local communities.
Millennials also part ways with conservative orthodoxy on wealth distribution and caring for the environment. According to a report in The Christian Science Monitor, three out of four say that wealthy corporations and financiers have too much power and that taxes should be raised on the very wealthy, and two out of three say financial institutions should be regulated more closely. In addition, most say that creationists' view on evolution is outdated.
Sounds a lot like Democratic ideology to me.
Of course, every generation rethinks its beliefs and values during young adulthood. Even the most liberal tend to moderate their views once they marry, have children and start paying a mortgage. Some of them return to church, if only for the structured support of a congregation and the moral instruction their sons and daughters can receive.
But here's the thing: This particular generation is marrying later than prior generations, if they marry at all. They're having children -- and assuming a mortgage -- later. The longer they stay away from church, the less likely they are to come back.
"What used to be two or three years of dropping out is a decade or more," author Kinnaman said.
In 2008, then-presidential contender Obama received a healthy 33% of the young white evangelical vote. If he and his team offer millennials concrete ideas for improving their dismal job situation, he could repeat or even improve upon that in 2012.
So far, however, Obama and mainstream Democrats have done little to reach out to younger voters other than ease the burden of paying off college loans, a not-insignificant move. Perhaps they hold to the theory that presidential elections are the domain of the 40-plus crowd, an assumption increasingly outdated by the speed and breadth with which millennials communicate over the Internet.
In a very tight race, votes cast by this generation -- which has grown in number by 4 million since the last election -- might make the difference. Their votes will be significant for sure by the end of this decade because by then, millennials will make up a third of the U.S. adult population.
And that's a good thing. As the most diverse generation ever, they've shown themselves to be better than their elders at seeking areas of common ground and making compromises. They're also more optimistic: Despite the economic instability of their generation, more than two-thirds believe they can achieve success regardless of race, ethnicity or social class. All of us, whether we're churched or unchurched, could use that kind of faith
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Comments
:fp:
where do people come up with this stuff? sounds like something from the onion...
unfortunately it isn't.... :twisted:
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
or is that just what spews from his mouth?
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
They're absolutely flocking to the one I go to. We have a Sunday Night service geared toward that age group and we probably have 1,500 attend every week....and it's the fastest growing group in our church.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
Is it a Mega Church, like Joel Osteen's?
Hail, Hail!!!
creepy
still helping them in the ways they need.
We have quite a few mega churches here that are progressive and filled to the brim.
I never quite knew what went on in there to attract so many of the young but I do now.
I hope this is the trend that continues.
Not creepy... from what I hear, they are a great place to meet chicks.
I'm being serious. There is a mega chuch here in Cypress, CA. and the kids in my neighborhood love going there to meet girls and vice versa. There is a place on the campus where they have dances and bands play and it's like a giant party (except without the pot and booze). They get the pot and booze afterwards and party at someone's house. They tell me, the adults are clueless to what's going on.
Hail, Hail!!!
I wouldn't know, I don't read fairy tales.
yeah. I'll bet. We believe you. Really. We do.
um... "know1...," right now we're all thinking "no one tells the truth about their church."
Why so negative?
It's as though nonbelievers do not want others to be happy in what they have found
and must challenge their beliefs. It's not a competition
you wouldn't know it here.
Are Atheists happy and satisfied in what they have found? Are they secure in that?
Then understand the same for believers.
It's a large church, but likely not as big as the one you referenced. I've never heard of that church and wouldn't go to one named after a person anyway.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
Why is that creepy?
There are a lot of people who are truly ignorant about a lot of religious aspects today and just like to stereotype all religious people as child molestors or hypocrites. There are a LOT of churches out there that I would disagree with and not be able to attend either, but I've found one that really just focuses on living a positive life and loving and helping other people.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
Well then you're extremely close minded....which doesn't surprise me.
What I said is the absolute truth outside of me guessing at the number of attendees. The young adult (20s) segment is the fastest growing segment of our church.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
In the Northwest, I've never seen a mega-church that's progressive. Maybe it's different down your way. They might try to be hip and cool, but it's the same outdated fire-and-brimstone message here. Someone keep me posted when there's a gay marriage at a mega-church.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
I've found (and am still finding) that guidance and inspiration in different ways, but just as I'd prefer others not shitting on my means of getting there, I also don't feel I have the right to shit on others for theirs.
(also...what exactly is a mega-church? One that has a large turnout? And is that inherently a bad thing?)
very much cooler and no fire and brimstone. Have you been to church recently?
of needs and the churches are listening. Are those against the church doing as well?
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Personally, I believe that all these stage effects, smoke machines, pyrotechnics, mega screens, etc. are becoming pure entertainment and the 'real' message gets lost. Sure, it may attract a younger generation to the church, especially with rock bands, etc. but one wonders what really comes out of them.
All off the 'entertainment' of these churches sound so much like a rock concert.... same visuals, same 'hysteria'. A place to 'lose' one's self?
And I agree with other posters here - cool & hip does not equal progressive.
OK. If you say so. Your church is the only one where the numbers are going up. What church is that, by the way?
probably because it is so regressive...
among other reasons....
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
I don't think we're the only one, although I'll bet we're way in the minority for sure.
It's a non-denominational, fairly modern (won't say progressive) Christian church in the bible belt. I'd just about bet that we're getting people who were raised in religious families as children, but are put off by the ultra-conservative views of the traditional (Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, etc.) churches and are opting for something more liberal and less structured.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
Skeptical. But willing to accept that as fact, then.
My daughter as well has found a church recently after searching for over almost a decade
on and off. I do not think the Bible has been discussed much at least nothing she has shared.
They do have a Bible study group but that is not apart of the service she attends.
She said she may go and see what it is like. The sermons are more based on thought provoking
everyday things to make a person a better person and feel better. Exercises in forgiving,
kindness, strength, relieving anxiety and worry. She really loves it. What she likes is the
positive feel and there are no judgements of others. And everyone is sincerely nice and friendly.
have you read the old testament? the whole bible is about judging others.
which is precisely what is keeping us from progressing as a society...
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Being a “’progressive church” can, of course, mean many things. A progressive church is one that embraces the contextual needs of the community while trying to make sense of a God rich in grace and love. Yet, can this simple statement really explain what it means to be a progressive church? For some conservative groups “progressive” can mean embracing people who have special and “sinful” sexual preferences. To others it may mean taking a gamble which demands theological and social changes, a gamble that may require moving away from traditional paradigms of worship and community outreach.
Being a progressive church demands a higher sense of definition as well as an in-depth analysis of is social, theological and environmental expressions. Therefore, what is a progressive church which professes that there is a God who is still speaking? A progressive church is a church which has realized and accepted that what they have and who they are is relevant to modeling and igniting changes within the realm of their legacy and vision. This interaction will propel a church to embrace a world that is in dire need of a life-changing experience and redeeming love."Love is what distinguishes a healthy church from an ill-mannered church.
Love is what makes the difference between attending church and having church. Love makes the difference between speaking religiously and speaking from the heart. A progressive church is one that dares to love, and mostly dares to love everybody. May I add: love is not just embracing those who worship the same way, think the same way or even walk the same way. It is daring to love everybody and in the process, understanding that we are not perfect yet, but we are on the way.. That is a progressive church!"
also as I mentioned they are not discussing the Bible in the services my daughter attends.
how can you have a church without discussing the bible, the tenets that most religion is based on?
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."