| Polls can be quite useful. But polls can also cause us to dive down the rabbit hole of interpretation. We often take apart poll numbers and twist ourselves into dialectical pretzels attempting to discern human motivation. At times, our efforts obscure the truth that the answer is quite simple, really. A case in point is Jana Riess' article for Religion News Service in which she explains why American millennials are leaving religion.
For one thing, Riess points out that among non-white Protestants the numbers have remained stable. In fact, among some identity sets, the number of religious millennials is growing. Protestants have seen 1.6 percent growth among millennials of color who are not black. Black Protestants have seen a decrease of only .6 percent. It's true that white millennials are increasingly irreligious: a 2.2 percent decrease among evangelical Protestants and a 4.5 percent decrease among mainline Protestants. Looking at the decrease among white millennials, Riess gives three main reasons for the trend:
Riess explains, "One of the biggest demographic trends of our time is that millennials are delaying marriage or not getting married at all. And since there’s a strong correlation between being married and being involved in religion, the fact that fewer Americans are getting married is worrisome news to clergy." In reference to low fertility rates, she claims that childless couples are less likely to be religious. It's not that Riess doesn't make valid points; she does. It's that I believe that there is a more fundamental reason why American millennials are increasingly irreligious. That reason is sin. Under the "growth of the nones," Riess hints at the actual problem. She writes:
It's not that American millennials are less religious than other generations. They're more honest than other generations. To be fair, as Riess points out, it's a lot easier for them to be honest in the area of religious conviction than it was for previous generations in this country. American millennials are now culturally allowed to display their true nature. In Romans 3:10-12, quoting the Psalmist, the Apostle Paul tells us what our true nature is, "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." When the Bible says that "None is righteous" and "no one seeks for God," that means, well, "no, not one." We are all born in rebellion against our Maker, and that "we" includes millennials. Of course, it makes sense that as society puts less external pressure on people to pretend to be religious more and more people are going to openly display their rebellion against God. In a sad way, I believe that's a good thing. Pastor friends of mine who minister in the Deep South sadly chuckle whenever they express, "Down here, you have to get people unsaved before you can get them saved." Over the years, many Americans have assumed that they were a Christian because they grew up going to church and were baptized as a kid. That problem is decreasing with millennials. And the solution is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and making disciples. Seeker-sensitive type church programs and churches chasing cultural relevance are not going to reverse the trend. The problem with American millennials is their sinful, rebellious hearts, not that they're bored on Sunday mornings. |
Poster Comment:
Those darn sinners are at it again, ruining things for everyone!
#1: Tooconservative To: All (#0)
SaturdaySunday Night JokeA nun walks into Mother Superior’s office and plunks down into a chair. She lets out a sigh heavy with frustration.
“What troubles you, Sister?” asked the Mother Superior. “I thought this was the day you spent with your family.”
“It was,” sighed the Sister. “I went to play golf with my brother. You know I was quite a talented golfer before I devoted my life to Christ.”
“I seem to recall that,” the Mother Superior agreed. “So I take it your day of recreation was not relaxing?”
“Far from it,” snorted the Sister, “in fact, I even took the Lord’s name in vain today!”
“Goodness, Sister!” gasped the Mother Superior, astonished. “You must tell me all about it!”
“Well, we were on the fifth tee…and this hole is a monster, Mother Superior – 540 yard Par 5, with a nasty dogleg left and a hidden green….and I hit the drive of my life. I creamed it. The sweetest swing I’ve ever made. It’s flying straight and true, right along the line I wanted…and it hits a bird in mid-flight !”
“Oh my!” commiserated the Mother. “How unfortunate! But surely that didn’t make you blaspheme, Sister!”
“No, that wasn’t it,” admitted Sister. “While I was still trying to fathom what had happened, this squirrel runs out of the woods, grabs my ball and runs off down the fairway!”
“Oh, that would have made me blaspheme!” sympathized the Mother.
“But I didn’t, Mother!” sobbed the Sister. “And I was so proud of myself! And while I was pondering whether this was a sign from God, this hawk swoops out of the sky and grabs the squirrel and flies off, with my ball still clutched in his paws!”
“So that’s when you cursed,” said the Mother with a knowing smile.
“Nope, that wasn’t it either,” cried the Sister, anguished, “because as the hawk started to fly out of sight, the squirrel started struggling, and the hawk dropped him right there on the green, and the ball popped out of his paws and rolled to about 18 inches from the cup!”
Mother Superior sat back in her chair, folded her arms across her chest, fixed the Sister with a baleful stare and said… “You missed the freakin’ putt, didn’t you?”
Tooconservative posted on 2018-07-01 23:54:32 Reply Private Reply
#2: redleghunter To: Tooconservative (#1)
Very good!
The nun joke that is.
redleghunter posted on 2018-07-02 01:24:51 Reply Private Reply
#3: redleghunter To: Tooconservative (#1)
I think now that we had over 100 years of "decisional regeneration" kind of confirms the parable of the sower.
redleghunter posted on 2018-07-02 01:30:58 Reply Private Reply
#4: Tooconservative To: redleghunter (#3)
Tooconservative posted on 2018-07-02 01:39:04 Reply Private Reply
#5: Vicomte13 To: Tooconservative (#0)
This is putting pressure on the rotted wood in Christian religious doctrine, and causing it to fall apart.
What can emerge from it is what Christ actually said and the reasons why to listen to him - the actual proofs of God, and the proofs that link Jesus to God.
What comes out of that is a pretty simple religion, one that does not need a traditional superstructure thanks to the ease of communication.
Old social clubs die hard, but they die.
Vicomte13 posted on 2018-07-02 09:32:34 Reply Private Reply
#6: A K A Stone To: Vicomte13 (#5)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-07-02 09:37:15 Reply Private Reply
#7: Vicomte13 To: A K A Stone (#6)
All of organized Christianity is dying, because the hypocrisy and untruth built into its traditions are choking it out of existence.
Belief in God and listening to Jesus needn't die, but the rejection of organized religion because of its hypocrisy, evil and falsehood is taking the belief in God off with it.
The flaws of Catholicism are on full display for all to see. So are the flaws of your denomination.
They dwindle, because people don't need them anymore.
Vicomte13 posted on 2018-07-02 09:40:53 Reply Private Reply
#8: A K A Stone To: Vicomte13 (#7)
I pick on Catholics because they are wrong. Some protestants are obviously wrong on doctrine to.
I'm non denominational. I just use the Bible. It has no errors and is Gods perfect word.
Have a good day Vic. Gotta catch up on some work.
A K A Stone posted on 2018-07-02 10:01:25 Reply Private Reply
#9: Liberator To: Vicomte13 (#7)
Interesting perspective. (You DO realize that there is ZERO hypocrisy in actual Scripture, right? Unless you'd care to cite the chapter(s)/verse(s)?)
If secular people are deceived and reject the Good News; If lukewarm "Christians" reject the Way, the Truth, THE Life that was at their fingertip, THAT is on THEM. (As Scripture prophecies). Narrow is the path to the Kingdom of God. In the Last Days many were proposed to reject The Truth.
With respect to "Traditions" -- they are the quicksand-realm of Catholicism.
The flaws of Catholicism are on full display for all to see. So are the flaws of your [Protestant, Bible-based] denomination.
I'm not going to get into a brawl here -- just wanted to clarify; There ARE flaws within some Protestant sects, but only because they compromise the Word of God, the Gospel. They refuse to fully submit and commit.
The basis for Roman Catholicism is as you'd mentioned, is "tradition". (Instead of the Gospel. It must also be acknowledged that Paul, Peter and the authors of the Gospels INDEED spoke ON BEHALF OF the direct divine inspiration of Jesus Christ).
The Gospel of Jesus Christ has nothing to do with "tradition" or "rites" or charms, formulaic incantations, or DEEDS. So it is written.
They dwindle, because people don't need them anymore.
Don't need what?? Salvation? Reason to abide in The Ten Commandments? A Church at which to worship? What??
Liberator posted on 2018-07-02 12:32:43 Reply Private Reply
#10: Liberator To: A K A Stone (#8)
Amen!
Liberator posted on 2018-07-02 12:33:09 Reply Private Reply
#11: Vicomte13 To: A K A Stone (#8)
Wrong.
Vicomte13 posted on 2018-07-02 13:33:53 Reply Private Reply
#12: Jameson To: Tooconservative (#0)
Perhaps the "Millennials" have simply figured out that organized religions exist only to control and pacify the masses (and to get stinking rich in the process) - and they reject the "church's" right to control them and coerce them into voluntarily "tithing" their hard-earned dollars.
It's a crock, James.
"Don't make me holler, and don't make me shout, - we're gonna turn them pockets, inside-out!!" - The Right Rev. Deuteronomy Skaggs
Jameson posted on 2018-07-02 17:56:55 Reply Private Reply
#13: Tooconservative To: redleghunter, Liberator (#2)
How about an AoS Hitlery joke?
The Americans go into a corner to discuss for a few minutes. They return with their answer to the undertaker and tell him they want Hillary shipped home.
The undertaker is puzzled and asks, 'Why would you spend $50,000 to ship her home, when it would be wonderful to be buried here and you would spend only $100?
The American diplomats reply, 'Long ago a man died here, was buried here, and three days later he rose from the dead. We just can't take the risk.
Tooconservative posted on 2018-07-04 05:42:48 Reply Private Reply
#14: paraclete To: Tooconservative (#13)
paraclete posted on 2018-07-04 05:50:53 Reply Private Reply
#15: redleghunter To: Tooconservative (#13)
redleghunter posted on 2018-07-13 01:17:40 Reply Private Reply