Thursday, February 24, 2005
Religion Among Teens
The AP yesterday released a story about the religious convictions and knowledge of teenagers.
David Limbaugh has commented on the piece at his blog.
Faith is being recast as another self-help movement. Actually, this has been happening for years as pop-psychology has slowly crept into the pulpit and ministry and group therapy has replaced bible study. But now the movement is going big time. FAITH MAKES YOU HEALTHY, WEALTHY, AND WISE! Healthy and wise one hopes for from faith, wealthy is another thing.
But here is the bottom line -- faith in God is not about me, it's about God. We start off seeking salvation, but if we stop there, we run a terrible risk. God cannot be boxed into a small corner as political movement, or addiction breaker. He is a life consumer. He is the end all and be all. He is the Alpha and the Omega.
The majority of American teens believe in God and worship in conventional congregations, but their religious knowledge is remarkably shallow and they have a tough time expressing the difference that faith makes in their lives, a new survey says.I'm not sure of this is good news or bad news. I am very pleased that kids believe in something besides TV, video games, and the music du jour, but, like most of the parents before them, I am concerned why they do not explore their faith in depth.
David Limbaugh has commented on the piece at his blog.
Now here's the real "Duh." This last paragraph is so obvious it's barely newsworthy. But while obvious, it's often denied by our culture. Of course the devout will have better emotional health, academic success, community involvement, etc. And abstinence programs work too!I absolutely agree with everything that Limbaugh is saying, but I think it belies a problem with the current rise of religion in America.
I can't help but stop here to interject a relevant aside. When I speak before groups around the country on the subject of Christian persecution/discrimination in America I often point out how the First Amendment's Establishment clause has been turned upside down by the courts. While the framers intended the clause, like its Free Exercise Clause counterpart, to guarantee religious liberty, activist courts have turned it into a weapon against religious liberty -- for Christians that is. One example I use is the many high schools which prohibit valedictory speakers from invoking Christ in their speeches before the student body because of "the separation of church and state."
Faith is being recast as another self-help movement. Actually, this has been happening for years as pop-psychology has slowly crept into the pulpit and ministry and group therapy has replaced bible study. But now the movement is going big time. FAITH MAKES YOU HEALTHY, WEALTHY, AND WISE! Healthy and wise one hopes for from faith, wealthy is another thing.
But here is the bottom line -- faith in God is not about me, it's about God. We start off seeking salvation, but if we stop there, we run a terrible risk. God cannot be boxed into a small corner as political movement, or addiction breaker. He is a life consumer. He is the end all and be all. He is the Alpha and the Omega.
