Anybody's teens have experience with Young Life?

[Anonymous]

I was stalked and pressured in high school by Young Life and later in college by Navigators. They really were a love bomb cultish thing and I encourage kids to stay clear unless they already come from an evangelical family- making this type of thing something more akin to their culture.

These groups do recruit

[Anonymous]

Op, my parents were wary of YL too bc it was very “born again” fundamental-heavy on literal interpretation. Was raised Methodist and had a very active youth group so I was involved in that instead but overall it is a bunch of good kids who peer pressure each other into not making stupid choices (binge drinking, etc) and will give your daughter something fun to do with a safe group of friends. A lot of my friends were in it and the boys in it were very big on abstinence which made them really awaken to date bc it took the pressure off—even if the angle they pushed on that was “God’s desire for us to be pure” and to look on the girls as someone’s future wife and honor her and her future husband by respecting her purity. It’s a bit patriarchal to that degree, but hey—there were also no teen pregnancies out of that group so there’s that....

[Anonymous]

Oops! “awaken” should be “awesome”

[Anonymous]

I was in it in HS in the late 80’s. I was raised Catholic but was an atheist at the time. And now am spiritual but not religious. One of my BFF was also raised Catholic. Became and still is devout Christian. I think evangelical. But don’t know. My other BFF, “accepted Christ” at one of the camps, but never really went to church. She goes to Episcopal now because her DH is Catholic and that was a compromise.

I had lots of other friends who didn’t believe, or if they did, weren’t super religious. Never felt like a cult. They of course talked about Jesus and wanted us to believe. But their modus Operandi was to accept us as we were, provide fun, safe activities and hope our hearts would open to Jesus. I never felt like i had to denounce my atheism to join.

I liked it because I didn’t drink. And all my friends from there didn’t really drink either. And the activities were fun.

[Anonymous]

They seem to be nice enough and some have fun, but in the end, they belong to the strand of born again christianity that thinks that born-again kids should only have friends from within their community.

I want to be openminded about it, but I would be very scared my kid would wind up comfortable in a community that I think is doing a lot of harm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was stalked and pressured in high school by Young Life and later in college by Navigators. They really were a love bomb cultish thing and I encourage kids to stay clear unless they already come from an evangelical family- making this type of thing something more akin to their culture.

These groups do recruit

+1

[Anonymous]

OP again - also, this really freaked me out.

[url]https://forum.culteducation.com/read.php?14,15330,page=1

[Anonymous]

I would love for my teen daughter to be involved with a group of friends who don't drink and don't have sex. That being said, the group is Evangelical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was super popular where I grew up. Totally weird and encompassing. Cultish. But that was in the 90s, so hopefully some people have more info re: today.

It was like this in the 80's too!

This, back in the 80s in the midwest.

My experience too.

[Anonymous]

Do openly gay teens join Young Life? Would they be comfortable and accepted?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do openly gay teens join Young Life? Would they be comfortable and accepted?

i know an adult member of young life and she is very open and welcoming of my 2 Mom family. She is a lovely person all around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would love for my teen daughter to be involved with a group of friends who don't drink and don't have sex. That being said, the group is Evangelical.

It seems that you may be using a complex term in a reductive manner.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/12/evangelical-christian/418236/

[Anonymous]

My oldest (now in college) was in YL. It was a wonderful community of kids that were (and still are) very tight. Great social circle with absolute no pressure to drink or do drugs. We have a pool and basement with ping pong/pool table so we hosted these kids all the time. It was great for my daughter to be part of a healthy group of kids who focused on grades and positive peer pressure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They seem to be nice enough and some have fun, but in the end, they belong to the strand of born again christianity that thinks that born-again kids should only have friends from within their community.

I want to be openminded about it, but I would be very scared my kid would wind up comfortable in a community that I think is doing a lot of harm.

LOL! I'm the PP and my family is non practicing Catholics. My daughter had no problems making friends despite not being evangelical, church going or born again. My daughter just really liked having friends that took away any pressure to drink and do drugs.

[Anonymous]

It was so low key in the mid-80s where I lived that I went to several get togethers before I realized it was a Christian organization. I was Jewish. It was just a social gathering, really.