Why are the young people non-religious

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a twentysomething myself, I think most young people today have a finely tuned BS radar and are turned off by religious establishments that try to market to them and make religion "cool." I am interested in exploring my faith and spirituality but I don't like feeling like I'm being sold something. The praise bands, the hipster churches that have slick websites and are all over social media and have a marketing plan...those types of establisents are a big turn off. It feels like some middle aged Church leaders were sitting around in a conference room thibking, what can we do to get the young people to church? Let's hire a 38-year-old pastor who plays the guitar and wears jeans and has tattoos!

I think a lot of people my age are interested in the traditions and sacraments and rituals and liturgy and history of the faith tradition. But it's hard to find that in a faith community, especially if you're an outsider or newcomer and don't really speak the lingo. It's just a little awkward. But I think if more faith communities focused on going back to their roots and reviving traditional spiritual practices instead of tripping over themselves to make it "relevant," they would see more young people.

CHurches that focus on those things are losing people in droves. It might be what you want, but is not so atractive to many others. Perhaps that's why churches are trying something different --- like the praise bands, etc. It used to be that the "traditions" and the promise of heaven and fear of hell were enough to keep people attending and giving money to the church. I suspect a lot of Christians no longer think church membership is is needed for salvation. And churches, being human institutions, need money to operate, so you can't blame them for looking for ways to attract people.

[Anonymous]

I'm 42 and I think most religious beliefs are absurd. Take a step back and most of it isn't that far off from fantasy novels or science fiction (without the science).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 42 and I think most religious beliefs are absurd. Take a step back and most of it isn't that far off from fantasy novels or science fiction (without the science).

Or mythology -and there are some religious people who think religion is mythology and value it as such. They also value Jesus, not for his supernatural powers or position as son of god (which they don't believe in) but in his value as a human teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 42 and I think most religious beliefs are absurd. Take a step back and most of it isn't that far off from fantasy novels or science fiction (without the science).

A big draw of religion that can't be matched by fantasy or science fiction is that religion offers eternal life and the chance to see your loved ones after death.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 42 and I think most religious beliefs are absurd. Take a step back and most of it isn't that far off from fantasy novels or science fiction (without the science).

A big draw of religion that can't be matched by fantasy or science fiction is that religion offers eternal life and the chance to see your loved ones after death.

This is precisely the reason I am turned off by religion/Christianity in the traditional sense- the idea that the whole reason for believing is to be "saved" and go to Heaven. For me, religion should NOT be about rewards and requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a twentysomething myself, I think most young people today have a finely tuned BS radar and are turned off by religious establishments that try to market to them and make religion "cool." I am interested in exploring my faith and spirituality but I don't like feeling like I'm being sold something. The praise bands, the hipster churches that have slick websites and are all over social media and have a marketing plan...those types of establisents are a big turn off. It feels like some middle aged Church leaders were sitting around in a conference room thibking, what can we do to get the young people to church? Let's hire a 38-year-old pastor who plays the guitar and wears jeans and has tattoos!

I think a lot of people my age are interested in the traditions and sacraments and rituals and liturgy and history of the faith tradition. But it's hard to find that in a faith community, especially if you're an outsider or newcomer and don't really speak the lingo. It's just a little awkward. But I think if more faith communities focused on going back to their roots and reviving traditional spiritual practices instead of tripping over themselves to make it "relevant," they would see more young people.

This is how I feel too, but unfortunately the churches that do offer this (think Episcopalian, Presbyterian, etc.) are in steep, steep decline to the point where there's doubt whether they'll even exist in a few decades - while the hipster, "relevant" churches are booming. So IDK.

[Anonymous]

NP here - and I apologize for the tangent. Our neighborhood church dropped our daughter as a member!! Sent a letter saying since they didn't have any record of her participating in the last 2 years, they were dropping her as member. She's in college!! She's 20! How much participation did they expect??!! ... and the church wonders - - how can we increase membership? how do we get young people into the church? Hello??!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here - and I apologize for the tangent. Our neighborhood church dropped our daughter as a member!! Sent a letter saying since they didn't have any record of her participating in the last 2 years, they were dropping her as member. She's in college!! She's 20! How much participation did they expect??!! ... and the church wonders - - how can we increase membership? how do we get young people into the church? Hello??!!

I'm guessing the reaon thye noticed she's missing is that she hasn't pledged.

sure would have been nice if instead they sent a note asking how she was doing, but business is business, I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a twentysomething myself, I think most young people today have a finely tuned BS radar and are turned off by religious establishments that try to market to them and make religion "cool." I am interested in exploring my faith and spirituality but I don't like feeling like I'm being sold something. The praise bands, the hipster churches that have slick websites and are all over social media and have a marketing plan...those types of establisents are a big turn off. It feels like some middle aged Church leaders were sitting around in a conference room thibking, what can we do to get the young people to church? Let's hire a 38-year-old pastor who plays the guitar and wears jeans and has tattoos!

I think a lot of people my age are interested in the traditions and sacraments and rituals and liturgy and history of the faith tradition. But it's hard to find that in a faith community, especially if you're an outsider or newcomer and don't really speak the lingo. It's just a little awkward. But I think if more faith communities focused on going back to their roots and reviving traditional spiritual practices instead of tripping over themselves to make it "relevant," they would see more young people.

This is how I feel too, but unfortunately the churches that do offer this (think Episcopalian, Presbyterian, etc.) are in steep, steep decline to the point where there's doubt whether they'll even exist in a few decades - while the hipster, "relevant" churches are booming. So IDK.

THe hipster churches are losing members too -- just not as quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 42 and I think most religious beliefs are absurd. Take a step back and most of it isn't that far off from fantasy novels or science fiction (without the science).

A big draw of religion that can't be matched by fantasy or science fiction is that religion offers eternal life and the chance to see your loved ones after death.

This is precisely the reason I am turned off by religion/Christianity in the traditional sense- the idea that the whole reason for believing is to be "saved" and go to Heaven. For me, religion should NOT be about rewards and requirements.

Religion is about much more than that -- it's community and compassion as well. Eternal salvation is a added benefit - the most important one, as it lasts forever

[Anonymous]

Churches are a business. I think people see this now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Churches are a business. I think people see this now.

If only the tax code would see it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here - and I apologize for the tangent. Our neighborhood church dropped our daughter as a member!! Sent a letter saying since they didn't have any record of her participating in the last 2 years, they were dropping her as member. She's in college!! She's 20! How much participation did they expect??!! ... and the church wonders - - how can we increase membership? how do we get young people into the church? Hello??!!

I'm guessing the reaon thye noticed she's missing is that she hasn't pledged.

sure would have been nice if instead they sent a note asking how she was doing, but business is business, I guess.

It's all about the Benjamins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Churches are a business. I think people see this now.

Yup. Prime example is the United House of Prayer in Shaw DC that is using it's church status as a facade to mask its real estate empire. The head pastor has a sweet Jaguar, IIRC.

[Anonymous]

Pew's latest issue of Trust magazine says the idea that Americans are less religious blurs some concepts, like distancing yourself from organized religion vs. from religion itself. Also, only 3.1% of adults of all ages identified as atheist, 4% as agnostic, and 15.8% identify as "nothing in particular" which is obviously different from agnostic/atheist. But I'll skip over that and focus on OP's "young people."

Re millenials in particular, the Pew article points out that millenials are slow to make any attachments. They work several gigs instead of a full-time job, or they job hop. They live with partners instead of getting married. They decide how to vote at the last minute. All these examples are straight from the Pew article, which says, "But we're also seeing the millenials' slowness to make any kind of attachments, and to limit this to just religion is to miss the extent of what's happening."

Sorry no link, the magazine happened to be was
on my desk so I just opened it and read the article. You can probably google it.