| | Among all things, could debates about the age of the earth, intelligent design versus evolution, and six-day versus gradual creation be drawing young people away from the Christian faith?
Ken Ham, famous for his Answers in Genesis creation-science ministry, says a major study he commissioned reveals the reasons why many young people are leaving the Church. According to a recent article, a respected researcher uncovered that two-thirds of young people in evangelical churches will leave as they approach their 20s.
In Ham's new book, "Already Gone: Why Your Kids Quit Church and What You Can Do to Stop it," a collaborative effort with researcher Britt Beemer, church youth are already "lost" in their hearts and minds during elementary and high school, not college as many expect.
Beemer conducted this study via phone interviews and surveys with 1,000 20 to 29 year-olds who used to attend evangelical churches on a daily basis.
The results struck Ham with surprise. According to these interviews and surveys, children who faithfully attended Bible schools are more likely to question Scriptural authority and eventually fall away from the church. He calls this the "Sunday school syndrome."
The survey reveals that children who regularly attend Sunday school are more likely to leave the Church, believe that the Bible is less true, defend the legality of abortion and same-sex marriage and defend premarital sex.
Although Ham believes that there are various reasons for this, he thinks the source of the problem is how churches and parents teach children to interpret the creation account in Genesis.
Ham firmly believes in six-day creation that occurred 6,000 to 10,000 years ago and argues that the Church opened up the door for the exodus of youth in the 19th century as soon as they began teaching that "the age of the Earth is not an issue as long as you trust in Jesus and believe in the resurrection and the Gospel accounts."
Ham believes that the youth of younger generations may have been better able to deal with this inconsistency and hold onto their faith, but today, with a highly secular and athiestic public education system, it becomes harder for young people to mesh together what they have learned at church and in school.
According to Ham, when parents and teachers tell kids that it's okay to believe in evolution that occurred over millions of years, they come to believe that what they learned in school is always correct. And what is taught in school has nothing to do with, and often contradicts, what Scripture teaches.
After reviewing the survey results, Ham came to the conclusion that as soon as youth believe that Scripture is not the authority on the creation of the universe, they instantly question Scriptural authority as a whole. This is dangerous, because the foundation of Christianity rests on Scripture.
In Ham's book, he intends to prevent youth from leaving Christianity by proving that the Bible connects to reality and is based on history.
Why do you think many youth are drifting away from Christianity? Do you think it has anything to with confusion about the origin of the universe and humanity, as Ham argues?
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my comment
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huch.. this is kind scary for those people who are taking a religion of Christianity as a competition with other religion by number of people, or by the congregation that is bigger than some one Else's religion. I assume we all know that Christianity is not a religion and its relationship with Christ. going to church of Christ is to have a fellowship with believers of Christ. when some one leaves church then that means that person doesn't have a fellowship with the church. why? I don't know. but think of a reason that how can you have a fellowship if you don't have a relationship? what is the basic of relationship? may be acceptance and love and care for each other. why some one is not christian? because he has never been in relationship with Jesus, why because no one has introduced Jesus to him or he/she doesn't know Jesus. or there MIGHT BE A HUGE MISTAKE ABOUT INTRODUCING JESUS IN WRONG WAY SO THERE IS VERY LES CHANCE FOR THAT PERSON TO FOLLOW JESUS. just think of how church is introducing Jesus to young guys?? is Jesus they preach is kind? loving ? just ? righteous? and caring? or may be some churches around the world introducing Jesus in wrong way.. legalistic.. judging.. condemning.. unforgiving.... hard... and as a bad guy??? when Jesus walked on this earth.. in first century Palestine.. people were drawing closer to Him. and I am sure today, the believers, mostly young one are turning away from the crowd of believers because we are presenting the Jesus in wrong way.. may in a way to bring people to church.. and then afterward.. in a different way after they are caught in .. if we live as Jesus wanted us to be his disciples. Jesus will still draw people to him. it does n't matter how strong is the argument outside in the secular education.. what they learn at home is very important, and what they experience in church is also very important to examine with our actions. when people are going away from church, they are not going back from Jesus, but they are turning away from People who claim to have the blessing but failed to present it through their lives. if the church is living with Living Jesus.. He still draws people closer to him.. because there is the meaning of the truth.. the way and the Life that is meaningful and blessed.
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| | Posted 6/23/2009 9:13 PM - 42 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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