8 REASONS WHY SOME TEENS QUIT BELIEVING

By Chuck Lawless, CP Guest Contributor Sunday, January 14, 2024

Church in Spain | Getty Images/Jesus Gonzalez

Actually, I'm worried about this. As a pastor and professor, I have had to deal with teenagers who grew up in seemingly strong Christian homes but have now abandoned Christian education. To be honest, I'm grateful that some of these kids still trust me enough to talk to me. During our conversation, I found out several reasons why they went on a new path.

1. From the beginning, their beliefs were never really theirs. They act in accordance with the wishes of others. They continue the lineage of their parents and grandparents. However, they never accepted that belief.

2. They have witnessed too much hypocrisy among believers. To be honest, they have sometimes witnessed abuses in their own homes; their parents are not the same at home as in church. In other situations, these young people have witnessed the moral mistakes made by too many church leaders.

3. They never received enough supervision. Although they were raised in Christian families, no one cooperated with these believers to help them grow in their faith, fight the devil, and win. They are vulnerable because they have to "think things through" mostly on their own.

4. Their ever-changing culture allowed them to live in a different way from the demands of their Christian education. When I was younger, you may have faced lifestyle problems, but you solved them calmly and alone. That's no longer a problem. Now, the deconstruction of beliefs is well accepted in culture.

5. They never legitimately ask anyone to hear their questions, much less try to give answers. Too many people argue that older ones only criticize their doubts and ask us to "just believe." It is true that we must believe, but there is no belief that cannot answer the opposite question.

6. This problem, of course, is related to problem number three above, that they have no real foundation in the word. They hear others say," This is the Word of God," but they don't know why we believe it. If they really read the Bible, this young generation does so with skepticism.

7. They face the problem of sin in their lives. Although I do not remember who made this statement, I always remember the following statement about those who are religious and renounce their faith: "immorality often precedes unbelief." There are times when young people take a different path in their faith because their actions already show that.

They found that the community outside the church was stronger than within it. They have found things they can't get in church, like friends, fun, and fellowship. We recognize that their community with others can be lost quickly, but their focus is on short-term rather than long-term results. They are happy with what they have at the moment.

What reasons prompted you to include these names in this list? What are you experiencing?

News Sources : https://www.christianpost.com/voices/8-reasons-some-young-people-are-walking-away-from-their-faith.html