Why are college kids leaving the Church?
I’m really bothered by something and it’s starting to irritate me greatly. I keep reading and hearing about kids going off to college and then dropping out of church and never coming back. There are lots of reasons cited (hypocrisy, someone hurt them, they don’t like the rules, etc) but there is one reason given which I think is simply because our discipleship training simply doesn’t include it. The reason is Intellectual challenges to Christianity.
They’re going off to college like sheep to the slaughter. Their professors are “authority figures” and supposedly the most knowledgeable people in their subject field. When the professor makes a case for agnosticism, “the Bible is full of myths”, atheism, inclusivism, etc – they will sound very credible. It will be logically laid out with historical case studies, cultural studies, scientific proofs or other academic supporting documentation. Dad and Mom and their local pastor seem like “well meaning folks” that really aren’t in touch with reality. “God said it, I believe it and that settles it” is not going to get it done in a university setting.
I watched this video on youtube. A guy like this might end up being your kid’s college roommate or something. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAuFJKQh83Y
These are basically the questions he asked:
1. Why should anyone believe the Bible? How do you know that it is true?
2. Is there any rational justification for belief in God?
3. Why are you a Christian? What is the main reason you are a Christian?
4. Do you think the world is 6,000 to 10,000 years old? If so, how do you reconcile the findings of science today?
5. Why would you believe anything on faith?
Every Christian should be able to answer these! Why don’t we have apologetics as part of our discipleship programs, or part of kids ministries? We are just asking for kids to walk away from the faith because we haven’t armed them for battle.
Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
I Peter 3:15a
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
I think we are doing a major injustice to any high school student by sending them off to college without proper training in basic Christian apologetics.
They’re going off to college like sheep to the slaughter. Their professors are “authority figures” and supposedly the most knowledgeable people in their subject field. When the professor makes a case for agnosticism, “the Bible is full of myths”, atheism, inclusivism, etc – they will sound very credible. It will be logically laid out with historical case studies, cultural studies, scientific proofs or other academic supporting documentation. Dad and Mom and their local pastor seem like “well meaning folks” that really aren’t in touch with reality. “God said it, I believe it and that settles it” is not going to get it done in a university setting.
I watched this video on youtube. A guy like this might end up being your kid’s college roommate or something. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAuFJKQh83Y
These are basically the questions he asked:
1. Why should anyone believe the Bible? How do you know that it is true?
2. Is there any rational justification for belief in God?
3. Why are you a Christian? What is the main reason you are a Christian?
4. Do you think the world is 6,000 to 10,000 years old? If so, how do you reconcile the findings of science today?
5. Why would you believe anything on faith?
Every Christian should be able to answer these! Why don’t we have apologetics as part of our discipleship programs, or part of kids ministries? We are just asking for kids to walk away from the faith because we haven’t armed them for battle.
Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
I Peter 3:15a
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
I think we are doing a major injustice to any high school student by sending them off to college without proper training in basic Christian apologetics.
Labels:
christian apologetics,
college,
training
I would agree. Basic apologetic teaching assumes basic parenting. And what is with this age of the earth question? I can develop a Christian world view no matter whether it is 10K years old or 13.73 billion years old (i.e. John Macarthur or William Lane Craig).
Kids are taught by parents
parents are taught by the church (and themselves hopefully)
and the state or the church is not always what we might want it to be (insert too much touchy feeling life application without biblical exposition sermons)
Jim has your church ever done any apologetic training? The only apologetic training I've ever had is self-taught. No church I've been apart of pulls out Geisler, Craig, Plantinga, etc and trains people on tough academic questions. Why? Is it because they don't feel it's important or because they don't know the answers to the questions themselves?
Yes. We hosted a content conference on a Saturday to help people contend for the faith. Each Fall there is a 13 week Thur night teaching series. Last year was Christophony, this year will be a study of angels. Our pastor teaches it as a class in seminary (without the tests) The preaching is expository in nature and when the tough issues arise our pastor handles them so that we can have a full understanding of the issue and how to deal with it. We also start them young by teaching the Gospel to the 2 and 3 year olds and not the watered down flannel graph version if you know what I mean
Studying Christophanies and angels is certainly important but that's not really apologetic training. I'm talking about being able to defend Christianity as rational and real in the face of a college professor (or anyone) who thinks it's all a myth. The guy on that video is probably pretty typical of what the average Christian would sound like in the face of these questions (all legitimate questions by the way) and it's just pathetic.
I know what you are saying but my point is that our church gets us to think at a different level and just like my biochemistry degree prepared me for my career in technology by helping my problem solve likewise the ability to process theological truths can carry over into apologetics
Have any of you heard of the Truth Project?
Craig, I hadn't heard of it but read a little of their website over the weekend. It looks very interesting and might be a good way to get introduced into apologetic thinking. I'll check them out further.
Jim I'm worried about this atheist culture creeping in. It's becoming more cool, hip, intelligent to be an atheist or agnostic and college is ground zero of all of it. Our kids are under pressure to defend claims that Jesus really did rise, it wasn't a myth, God is real not just emotion, etc. I just think we need to better prepare them.
Isn't this the ultimate description of election and responsibility. Of sovereignty and our choice. :) This is why I am not worried since I know God is bigger than the atheist influence. (just a side note)
But that being said I do think we need good websites and organizations for kids to explore that teach them basic Apologetic thinking. I believe that the church can make kids aware of these sites but if the church can give the kids a passion for Christ and sharing the Gospel then there isn't an argument in the word that will sway them. But if they are just giving them normal "Sunday school knowledge" then there is a problem