Reviews, Interviews, News, Commentaries, Excerpts, My Top 5 Books, Wilson's Bookmarks, Book AwardsThe Leavers: Young Doubters Exit the Church
In his book unChristian, Kinnaman relayed his findings from thousands of interviews with young adults. Among his many conclusions was this: "The vast majority of outsiders [to the Christian faith] in this country, particularly among young generations, are actually dechurched individuals." He reports that 65 percent of all American young people report having made a commitment to Jesus Christ at some point. In other words, most unbelieving outsiders are old friends, yesterday's worshipers, children who once prayed to Jesus.
To tweak Kinnaman's language, the problem today isn't those who are unchristian, but that so many are ex-Christian. Strictly speaking, they are not an "unreached people group." They are our brothers, sisters, sons and daughters, and friends. They have dwelt among us.
Won't They Just Come Back?
A handful of researchers insists that the dramatic drop-off in 20-something spirituality is not cause for alarm. They view the exodus from the church as a hiatus, a matter of many post-collegiate Americans "slapping the snooze" on Sunday mornings.
In his recent book Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites … and Other Lies You've Been Told, sociologist Bradley Wright says the trend of young people leaving the faith in record numbers is "one of the myths" of contemporary Christianity. Wright, a shrewd contrarian, says members of every generation are regarded with suspicion by their older counterparts. He describes himself as a youth sporting "longish hair and a disco-print shirt," and asks readers, "Do you think the adults of that generation had any faith in the future based on teens like us?" Though he acknowledges that "we can't know for sure what will happen," Wright believes the best bet is that history will repeat itself: "… young people commonly leave organized religion as they separate from their families, but then rejoin when they start families of their own."
Rodney Stark also calls for calm. The Baylor University sociologist concedes that data from his school's research mirror that of the above studies, but Stark isn't shaken. "Young people have always been less likely to attend [church] than are older people," he writes. Stark is confident that the youngsters will return. "A bit later in life when they have married, and especially after children arrive, they become more regular [church] attendees. This happens in every generation."
There is something to these arguments. Scholars like Wright and Stark expose the folly of breathless predictions of Christianity's imminent demise. The North American church does not teeter on the brink of extinction. But, in my view, the crisis of people leaving the faith has taken on new gravity.
First, young adults today are dropping religion at a greater rate than young adults of yesteryear—"five to six times the historic rate," say Putnam and Campbell.
Second, the life-phase argument may no longer pertain. Young adulthood is not what it used to be. For one, it's much longer. Marriage, career, children—the primary sociological forces that drive adults back to religious commitment—are now delayed until the late 20s, even into the 30s. Returning to the fold after a two- or three-year hiatus is one thing. Coming back after more than a decade is considerably more unlikely.
Third, a tectonic shift has occurred in the broader culture. Past generations may have rebelled for a season, but they still inhabited a predominantly Judeo-Christian culture. For those reared in pluralistic, post-Christian America, the cultural gravity that has pulled previous generations back to the faith has weakened or dissipated altogether.
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Gene Scarborough
I have now had time to read many of the comments. They seem to have the most common theme of HIPOCRACY in the church being a source of motivation for leaving. I am now age 64 and reflect back to my young, preacher's kid, honestly answered questions era. It was the source of my examination of everything and still deciding to be part of the organized church. In that era my SBC was one of challenge and AUTONOMY. Now that has changed drastically in many organized churches--especially the mega church. A sociologist is studied at Emory posited that everyone has a time of "Psycho-Social-Moritorium" in order to achieve an adult status in life. In other words: "Chunk the presuppositions of early life / examine it all / gain your own adult status of owning your thoughts and outlook on life." I think too many today are afraid to "OWN" anything. We would all rather float with the crowd and stand for as little as possible. For me, it is a cop-out to leave and never return to AUTHENTICITY
Gene Scarborough
This amazes me. The few comments I have read thus far indicate as problem with "isms" and categories required of young believers these days. If we were less judgemental and willing to let the young ask honest questions where "I really don't know" is a legitimate answer, would it be better? Also, I think an "I don't know, but this is what I believe and makes sense to me" might help as well. I think too many adults are too certain that their answer must be their child's answer that the only alternative for youthful searchers is to get out of the stupidity!!!
Dan H
@JB: Hey, we are the same - but different. You see, I used to be a non-Christian. And it was the hypocrisy of non-Christians, the wretched sinfulness and evil in this world - not to mention my own sinfulness and my own inability to find peace and forgivness - that moved me to convert to Christ. Also the incredible contradictions in the scientific community. Man, they just can't even agree on evolution. One school espouses punctuated equalibriumism and another gradulism and another...well, you get the point. And then I began to read the Bible! It described me just the way I felt - sinful and in need of a Savior. And then when I believed on Christ as Savior I felt clean on the inside, forgiven, loved by God, an heir and adopted son. Oh, and did I mention I felt loved to an extent I had never felt before. And those contradictions in the Bible you mentioned - well, I saw them too, but I found out my own ignorance was the fault there. So with all that God offers you, how could you leave?
Mickey Fernandez
This is an interesting article and from my experiences the latter (individuals leaving the church due to unattended doubt) has been the most popular reason for leaving the church. I agree that this is in large part due to a shallow relationship built within the church through dramatic worship, encouragement filled sermons, and non-committed small groups. It's great to talk about all this but I want to hear what individual church bodies are doing about it. What are individual Christians doing about it? Are pastors challenging their church body to challenge each other and providing a setting where this is played out? That, is whats most important to me.
Dan H
Paul the Apostle held churches accountable for their doctrine and their practice. But he never let leavers and doubters off the hook, either. Neither did the prophets nor did Jesus nor the other writers of Scripture. And notice too, Paul didn't write just one epistle and send it to all of the churches; he wrote letters to individual churches and/or groups of churches in similar circumstances (like the churches in Galatia). Why do leavers and doubters leave and doubt? I John 2:15, 16 says this: 15Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world."