unChristian
Reading a new book (it's never a good thing when you've got a rainy day off and decide to go browsing at the new Barnes & Noble) that found me...
...now for those of you who know me, can I pass up a book that has the title unChristian the subtitle What A New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity and Why It Matters.
I'm about halfway finished so I won't get into conclusions and that kind of thing yet, but I wanted to get discussion stirred up here at The Diner with some supporting evidence the author--David Kinnaman--used to make his case (he used to work for noted Christian researcher George Barna):
[after using an example that Christians tend to be told what to believe and not necessarily why to believe it] "We are learning that one of the primary reasons that ministry to teenagers fails to produce a lasting faith is because they are not being taught to think...Young people desperately need to be taught to process the rich complexities of life, to probe and test and stretch their faith from the perspective of a Christ follower."
[after a discussion on "depth" of believers based on data he asked that determined how they see the world around them in light of what Scripture says] "This means that out of ninety-five million Americans who are ages eighteen to 41, about 60 million say they have already made a commitment to Jesus that is still important; however only about three million of them have a biblical worldview."
[after a survey of perspectives people who attend church once per month] "More than four out of every five agreed that the Christian life is well described as 'trying hard to do what God commands.' Two-thirds of churchgoers said, 'Rigid rules and strict standards are an important part of life and teaching at my church.' Three out of every five churchgoers in America feel that they, 'do not measure up to God's standards.' And one-quarter admitted that they serve God out of a sense of 'guilt and obligation rather than joy and gratitude.'"
That should get things started for today.
*turns on coffee, preps Diner for another day's business, and looks forward to the chatter*
Reading a new book (it's never a good thing when you've got a rainy day off and decide to go browsing at the new Barnes & Noble) that found me...
...now for those of you who know me, can I pass up a book that has the title unChristian the subtitle What A New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity and Why It Matters.
I'm about halfway finished so I won't get into conclusions and that kind of thing yet, but I wanted to get discussion stirred up here at The Diner with some supporting evidence the author--David Kinnaman--used to make his case (he used to work for noted Christian researcher George Barna):
[after using an example that Christians tend to be told what to believe and not necessarily why to believe it] "We are learning that one of the primary reasons that ministry to teenagers fails to produce a lasting faith is because they are not being taught to think...Young people desperately need to be taught to process the rich complexities of life, to probe and test and stretch their faith from the perspective of a Christ follower."
[after a discussion on "depth" of believers based on data he asked that determined how they see the world around them in light of what Scripture says] "This means that out of ninety-five million Americans who are ages eighteen to 41, about 60 million say they have already made a commitment to Jesus that is still important; however only about three million of them have a biblical worldview."
[after a survey of perspectives people who attend church once per month] "More than four out of every five agreed that the Christian life is well described as 'trying hard to do what God commands.' Two-thirds of churchgoers said, 'Rigid rules and strict standards are an important part of life and teaching at my church.' Three out of every five churchgoers in America feel that they, 'do not measure up to God's standards.' And one-quarter admitted that they serve God out of a sense of 'guilt and obligation rather than joy and gratitude.'"
That should get things started for today.
*turns on coffee, preps Diner for another day's business, and looks forward to the chatter*
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