Why Is the Church Losing Her Kids? And What Can Be Done About It? Truth Conference Peoria, IL Rich Knopp, MA, MDiv, PhD Room For Doubt Coordinator Professor of Philosophy & Apologetics Lincoln Christian University Session Webpage: www.worldvieweyes.org/truth2016.html
Why Is the Church Losing Her Kids? And What Can Be Done About It? Rich Knopp, MA, MDiv, PhD Room For Doubt Coordinator Professor of Philosophy & Apologetics Lincoln Christian University
Introduction A. Christian Convictions Truth (e.g. Eph 6; 1 Tim 2) Reasonable Faith (1 Pet 3; Acts 17, 18, 19) Confidence, Certainty, Boldness (Acts 1:3; Acts 2:36).
We’ve Got Trouble
I. T HE D EMISE OF THE C HRISTIAN W ORLDVIEW IN O UR CULTURE AND THE C ONSEQUENCES FOR THE C HURCH ’ S K IDS
The Rise of the Nones
The “Nones” (The Religiously Unaffiliated) 50 Pew Research Center, 2012 and 2014 All Americans 40 19 Million INCREASE (56 Million) 30 22.8% 19.3% 15.3% 20 8.1% 10 0 1990 2007 2012 2014
The “Nones” (The Religiously Unaffiliated) 50 Pew Research Center, 2012 and 2014 Millennials 36% 40 34% 32% 30 22% 20 11% 10 0 1990 2007 2012 2014 (25-33) 2014 (18-24)
The “Nones” Drew Dyke, “The Leavers,” Christianity T oday 100 73% 80 66% 60 40 20 0 From Religious Homes “De-Converted”
Most Frequently Mentioned Factor by “De-Converts” “... sharing their burgeoning doubts with a Christian friend or family member only to receive trite, unhelpful answers.” Drew Dyck, “The Leavers: Young Doubters Exit the Church,” Christianity Today , posted 11/18/2010.
Lack of a Biblical Worldview
“Born Again” “Biblical Worldview” Barna Research 50 50 45% 40 40 30 30 20 20 9.0% 10 10 2.0% 0.5% 0 0 American Adults All Adults All Teens 18-23 Yrs.
“Churched Teens”: Experience vs. A Biblical Worldview 95% Barna Research 92% 100 89% 75 50 25 9% 0 Bible Stories Bible Persons Fun / Positive Biblical Worldview
Y outh With Christian Background Felt Like Significantly Can’t Ask Most Rejecting Doubted Pressing Questions Their Their Faith in Church Parents’ Faith 50 38% 32% 36% 40 30 20 10 0 David Kinnaman, You Lost Me
Churched Y outh “Disengaged” in Their Twenties? 59% 70% David Kinnaman, You Lost Me
II. F ACTORS FOR THE D EMISE AND THE D EVELOPING D OUBT
Prominence of Skeptics
Richard Dawkins, Oxford University, The God Delusion (2006) “When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called Religion.”
Christopher Hitchens, God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (2007)
Bart Ehrman Prof. of Religious Studies Univ. of North Carolina Forged: … Why the Bible’s How Jesus Became God: The Jesus Before the Authors Are Not Who We Exaltation of a Jewish Gospels: How the Earliest Think They Are Preacher from Galilee Christians Remembered, (2011) (2014) Changed, and Invented Their Stories of the Savior (2016)
Bart Ehrman Prof. of Religious Studies Univ. of North Carolina • Historical Jesus • New Testament • History of the Bible • The Greatest Controversies of Early Christian History • After the New Testament: The Apostolic Fathers • From Jesus to Constantine • Lost Christianities • How Jesus Became God
Increasing Intellectual Skepticism & Doubt “Why did they fall away from the faith in which they were raised?” 32 % said they left faith behind because of intellectual skepticism or doubt. “It didn’t make any sense anymore.” “Some stu ff is too far - fetched for me to believe.” “I think scientifica lm y and there is no real proof.” “T oo many questions that can’t be answered.”
Internet Accessibility
Internet Accessibility Larry Taunton, “Listening to Y oung Atheists: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity” “When our participants were asked to cite key influences in their conversion to atheism — people, books, seminars, etc. — we expected to hear frequent references to the names of the ‘New Atheists.’ W e did not. Not once. Instead, we heard vague references to videos they had watched on Y ouTube or website forums” ( The Atlantic online [ June 6, 2013 ]) .
More “High-Information” Seekers Over 70% of Millennials go to college. Only 1/2 of their parents. Only 1/3 of their grandparents.
More High-Information Seekers Larry Barnett’s “Next Generation Project” “W e found that the presence of doubt much more strongly predicted leaving Christianity for high information seekers …. [ H ] igh information seekers with doubts are about two to four times more likely to disconnect from Christianity than other doubters who are not high information seekers…. See www.projectnextgen.org
“Why are Teens Leaving the Faith?” (Brian Housman — Lifeway) Shallow belief system No room for doubt Exclusive faith No answers for opposition (science & philosophy) Church is intolerant Church is against science Church is not relevant (personally & professionally)
III. W HAT C AN W E D O A BOUT I T ?
Belief that … (Matt 16; Hebrews 11:6a) Trust in … (James 2:19; Hebrews 11:6b) Love of … (Mark 12:30) Stress the real OBJECTIVE
Compare the Key Questions Matthew 16 “WHO Am I?” John 21 “Do you LOVE Me?”
1 Peter 3:15 Why? Highlight the foundational MOTIVE
Be APPRECIATIVE of Doubts and Tough Questions Over 33% of young adults: “Christians are too confident they know all the answers.”
Take Another Look At
John 1: “Behold, the Lamb of God ...” Mt 11: “Are you the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”
Doubt: A Doorway Deeper BELIEF Greater DISBELIEF
Different Kinds of Doubt Moral Doubt Self Doubt Spiritual Doubt Intellectual Doubt V olitional Doubt “The prognosis for faith is greatly dependent on the diagnosis of doubt.”
Unexpressed Doubt David Kinnaman “I believe that unexpressed doubt is one of the most powerful destroyers of faith” (You Lost Me)
Be INQUISITIVE Jesus asked 173 questions. Mark 11:27-33 And Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Be SENSITIVE 1 Pet 3:15 “with gentleness and reverence” 2 Tim 2:24 - 25 “not quarrelsome but kind ... with gentleness” Jude 1:22 “Have mercy on some who are doubting”
An “Atmosphere” of Humility Dallas Willard 1 Peter 5:5 “… all of you clothe yourselves with humility”
Be COMPREHENSIVE “The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me.” 18 % Church “anti - intellectual” 25 % Church “anti - science” 24 % Church “not relevant” to career
Worldview
Apologetic Interaction Cultural Impact Medical Care Missions Socio-Academic Influence Islam Atheism Anthropology Theology Relational Investment Prisons Poor Paganism Spouse Children Personal Involvement Deism Sociology Law Parents Media Mind Reading Crisis Care Boss Hungry Animism Education Will Attitude Brother(s) Music Leisure Integrity Nihilism Politics Elderly Employees Sister(s) Sexuality Money Philosophy Actions Homeless Cults Speech Co-Workers Language Friends Economics Work Disasters Education Existentialism Biology Grandparents Church Leaders Orphan New Age Art Boy/Girl Friend Child Care Psychology History Social Justice Postmodernism Pantheism Unwanted Pregnancy
Apologetic Interaction Cultural Impact Medical Care Missions Socio-Academic Influence Islam Atheism Anthropology Theology Relational Investment Prisons Poor Paganism Spouse Children Personal Involvement Deism Sociology Law Parents Media Mind Reading Crisis Care Boss Hungry Animism Education Will Attitude Brother(s) Music Leisure Integrity Nihilism Politics Elderly Employees Sister(s) Sexuality Money Philosophy Actions Homeless Cults Speech Co-Workers Language Friends Economics Work Disasters Education Existentialism Biology Grandparents Church Leaders Orphan New Age Art Boy/Girl Friend Child Care Psychology History Social Justice Postmodernism Pantheism Unwanted Pregnancy
Apologetic Interaction Cultural Impact Medical Care Missions Socio-Academic Influence Islam Atheism Anthropology Theology Relational Investment Prisons Poor Paganism Spouse Children Personal Involvement Deism Sociology Law LOVE Parents Media Mind Reading Crisis Care Boss Hungry Animism Education Will Attitude Brother(s) Music Leisure Integrity Nihilism Politics Elderly Employees Sister(s) Sexuality Money Philosophy Actions Homeless Cults Speech Co-Workers Language Friends Economics Work Disasters Education Existentialism Biology Grandparents Church Leaders Orphan New Age Art Boy/Girl Friend Child Care Psychology History Social Justice Postmodernism Pantheism Unwanted Pregnancy
Be COMPARATIVE
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