This confusing article came across my google news feed today. If you are not familiar with the “No True Scotsman” fallacy, the CNN article is a textbook example because the author accuses moderate and liberal Christians of being “fake” Christians. The article outlines the ideas of a book called “Almost Christian.” The author seems to think that the answer to American Christianity’s problems with losing teenagers is to be more “radical.” Radical? How Radical? Like Scott Rhoder? Like Pat Robertson? I think that the world could use fewer “radical” Christians, but I don’t think that’s what she means. I think she would say “Radical like Jesus.” Ok, fair enough. If Ms. Dean would like people to swear a vow of poverty and travel around on foot spreading moral teachings, I might not have a problem with her ideas. But I’m not sure this is what she means. For some reason she attacks “the gospel of niceness” that more moderate Christian denominations teach, and instead encourages teens get passionate about 4 things: their personal story about God they can share, a deep connection to a faith community, a sense of purpose and a sense of hope about their future. In other words, pietistic, evangelical and superstitious-the “old time religion,” of Christianity.
Let me suggest to Ms. Dean why teens are not too excited about their American Christian faith. 1) Teenagers need more sleep than adults, it’s a scientific fact. Having your meetings at 9:30 on Sunday mornings is not a great way to get teen followers. 2) The young teen years are when people start developing critical thinking skills. These critical thinking skills are what enable people to see that many of the teachings of conservative Christianity (Creationism, hell, weird sexual ethics, etc.) are crap. You can’t teach a skeptical teenager a bunch of good things about doing charity and community service, and then slip in the weird teachings of “every sperm is sacred,” or “man and dinosaur walked the earth 10,000 years ago,” or “God doesn’t technically “hate” your gay friend, but it is a grave sin for him to marry someone he loves.” The strange grab bag of assorted good/bad/weird teachings that is American evangelicalism is why people leave. Which brings us back to the “gospel of niceness.” Moderate Christian denominations realized over 100 years ago that the only way to keep religion relevant was to help people. Period. American Churches are losing people (teens included) because we are becoming a more secular country. If American Churches want to attract modern, educated, young people people they need to dispense with the superstition, and simply help people and build communities-nothing more. Oh yeah, and start services around noon (except during football season, when church should be canceled).
Bonus resource: for a different take on why many American Christian churches are suffering, read this very provocative article from the internet monk on “The coming evangelical collapse.”
