Postmodernism rejects the church

[Fiosh]

Statistics show that in approx. 20 years (if current trends continue) only 10% of the population of the U.S. will attend church on a regular basis. Some call them the "postmodern" generation.

Whatever you call them, what do you think is behind this?

What is creating a generation of young people who feel they do not need the church?

Is it the culture? Is the Church pushing them away---or not effectively drawing them in?

Is it a more global phenomena?

Why are we not effectively reaching this generation with the Gospel?

Your views?

Thanks,

Fiosh

[Zadok Rox]

I have a teenage neighbor whom I've known for a long time and taught his Sunday School class for a couple of years who is now a professing atheist. Here are some contributing factors:

- A fouled-up homelife (this makes the commandment "Honor thy father and mother" very hard).

- Has unlimited unsupervised access to satellite TV for a year or two, plus several years of movies played on the VCR or DVD as well as regular TV.

- A Sunday school teacher (myself) who focused more on works than God's love (He told me that I wasn't a factor, though I feel I was a minor contribution to his current state).

- Values his opinion higher than what the Bible says.

- Nobody (except myself) willing to consistantly take him to church when he was younger til now.

[eric]

Statistics show that in approx. 20 years (if current trends continue) only 10% of the population of the U.S. will attend church on a regular basis. Some call them the "postmodern" generation.

Whatever you call them, what do you think is behind this?

What is creating a generation of young people who feel they do not need the church?

Is it the culture? Is the Church pushing them away---or not effectively drawing them in?

Is it a more global phenomena?

Why are we not effectively reaching this generation with the Gospel?

Your views?

Thanks,

Fiosh

Fiosh,I can empathize with your concern for the lack of today's youth avoiding christianity. The generation gap is one of the main causes of the decline of church attendance. It can be blamed to a certain degree of the rapid growth of technology like tv, cell phones. the freedom and availability to liquer outlets and new drugs and the growth of a lot of the post modern churches watering down the truth of the gospel as preached by our Lord.

Another cause is the negative press coverage due to the pressure put on them by the liberal stance taken againt homsexuality especially coming from across some of the pulpits of some episcopilian. anglican, prebyterian and methodist churches and the ordaning of female priests and pastors, just to name a few. On top of that you have the anti semitics sitting in the pews and the replacemnent theorists.

God pophecied an apostacy, a falling away from the faith, so I suppose it is only to be expected as God never lies. Only a matter time when the church will really have the pressure of persecution put on them and we will be driven underground, but as Jesus said, he who endures to the end , he shall be the one who is saved.

Sorry to sound so gloomy, but God said it not me.

God bless,

eric.

[damo1]

from damo1

for my self and speaking for my self i say its these two points

1 the culture

2 is the church pushing them away

we are living in a different world were many are turning to the way the world is moving and no matter what the church trys to do to be effective or how it might try to attract those that do not want to connect or come in is to what they see going around them and what the world has to give them as human beings

the culture in the church to needs to be less judgmental and more understanding and try to do what jesus taught his disciples jesus understood were people were at he could speak to them in a language that they understood and were ever jesus went he would get crowds of people stopping and hearing what he had to say

jesus took people for who they were yet what he said was straight to the point and to the heart

today many in the church are trying to be like those around them especially mega churches those with big congregations most focus on one goal and that is attract those that can bring in wealth instead of being jesus to the lost

we have rules we have our own way off doing things and we have a certain dress code that members need to follow by and abide by

yet how do these principals we expect members to abide by when a common person walks in and see this with there own eyes and starts to think is this for me and most say i am better of were i am and you lose them

most people stand on the out side looking but dare not step in thinking weather or not they will be accepted for who they are and many fear if they can not be effective in the new century they will die and loose their flavor and sadly the church has become like a big business and this is were things need to change if we are going to meet the needs of the next generation

the young feel that the church is not able to meet there needs and this is why we do not see young people coming and settling many have needs that the church can not meet most need work most need to keep a roof over there head and many try there best just to survive in a world that is changing so fast

we need to come back to the basics and that is being jesus to the lost and those around us and showing people we do have what they are seeking and learn to take people for who they are with out putting a lable on a person

this is also what we are looking at hear in Australia our selves as a church as we are in an area were there is much crime and in a hot zone which most cal it the bronks and we are the only church as many are unemployed many live in housing commision houses and there are a lot of young familys and single mothers but we now attitude with in needs to change as there are sevral that freak out when some one like this comes in and this is what we are doing now humbly crying out to god and crying out for a change off heart so the church hear can be more welcoming and less judgmental and as a group of people we are also repenting before god of what we have allowed to come in to the church and we humby are asking for the spirit to search our hearts as we want to be a church that is there for those who are in need and not a group that reaches out to one group of people

[Marnie]

The Church has no one to blame but itself.

[Marnie]

The Church has no one to blame but itself for the sorry state it's in.

But to take your questions in order--

If a person is waiting to "feel the need" to attend church, they won't go. Church attendance needs to be part of a child's life. It starts with parents and how parents were taught by the church.

Culture is almost always anti-Christian, so it's hard to just point the finger there.

I think we are reaching people for Christ; the gospel is above culture and time. It is just as capable of saving today as it was 500 years ago. The Word of G-d is timeless and powerful. When the Gospel is shared with a sinner, it will do its work in that person's life. Some churches are growing; our is one of them, even though, over all, our denomination isn't.

Christ said that He would build His church and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it. Either we believe that or we don't. I believe the power of Christ is stronger than any kind of "postmodern" trend.

[Fraught]

Statistics show that in approx. 20 years (if current trends continue) only 10% of the population of the U.S. will attend church on a regular basis. Some call them the "postmodern" generation.

Whatever you call them, what do you think is behind this?

What is creating a generation of young people who feel they do not need the church?

Is it the culture? Is the Church pushing them away---or not effectively drawing them in?

Is it a more global phenomena?

Why are we not effectively reaching this generation with the Gospel?

Your views?

Thanks,

Fiosh

Fiosh,I can empathize with your concern for the lack of today's youth avoiding christianity. The generation gap is one of the main causes of the decline of church attendance. It can be blamed to a certain degree of the rapid growth of technology like tv, cell phones. the freedom and availability to liquer outlets and new drugs and the growth of a lot of the post modern churches watering down the truth of the gospel as preached by our Lord.

Another cause is the negative press coverage due to the pressure put on them by the liberal stance taken againt homsexuality especially coming from across some of the pulpits of some episcopilian. anglican, prebyterian and methodist churches and the ordaning of female priests and pastors, just to name a few. On top of that you have the anti semitics sitting in the pews and the replacemnent theorists.

God pophecied an apostacy, a falling away from the faith, so I suppose it is only to be expected as God never lies. Only a matter time when the church will really have the pressure of persecution put on them and we will be driven underground, but as Jesus said, he who endures to the end , he shall be the one who is saved.

Sorry to sound so gloomy, but God said it not me.

God bless,

eric.

What ????

" anglican, prebyterian and methodist churches and the ordaning of female priests and pastors, just to name a few. On top of that you have the anti semitics sitting in the pews and the replacemnent theorists."

are you serious? maybe not since you also mentioned 'generation gap' in your reasoning. which if you ask me is actually a smaller gap today than it has ever been in the past.

[Fraught]

The Church has no one to blame but itself.

sorry i feel compelled to register my disagreement on this.

[Fraught]

Statistics show that in approx. 20 years (if current trends continue) only 10% of the population of the U.S. will attend church on a regular basis. Some call them the "postmodern" generation.

Whatever you call them, what do you think is behind this?

What is creating a generation of young people who feel they do not need the church?

Is it the culture? Is the Church pushing them away---or not effectively drawing them in?

Is it a more global phenomena?

Why are we not effectively reaching this generation with the Gospel?

Your views?

Thanks,

Fiosh

there are only a few subjects on this board that really get me fired up and this is one of them.

1) how can a person feel they need the Gospel if they don't even believe there is a God? the theory of evolution has infiltrated every single facet of life to the point where if you don't buy into it, you are considered an ignorant moron.

2) spread of knowledge - leaving absolutely no room for the unknown, there is no no room for any individuality. this leads to -

3) the herd mentality - i see this generation as so full of fear that to depart from the status quo in any meaningful way is absolutely not to be considered. that primitive instinct tells them not to stand out from the crowd or they will be eaten up. they have no God to protect them. that is part of the reason why truth is relative. if a person picks one truth as true, that will cause them to stand out. those who agree with everything may cluster safely in the middle.

just saw 'verse of the day' when searching for something else:

[Eliyahuw]

One of the biggest reasons i don't go to a church is that its so steeped in ritualism. Its dead when your in a ritual rut. You have two hymns, offeratory, choir sings, another hymn, sermon, and benediction.

Then you have sermons that would put a kid wired up on cokes and ho ho's into a coma.

By the time the benediction is given, your chomping at the bit worse than a thouroughbred race horse at the kentucky downs when the gates open.

Around here, most of what is available to go to is word of faith churchs which are so far off the path that its dangerous to enter and let them fill your mind with their false teaching.

If i find one like the one i am still a member of, i'll go. But until then, i am not going to waste my time and fill my mind with false teaching.