"Atheists particularly fascinate me. Perhaps it's because I consider their philosophy -- if the absence of belief may be called a philosophy -- historically naive and potentially dangerous. Or maybe it's because they, like any good Christian, take the Big Questions seriously. But it was how they processed those questions that intrigued me."You can (and should) read the whole article here: Listening to Young Atheists: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity. I think I most appreciated his conclusions: "Here's what we learned..."
- they had attended church
- the mission and message of their churches was vague
- they felt their churches offered superficial answers to life's difficult questions
- they expressed their respect for those ministers who took the Bible seriously
- ages 14-17 were decisive
- the decision to embrace unbelief was often an emotional one
- the internet factored heavily into their conversion to atheism
It's definitely worth reading, pondering, and then taking stock. What are our churches communicating? (Not simply what are we saying, mind you - but what are people actually hearing? In my experience, these are often two very different things.) What are we trying to accomplish with our ministries? (Not just youth ministries, but ALL our ministries). And what can we learn from actually listening to non-Christians? A lot, it would seem:
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this whole study was the lasting impression many of these discussions made upon us.
That these students were, above all else, idealists who longed for authenticity, and having failed to find it in their churches, they settled for a non-belief that, while less grand in its promises, felt more genuine and attainable. I again quote Michael: "Christianity is something that if you really believed it, it would change your life and you would want to change [the lives] of others. I haven't seen too much of that."
