Some of us are brought up with religion crammed down our throats, while others are raised with a much more lax, pick-and-choose version of a faith; yet during the teen years, many begin to question their views on religion. This questioning is a normal part of maturing, but it seems that currently, adults are concerned that teens are questioning “too much”, abandoning the faith entirely, or practicing an “unacceptable” version of said faith.
One author that’s made quite an impact in this field is Kenda Creasy Dean, who has written multiple books regarding teens and religion, and her recent claims in her newest book about teens following a “fake” or “watered-down” form of Christianity outraged many. She says that teens are inarticulate about their faith, see God as a “divine therapist” and only take away certain values, such as kindness, while ignoring more trying values, like sacrifice. Dean calls this a “mutant” form of Christianity; however, I think Bonny Erbe sums up the most eloquent argument to this claim: “All religions are ‘mutant’ in some way, shape or form in that people use religion to satisfy their personal needs. Since just about every person puts his or her individual take on God, then it follows that every person’s version… is slightly different from everyone else’s.” Part of the beauty of religion is it’s adaptability to find a niche in every person’s life.
That says, that should only apply to those people who want religion in their lives. By stating that religious teens achieve more in school, have better relationships and take less unhealthy risks, Dean implies that all teens should be religious. Yet does that seemingly better life come specifically come from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, or does it just come from having something to believe in? Can’t that same sense of self be found in a cohesive life narrative, or a passion for music, or community service, or a number of other outlets?
While many adults have shared their views, it’s definitely important to examine this view from the perspective of the teens affected. For me personally, I am pretty secular and I haven’t really decided how I feel about religion. My life is way too hectic to deeply soul-search for a connection with God, and I think the extent to which a teen follows a religion should be his or her own choice.
However, one teen takes a very strong stance against Dean‘s argument, and asserts that the reason for teens becoming disenchanted with religion is simply because “[Churches] are boring… [Parents] forced religion upon the kid from birth and now the teenager is rebelling from the impressionable kid he used to be”. He brings up points that the technological revolution as well as the most dire problems of the world have made teens less interested and more apathetic about religion. I think these are interesting statements, and I definitely see how the availability of mass media, which allows the spread of information about horrible topics, such as "war, death, poverty, murder, rape, assault, theft, nuclear threats", can cause teens with or without a strong religious foundation to question the existence of God.
I really agree with his final advice for trying to get teens interested in religion, and to paraphrase, “Leave us alone”. Don’t push us into something we aren’t fully comfortable believing in, causing us to practice a religion without putting any heart in it. Give us the mature opportunity to explore our faith on our own time.
For futher exploration:
(from the view of an atheist, how conservative Christianity in America is harmful to teen health)
(a book review of a new recently published edition of the Bible that is supposedly "teen-friendly")
No comments:
Post a Comment