Youth Who Reject the Faith: Some Very Preliminary Results

I am beginning a study for my dissertation focused on understanding the perspectives held by youth who have grown up in the church and have either rejected the Christian faith or have considered rejecting the faith. I have only obtained a small handful of surveys thus far (in fact, I could really use your help locating teens to participate in my study so please contact me if you think you can give me a hand. It's an online survey initially, but I would like to interview youth over the phone who indicate that they have rejected the Christian faith), but the results have been interesting, although not shocking.

Here are some very preliminary insights:

(1) Youth overwhelmingly believe that the church is too political, largely ignores the needs and interests of young people, displays an attitude of discrimination toward those who hold opposing world views, and typically offers a shallow worship experience.

(2) Youth who have rejected the Christian faith, or who have considered rejecting the faith, indicate that witnessing or experiencing hypocrites in the church and an unloving attitude toward those who hold opposing world views as top reasons for making their decision to denounce Christianity.

(3) Most youth (remember, these are kids who have grown up in the church):

a. Do not read their Bibles

b. Do not have parents who read their Bibles

c. Do not look forward to attending church

d. Do not believe that their pastors have a genuine interest in them

e. Do not believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven

f. Do not believe that Hell really exists

h. Believe that sin is a social invention used to control people's behavior

g. Believe that Satan is a metaphorical representation of real evil in the world

i. Believe that the church is rooted more in rituals than in worship

These are just a few of the preliminary results I have collected thus far. Again, I can't say that I am surprised by these reports, although the fact that most churched youth feel that their pastors aren't really interested in them is, at least for me, a difficult finding. As a pastor to youth myself, I know without question that teenagers have an acute ability to sniff out adults who are disingenuous in their interactions with them, but I hadn't anticipated that the majority of churched youth would believe that their own pastors aren't interested in really knowing them.

Again, if you think you can help me connect my survey with teenagers, particularly churched teenagers, and especially those who you think have either rejected Christianity or have considered rejecting Christianity, please contact me.