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renoskier

Millennials and religion

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1 hour ago, BYUcougfan said:

I am an active member of the LDS church.  I have been friends with one of my best friends since we met in kindergarten.  He is now a Southern Baptist pastor.  I have attended some of his worship services.  He is a very charismatic speaker.  The music is with a live band.  I attended his Church's Christmas service last year.  He asked me what I thought.  I told him the service was fantastic.  He asked me if I had any criticism.  I told him the service was entertaining, but that was also my criticism.  Every service I have attended was high on entertainment value, but low on any type of requirement/commitment/service (whatever you want to call it) from the church.  They had no skin in the game.

I have attended other evangelical church services as well.  All of them had very high production values and the gospel was certainly taught, but it reminded me more of a show than a worship service.  It leads to many seeds falling on stoney ground.  I am not suggesting that all churches run their services in the very traditional style of LDS congregations, but there needs to be more than a show on Sunday to keep people past the first adversity to their faith.

Thank you. This really illustrates my hesitation towards a new church. At my last church, the pastor was a theologian and always delved into theological theory and implications of the scripture reading. Every time! It helped show why we should care about certain issues and let weight to the sermon overall. The message relied on this theory to invest us in to why we should do or be x (generally more loving of our neighbors). So much of evangelism, from the service to how they show their christianity, feels like a show. 

Remember that every argument you have with someone on MWCboard is actually the continuation of a different argument they had with someone else also on MWCboard. 

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4 minutes ago, happycamper said:

Thank you. This really illustrates my hesitation towards a new church. At my last church, the pastor was a theologian and always delved into theological theory and implications of the scripture reading. Every time! It helped show why we should care about certain issues and let weight to the sermon overall. The message relied on this theory to invest us in to why we should do or be x (generally more loving of our neighbors). So much of evangelism, from the service to how they show their christianity, feels like a show. 

I think some of it is the attention span of our generation.  We like to be entertained, and perhaps the churches have seen enough of their numbers dropping either to the megachurches or to not attending a church at all.  Less attendance, less money.  And I am not suggesting they are in it for the money, but they still have to pay to keep the doors open to do their profession.  It may be a necessary evil, and the traditional audience gets impacted unfortunately.  A few churches where I am at have an unspoken schedule where one of its services is more lively and the other is more direct, old-school, if you will.

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5 hours ago, happycamper said:

We went to church fairly regularly when we lived in Casper. The churches and religion we've been exposed to in Washington have been far more evangelical and they've turned us off from really looking for another church to attend. I think that the social binder that church used to provide is evaporating, to the general detriment of civil society, but it isn't exactly a problem that only affects religion. Look at Elk, Mason, Eagle, Rotary, Lion... club memberships. We just don't really join formal social groups any more and I don't know why.

Now days a person can sit in their house and watch movies, play games, watch TV and a myriad of entertainment.

Masons and other clubs as well as volunteer organizations used to provide that entertainment but it isn't needed now.   Everyone is happy sitting on their coach these days.

 

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6 hours ago, renoskier said:

Please don't drive this off the rails...at least not yet.

Well per the article it is related.   Millennials see Trump (supported by the vocal Christian Right) doing things like separating kids from their parents and it becomes hard to separate Christianity from right wing politics.   Many young kids are appalled.

In my case, I attend Church regularly and my church is an Evangelical Church that also puts on a show.  But it also goes to great lengths to impact the community and world.  Their motto is you give to and through us.   The Church plays a role in finding and funding worthwhile causes around the globe.   

I think if Church’s would get out of politics and get more into service they might find relevance from millennials again.  BTW, in my opinion that change is also what Christ would want.   I find it hard to reconcile the Christian rights faith and policies.   

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5 hours ago, soupslam1 said:

Not a big surprise. However, mankind has always been a spiritual animal going back to his/her existence. That spirituality has taken on many different religious forms and interpretations. Most good, some not so good. Sacrifices being rather extreme. 

I consider myself to be a spiritual person, but haven’t found a religion/church that quite fits my beliefs. The Unitarian Church sounds the closest, but I’ve never fully explored it. 

Religious participation (church attendance) may significantly subside, but I doubt spirituality and a belief in a greater power will. 

 

I kinda agree with this. Ive decided the "blind men with the elephant" is my truth.  Every religion sees some of the truth but put them together is the full truth. And pretty every major religion (Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, LDS, etc) has a similar theme: 

Don'tbe a jerk. Treat people with respect and be nice. Boom.

 

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2 hours ago, bluerules009 said:

Now days a person can sit in their house and watch movies, play games, watch TV and a myriad of entertainment.

Masons and other clubs as well as volunteer organizations used to provide that entertainment but it isn't needed now.   Everyone is happy sitting on their coach these days.

 

I think some of it is also the transient nature of people as well.  Jobs move, people move, so those organizations don't get the long-time residents in the same numbers, and those who are the short-termers don't join.  The old days of the one or two job career has affected the fabric of communities as much as big-screen and video games.  Instead of the Elks, they just go to the bar.

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12 hours ago, modestobulldog said:

Your gonna have to serve somebody

 

It may be the Devil and it might be the Lord. But, you're gonna have to serve somebody !

"We don't have evidence but, we have lot's of theories."

Americans Mayor

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16 hours ago, happycamper said:

Thank you. This really illustrates my hesitation towards a new church. At my last church, the pastor was a theologian and always delved into theological theory and implications of the scripture reading. Every time! It helped show why we should care about certain issues and let weight to the sermon overall. The message relied on this theory to invest us in to why we should do or be x (generally more loving of our neighbors). So much of evangelism, from the service to how they show their christianity, feels like a show. 

I really don't get or like the show-y services. I get they are trying to entertain but if that's what they are going for, even the most entertaining service is much more boring than the football game I am missing by being there(or even any random TV show) or any other activity you could be doing on a Sunday morning. When I went I enoyed the meditative and reflective feelings I got during the service.

That being said, I am one of those the article is talking about. I am the oldest Millennial(graduated from HS in 2000). I was raised Catholic dropped out of the church during college. Got married just had a kid and have no plans of raising him in the church. WIll probably expose him to it some so he can make a choice on his own and so Grandma can take him with he and he will know how to behave.

 

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2 minutes ago, tspoke said:

I really don't get or like the show-y services. I get they are trying to entertain but if that's what they are going for, even the most entertaining service is much more boring than the football game I am missing by being there(or even any random TV show) or any other activity you could be doing on a Sunday morning. When I went I enoyed the meditative and reflective feelings I got during the service.

That being said, I am one of those the article is talking about. I am the oldest Millennial(graduated from HS in 2000). I was raised Catholic dropped out of the church during college. Got married just had a kid and have no plans of raising him in the church. WIll probably expose him to it some so he can make a choice on his own and so Grandma can take him with he and he will know how to behave.

 

I agree with everything you said, it resonates.

That said, you absolutely need to make the bolded your username tagline. It is legitimately awesome.

Remember that every argument you have with someone on MWCboard is actually the continuation of a different argument they had with someone else also on MWCboard. 

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12 minutes ago, happycamper said:

I agree with everything you said, it resonates.

That said, you absolutely need to make the bolded your username tagline. It is legitimately awesome.

How do I do that I looked under profile and wasn't quite sure where I change that. Because I finally have a tag line bestowed on me.

I have embraced being a millennial even though lots of the things they say about millennials don't fit me It is always when complaining about young people and calling them millennials and I have to speak up and say "you know we are millennials right?"  

 

Edit: Never mind got it.

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