MTD and Christian Teenagers in the US

[Hilarion]

I came across an article earlier today addressing the role of religion in the lives of American teenagers. The article referenced a theory called "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" (MTD) which was the summary of research conducted by professors at UNC Chapel Hill. Based on a survey of over 3,000 American teenagers, it concludes that the traditional doctrines of Christianity are slipping and the faith is itself being morphed into a feel-good "therapeutic deism," with these basic beliefs:

1. A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

In short, for most Christian American teenagers, their faith has morphed into a one which is only tenuously Christian in tradition, belief, and practice, and continuing its slide into insignificance. This is not even to mention the growing number of atheists. And considering the conclusions of this study, I only expect that number to grow: if you realize your faith is ultimately replaceable and negligible, why bother with it at all?

[Prodigal]

It's true, and all around us. No better place to see this than in highschool. I recently had a discussion on the bus with a boy and girl who said they "didn't want to be Catholic because it was boring", they wanted to "have fun at church like at the "Christian" Churches(the ignorant description of "non-denominational" churches)."

The utter lack of knowledge of one's faith to the point where I was asked "What religion are you? Catholic, Christian, or Mormon?" is stunning and quite sad. :/

[Vanoi]

It's true, and all around us. No better place to see this than in highschool. I recently had a discussion on the bus with a boy and girl who said they "didn't want to be Catholic because it was boring", they wanted to "have fun at church like at the "Christian" Churches(the ignorant description of "non-denominational" churches)."

The utter lack of knowledge of one's faith to the point where I was asked "What religion are you? Catholic, Christian, or Mormon?" is stunning and quite sad. :/

Why are you sad? People sitll believe in God. They just no longer accept everything in the Bible as truth.

[Hilarion]

Why are you sad? PPeople sitll believe in God. They just no longer accept everything in the Bible as truth.

Whether they accept anything in the Bible as truth is a better question.

[Vanoi]

Whether they accept anything in the Bible as truth is a better question.

Well it is a very old book written by various authors over various periods of time and even contradict each other sometimes in the book so i can understand why.

I am trying to say this in the nicest way possible. People are basically starting to doubt religion altogether. I don't see what is wrong with people thinking for themselves.

[Hilarion]

I think I know the actual reason for this (referring to MTD). If kids accept traditional Christianity, they have to deal with the fact that it's in many ways opposed to popular culture and contemporary societal values. If they accept atheism, they have to deal with rejection of "comfort" doctrines like a loving God and an afterlife. So they take the easiest route- keep what they like about Christianity and what's most compatible with their lifestyle and ditch everything else.

[Col. Tartleton]

A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
Good people go to heaven when they die.

That's pretty much the gist of religion isn't it?

I long ago concluded that if there was a God most of the zealots are going to hell at the front of the line.

[Hilarion]

That's pretty much the gist of religion isn't it?

QED

[Col. Tartleton]

Where I'm from regular church attendance implied some kind of screw loose. Most people went Easter and Christmas. My parents didn't even do that. Catholicism!

Gott ist tot und er getotet! (My grammar is nonexistent)

[Vanoi]

I think I know the actual reason for this (referring to MTD). If kids accept traditional Christianity, they have to deal with the fact that it's in many ways opposed to popular culture and contemporary societal values If they accept atheism, they have to deal with rejection of "comfort" doctrines like a loving God and an afterlife. So they take the easiest route- keep what they like about Christianity and what's most compatible with their lifestyle and ditch everything else.

People can't think that way forever in my opinion. I used to think that in a similar way. Eventually it got to the point where the only thigsg i believed in were an afterlife and that God created the universe. Thats it. Then i became an atheist. In my opinion they will eventually have to pick one side.

[Hilarion]

People can't think that way forever in my opinion. I used to think that in a similar way. Eventually it got to the point where the only thigsg i believed in were an afterlife and that God created the universe. Thats it. Then i became an atheist. In my opinion they will eventually have to pick one side.

Yes, that's what I mean in my first post when I say I think we will see very significant increases in atheism in the near future, in fact barring the event of another Great Awakening it's almost certain. It's already happened/happening in most European countries and the U.S. is next.

[Claudius Gothicus]

So American Christianity is slowly morphing into a deist form? Good, unless another ''awakening'' comes and all of that ''feel-good Deism'' turns into ''crazy-wacko interpretation of the scriptures''.

[Playfishpaste]

"So we've conducted a survey, and it appears many american teens are ceasing to believe that mathematics is relevant in any meaningful sense, they only do it when it's brutally necessary and still believe in the bare fundamentals of it, but otherwise it's sort of just there and most of its propositions are just abstract hogwash invented by old people."

"But like, do they still do economics?"

"Well yeah, sort of, just with less math"

"Ah, that's good."

[Col. Tartleton]

Yes, that's what I mean in my first post when I say I think we will see very significant increases in atheism in the near future, in fact barring the event of another Great Awakening it's almost certain. It's already happened/happening in most European countries and the U.S. is next.

Good. I'd rather people were default atheist and then did some "soul" searching. It's rather stupid that people are born into what has to be most likely an incorrect belief system purely because it's expected of them. I don't mind that people are religious if they lived their life and based it on experiences.

[Ancient Aliens]

Good. I'd rather people were default atheist and then did some "soul" searching. It's rather stupid that people are born into what has to be most likely an incorrect belief system purely because it's expected of them. I don't mind that people are religious if they lived their life and based it on experiences.

100 times this. I don't hate theism, I hate theistic indoctrination.

[Himster]

It's better than being brainwashed automatons.
They can research religion indepth IF they want to, I do however believe that it's the responsibility of schools to educate their students regarding all religions equally.

[basics]

" In short, for most Christian American teenagers, their faith has morphed into a one which is only tenuously Christian........"

Hilarion,

In short most youngsters are not born again so what is thought about faith is not the faith that constitutes a Christian. What the results prove perhaps is that religion in general has taken a dive and why not since it has never ever been the domain of God.

[Akar]

" In short, for most Christian American teenagers, their faith has morphed into a one which is only tenuously Christian........"

Hilarion,

In short most youngsters are not born again so what is thought about faith is not the faith that constitutes a Christian. What the results prove perhaps is that religion in general has taken a dive and why not since it has never ever been the domain of God.

This must explain why Christianity encompasses 1/3rd of the worlds population, then.

[Pontifex Maximus]

That's why its so easy to make little atheists of them once they get to college. Quite fantastic, actually. I'm having a blast in my philosophy classes. There's something pathetic but humorous with debating people who want so badly to believe in something but have no idea what they are talking about.

[Col. Tartleton]

That's why its so easy to make little atheists of them once they get to college. Quite fantastic, actually. I'm having a blast in my philosophy classes. There's something pathetic but humorous with debating people who want so badly to believe in something but have no idea what they are talking about.

Why wait for college in high school I had a girl on the verge of crying in my English class during a Da Vinci code debate because she tried to use the bible to argue against the (I'll admit) false claims Dan Brown makes about the RCC. So I using my debate skills dodged her attempts and changed the topic to a bible debate. I basically argued the Bible to be a less credible source than Dan Brown and successfully argued they were both works of fictitious events (which visibly was killing her) and that I thought Dan was a better author than Moses...

I think I got more points for my team in the debate than their whole team.