Why They Don't Get It: Helping Students Understand Worldview By John Stonestreet
John Stonestreet has written a very helpful article on youth today. He is the the Executive Director of Summit Ministries (which in my opinion is the finest worldview camp for high school students in America). If you have a high school student or are a youth pastor you owe it them to check this summer opportunity out.
(excerpt from article) "The battle of ideas is often the battle over definitions. Asking students, “What do you mean by that?” has never been more crucial. Assuming that we share definitions, or that traditional definitions will go unquestioned, with the emerging generation is a mistake with significant consequences. Among the more crucial words needing careful definition include God, human, truth, faith, Gospel, Kingdom, evil, tolerance, male, female, pro-life, justice, marriage, family, freedom, rights, responsibility, and the good life."
(excerpt from article) "The battle of ideas is often the battle over definitions. Asking students, “What do you mean by that?” has never been more crucial. Assuming that we share definitions, or that traditional definitions will go unquestioned, with the emerging generation is a mistake with significant consequences. Among the more crucial words needing careful definition include God, human, truth, faith, Gospel, Kingdom, evil, tolerance, male, female, pro-life, justice, marriage, family, freedom, rights, responsibility, and the good life."
Labels: Students, Summit, Thinking Christianly, Welcome to College
posted by Jonathan Morrow at
12:49 AM
3 Comments:
From thje article: "How is it that students who are so deeply engrossed in church culture and who have more access to the Bible, Christian literature, youth programs, and other resources than any generation that has lived since the founding of the Church, can be so confused about what Christianity actually is and why it matters?"
Perhaps they don't "get it" because even Christian don't know what their religion is all about. Like all biblical myths, the story makes no sense. Seriously, your church tells them that a man (who was actually the Creator of the Universe) was born under magical circumstances, let himself die on a torture machine, came back from death to take his place beside His Father but he was actually His son.
Perhaps they know that spending three days on a torture device in order to inherit the entire universe is not such a big "sacrifice"?
Perhaps they question the illogic behind one singe death "saving" the entire human race from . . . Something.
Kids today are surrounded by science, reason and logic. The stuff written thousands of years ago by sheepherders who never even heard of MTV and believe the universe was created in 6 days is simply not applicable to their lives any more.
wow, I appreciate the non-caricatured, charitable understanding of Christianity. That always makes it so much easier to have a helpful dialogue.
Regarding some not knowing what Christianity is all about, I agree. That is why Think Christinaly exists.
Jonathan,
Yes, my response was a little harsh and sarcastic. But I challenge you to point out my inaccuracy.
The fact is that Christianity is losing its grip on young minds because so many parts of it are just dumb. Silly.
Christianity insists that these young, educated minds accept the story of Noah's Ark, man created from clay, woman as the source of all evil, talking snakes, 6 literal days of creation as 100% true.
Frankly, it's ludicrous.
Christianity could make an effort to distance itself form the evil, primitive Old Testament vengeful, spiteful, masochistic God and instead focus on the life and philosophy of the man named Jesus. The Jesus for intelligent people like Thomas Jefferson.
But, no, the Old Guard of Christianity still insists on ramming the square peg of myths and superstitions of the old testament into the round hole of logic and modern science and reason.
Then mainstream Christianity wonders why it is being relegated to the sidelines of society.
The day that Christianity embraces science, reason and moral philosophy will be the day I become a believer.
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