[asa] Our youth

I read a magazine that said that the current generation of youth are only
likely to be 4% Christian. First - the writers gave no indication of their
scholarship, so I am at least skeptical. I read their solutions to their
perceived problem and believe they further missed the mark.

I have heard since the beginning of my time on earth, 'if you want your
children to listen to you, listen to them.'

My children will no doubt say that I could have done a far better job than I
did. But, in most areas I made a brave attempt, and in most areas I am happy
with how they have turned out as adults. However, when it came to religion,
I had a very few broad views, and a whole lot of narrow ones. We went to
churches where they had a wonderful time and learned a lot - one of which
they call the coolest church ever. But, neither of them goes to church -
though they do wish to have their children raised with Christian exposure.

There seems to be a fear within the churches, that to admit Bible
fallibility is to destroy God. God cannot be destroyed. My children avidly
believe in God. There seems to further be great fear that the Bible is
fallible - that if it isn't everything, then it is nothing. It is something.
A very great something. This great fear indicates to me a lack of faith.

Our children are exposed to science. Science contradicts a literal
interpretation of the Bible.

Obviously, I'm not saying anything new to those on the ASA list. My reason
for writing is to ask for a new emphasis. How can we reach our youth, the
nation's youth, with the idea that they are free to think, to ask, to be
heard?

How can we let them know that you don't have to be an extremist with
blinders on to be a Christian?

Where do we post, announce or broadcast that really intelligent people with
long lists of credentials, who disagree on all kinds of things, still each
have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

How do we say, "Jesus loves you no matter where the flood was or how big it
was or how long it took to create the earth or whether there were walking,
talking people using tools 150 million years ago, or whether you really were
born thinking that guys are cuter than girls even though you are a guy.
Jesus loves you. Jesus won't hate you for asking questions. Jesus loves
you." ?

I found ASA through a web search. ASA has come up on other research web
searches I have done. ASA has good search engines tags.

There have been talks about getting web pages. How about web pages for our
youth?

I know, there is great fear that the parents will come and lynch people.

Children are born with brains. If we do not answer their questions, someone
else will.

So address it to 18 year olds and older - but don't block the young ones.
Market it to 18 year olds.

I would participate in answering questions. And I would say, 'I don't know'
a lot. Kids both love and hate that.

Why are we here? What is our purpose?

How many young people know that there are adults who question, listen,
argue, research and report about issues which their parents dictate to them?

How many young people yearn to question and be heard?

When my children were growing up, I taught at a university. I could not go
into a room in my house to work for twenty minutes without a fourteen year
old bursting in to ask me some question or tell me something. I taught math.
But, I had young people in my office discussing their lives. I was a math
teacher - why did they tell me about a girlfriend who was underage saying
she was pregnant; the need to conceive quickly because of endometriosis -
but how was she going to also get her degree if she did that?; the
difficulties of being a black basketball star and dealing with peer pressure
and still passing math - serious discussion, not excuses. Why were they
talking to their MATH teacher about these things?

Young people aren't being heard. They are being told to accept what they are
told on faith.

People have been telling young people to do that since at least Aristotle's
day - and probably since Adam's. It doesn't work. And today, society does
not force them to do what they are told. They are completely free to choose.

How can we hear them?

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Received on Wed Jul 5 11:24:40 2006