A Barna study (9/24/07) shows 16-to-29 year-olds are more critical toward Christianity than previous generations were at the same life stage. While Christianity remains the typical experience and most common faith in America, a fundamental recalibration is occurring within the spiritual allegiance of America’s upcoming generations.
We best not forget that imbedded in these conclusions are four deceptions that have been spread by MMD’s (Media of Mass Deception) for some 50 years.
1. Present-day Christianity is judgmental. We’ve been taught by the MMD to be “tolerant” – that is accepting of all religions, viewpoints, and versions of morality. Any Christian that stands on the Scriptures – even when it clearly calls for us to be “salt” in the culture (preserving biblical principles and calling “sin” sin) is intolerant. Fifty years ago a Christian that stood for biblical principles would have been called courageous – today they are called a bigot.
2. The MMD loves to ignore the vast number of testimonies, stories, and literature about how Christians have helped turned countless social, governmental, and cultural travesties into triumphs for the betterment of mankind. Look back to the end of slavery in any country and you will see a Christian leading the charge. Find an effort to end persecution, despotism, genocide, mistreatment of women, or suffering children in any stage of recent history and you find Christians working in the midst of the struggle. Yet the MMD refuses to publish those stories. Instead, they pick the isolated incidents of hypocritical Christians and use those unfortunate occurrences to paint a picture of the entire Christian population, and it has apparently worked.
3. Since when did having a peaceful, just, moral, society become old-fashioned? Since when did telling the truth become out-of-touch? Since the MMD made it fashionable to promote sin, violence, and hedonism.
4. Too involved in politics – I find this perception troubling as well. If the young person in America does not understand the necessary role of a Christian to be involved in his/her government, we have some educating to do. This perception is the result of the MMD’s successful campaign to convince Americans of the so-called separation of church and state – a myth created by the MMD to remove Christians from being spheres of influence.
I don’t think Christians are involved enough in politics. If, as research indicates, some 90% of Americas believe in God and some 80% believe in the resurrection of Christ, it would appear the majority SHOULD rule in politics. Yet the Church is strangely silent and, as such, has allowed these unfortunate conclusions to be drawn among our young people. Being a Christian carries with it a civil responsibility to be involved in all aspects of life – not just Sunday morning.
I hope this research is a wake-up call to the Christian. It is an irrefutable fact the MMD has, for 50 years, been spreading lies about our God, our country, our heritage, and our values. This research indicates those lies are having an effect. We need to be strong and courageous – fifty years of deception CAN be reversed. And the positive impact on our culture will result in saved souls and transformed lives transformed. New media breakthroughs and availability will help to turn the tide. People are tired of the predictable liberal bias in everything.