The American Teen and God
O God, You have taught me from my youth,
And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.
18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
19 For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You? (Psalm 71:17-19)
In the Old Testament, warnings were given concerning developing proper reverence
for the Lord and His Law as it related to the future wellbeing of the nation
itself.
"So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which
I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after
you, and that you may live long on the land which the LORD your God is giving
you for all time." (Deuteronomy 4:40).
Most American teens believe in God. A majority of them worship in conventional
congregations, but their Bible knowledge is shallow. They find it difficult to
express the effect that their faith makes in their lives, a new survey says.
Still, the very comprehensive National of Study of Youth and Religion concluded
that "religion really does matter" to teens. As one might expect, it was found
that devout teens hold more traditional sexual and other values than their
nonreligious counterparts. There is also indications that religious teens are
better off in emotional health, have greater academic success, are more involved
in their community, show more concern for others and are more likely to avoid
risky behavior.
The four-year effort was conducted by 133 researchers and consultants led by
sociologist Christian Smith of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Smith says the material "is not just about teenagers. It speaks more broadly
about the direction of American religion."
While America is becoming a more diverse nation, at least 80 percent of teens
still identify as Protestant, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Mormon or
Jewish, with most teens adhering to their parents' faith tradition, the report
said.
Substantial majorities said they: Were affiliated with a local congregation (82
percent); had few or no doubts about their beliefs in the past year (80
percent); felt "extremely," "very" or "somewhat" close to God (71 percent);
prayed alone a few times a week or more often (65 percent); and "definitely"
believed in divine miracles from God (61 percent). Fifty-two percent said they
attended worship two to three times a month or more often.
It was found that that many teens' religious knowledge was "meager, nebulous and
often fallacious" and engagement with the substance of their traditions
remarkably shallow. Most seemed hard put to express coherently their beliefs and
what difference they make.
Many were so detached from the traditions of their faith, says the report, that
they're virtually following a different creed in which an undemanding God exists
mostly to solve problems and make people feel good. Truth in any absolute,
theological sense, takes a back seat.
"God is something like a combination Divine Butler and Cosmic Therapist" who's
on call as needed, Smith writes. He says the trend reflects tendencies among
teens' Baby Boomer parents. The report speculates that poor educational and
youth programs, and competition for teens' time from school, sports, friends and
entertainment also are part of the picture.
While most teens are somewhat appreciative of religious beliefs, we can see that
the all important aspect of reverence for the Lord's commandments, as stated in
Deuteronomy 4:40, is lacking. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My
commandments." (John 14:15).
More reverential obedience to the Lord, God Almighty would be an ideal which, if
realized, would wonderfully bless our nation
"Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people." (Proverbs 14:34).
