Young Atheists and the Church - GBC Bulletin Column #9

An article from The Atlantic magazine’s website recently made the rounds, through thousands of tweets, Facebook likes, and other mediums, entitled “Listening to Young Atheists: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity.” In it, Larry Taunton discusses the findings of a project in which American university-aged atheists were interviewed about how and why they left previously held religious beliefs. Over the course of the project, several trends emerged including:
 

• They had attended church. In other words, they started in Christian circles.
• The mission and message of their churches was vague. One student said that in her former church, “The connection between Jesus and a person's life was not clear.”
• They felt their churches offered superficial answers to life's difficult questions. Church services were described as “largely shallow, harmless, and ultimately irrelevant.”
• They expressed their respect for those ministers who took the Bible seriously. Another student said, “I really can't consider a Christian a good, moral person if he isn't trying to convert me.”

The students Taunton interviewed had at one time been church-goers, but the ‘Christianity’ they observed lacked authenticity and sincerity. This was particularly evidenced in a failure to clearly and meaningfully articulate the gospel. The USA is a couple of decades behind the UK in spiritual decline. Here we are not dealing primarily with university students who have just become atheists – we are dealing with their children and grandchildren. But it is not too late to learn the lessons highlighted in the article. The decades over which professing British Christians became faithless - and thereby fruitless - find no parallel in the unchanging nature of the Lord God who “remains faithful” (2 Timothy 2:13). Even as God is unchanging, so too is the Gospel of “God with us”, Jesus Christ. It remains God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Instead of defending it, we are commanded to declare it. Instead of going on the back-foot, we are rallied to storm the gates of hell. A large percentage of unbelievers live in our corner of London. The best response? Stand firm and serve faithfully by preaching Christ with compassion and conviction.

This was printed in the worship bulletin of Grace Baptist Church (Wood Green) on 23/06/2013.   

The cited article may be found at http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/listening-to-young-atheists-lessons-for-a-stronger-christianity/276584/