do you know any young Christians

[zope]

MIL (in her 60s and religious) recently came to stay with us and I accompanied her to church when we got there i was really shocked by how few people under the age of 60 there seemed to be to the point where I (now in my mid 40s) felt young again. There were a number of small children with grandparents but virtually no one age 10-60. I haven’t been to church since I was a child myself so I was quite taken aback, is this what most churches are like nowadays or was this a one off. Do you personally know any young as in teenagers or in their 20s/30s Christians and do they have many friends who are also Christian? I would honestly be interested?

In fact there are 2 parents that are vicars/pastors alone in 1 of my dc's classes at school!

@Yerroblemom1923

No. Here it's all over 60s, and parents with primary-aged kids hoping to get them into a "church" secondary school that attend. Needless to say once kids are in the "right" school they don't bother anymore. I know a few under 50s Christians but it's not really deemed cool.

Indeed. My town is dominated by 2 "outstanding" faith secondary schools where you have to attend church and generally be a pillar of the community to have a chance of attendance.

I'm not religious but my DH and some of our friends are so I attend church once a month or so. Lots of young families but no secondary school aged kids at all. Funny that. But then I'm a cynical and uncharitable so-and-so hence the lack of faith.

I’m 24 and I am Protestant. I wouldn’t say I’m super religious but I do believe in God. My husband does too.

@Elsiebear90

I think it’s more common to find young Christians these days who are not white and British, the majority of the practising Christians I know are black or Eastern European. I did know one white British woman who went to church, but she would complain that her church is full of old people. She tried somewhere more popular with black worshipers as they tend to have a younger congregation, but she couldn’t get used to their style of worship.

Can you not be black and British?

What I think, @OMG12, is that it's disingenuous to try and pick apart the basis of an academic study you haven't read by responding to a line or two in the online abstract that you think might serve your argument.

@booksandbuns

Yes, I am one. I'm 23 and a Christian. And I go to church every Sunday (unless I'm sick or on holiday), not out of tradition or obligation, but because I love to go there to meet with God, so I make going a priority. I wouldn't describe myself as religious. My church is in a small town and is a non-denominational/charismatic church with people from all ages and backgrounds. A large percentage are families with parents in their 30s/40s and their kids, both younger and teenagers, but there are also some older people and a good number of adults in their 20s.

Quite a few of my friends (who I met at uni) are Christians too; some go to Anglican churches, some to other Protestant denominations and my best friend goes to a Catholic church. Another good proportion of my friends, who I also met at uni, do not have a faith and I'm glad I have that mix.

You are a Christian, a regular church goer, love to meet with God, but are not religious.

What do you mean by religious?

@MasterBeth

What I think, *@OMG12*, is that it's disingenuous to try and pick apart the basis of an academic study you haven't read by responding to a line or two in the online abstract that you think might serve your argument.

Well I obviously haven’t had time to read it, but I don’t think there’s anything disingenuous about identifying questions that I would seek to answer upon further study of the work ( which I might well do if I have time). Who are these people, what pre conceived notions do they have, have they got any advantage in protecting a particular view (most published academics do) etc. standard questions one should always ask of sources.

Maybe you could assist by answering some of these and the other queries I have raised.

By the way, I’m not a Christian (or any other religion£ so have no “skin in the game” I am just genuinely curious about this.

Who are you? What pre-conceived notions do you have? Have you got any advantage in protecting a particular view? Why does not being a Christian make you an impartial observer?

Depends on the church. I once accompanied my Christian friend to a life church and it was fucking awful. They pounced on me and tried to coerce me into joining as soon as they saw me. It was a happy clappy church with Christian rock bands playing to try make it appeal to teens which it did, my Christian friend was definitely not alone. This was about 15 years ago but I imagine somewhere like that is still going strong.

I just don't think it appeals to a younger demographic, unless you were raised/brainwashed into it, in which case you might crack on with it or rebel totally.
It's not seen as particularly cool with friends I know. Some try hard to integrate and make an effort but I think the overriding consensus is a grown adult believing in god is akin to believing in Father Xmas past the age of 8.
I like a good sing song but some churches are a bit intense for me.

One of my best friends attends church every Sunday without fail; she is 38, her husband is 40 and their 8 year old son always goes with them

I also know a couple of young families that are part of the LDS church

What's so 'uncool' about a lot of the social justice work that many Christians (and those of other faiths) are involved with? Our Church runs Food Banks, Night Shelters, old folks groups, debt relief support, mother and toddler groups, campaigns for same sex weddings etc etc etc. Many of these church groups were the few organisations still operating during Covid ... of course anyone of any faith or no faith could take the initiate and set up these groups but, in my experience, most of the people involved, at least locally to me, would have some link to a faith. Look at the fantastic work done by the Salvation Army for example.

@MasterBeth

Who are you? What pre-conceived notions do you have? Have you got any advantage in protecting a particular view? Why does not being a Christian make you an impartial observer?

I’ll take that as a no you can’t answer my questions. I never said it made me impartial, I just don’t have a religious affiliation to protect or an agenda of presenting religion in a particular light, I can see both sides, which it slightly closer to objectivity than someone who is holding one side or the other to such an extent it is identified with their identity and an attack on that concept is an attack on that person (or do they perceive). No one is ever impartial, behind every statistic there are a multitude of subjective decisions, cultural frameworks and agendas. It just helps to identify those in understanding any data produced.

The anti-abortion Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army that campaigned against equal marriage?

The Salvation Army that doesn't even have a policy position on LGBT issues?

@OMG12 No, I could answer your questions. I choose not to because you have made no attempt to answer mine but play a rhetorical game of changing assumptions, straw man arguments and whataboutery.

I know a few religious younger folk -including ones who are really active in their church community attending a spread of churches- but only one is regular CofE attendee. CofE attendee lives in a small village and whilst she is a believer she admits choosing to attend so regularly was also initially partly a social decision. Her church is well attended and she joins in with groups and events as village & church are a bit intertwined. We met at a (UK) public school with a strong CofE tradition/started as a church school with High Anglican trappings, so I never considered CofE churches as having an "older" population...I would say barely anyone from school still attends now though. I only go occasionally and prefer from familiarity and pace to worship High Anglican.

As a Pp said upthread, the rhythm and cadence of the worship is much more soothing and measured to me than in your face evangelism. I have time to think on the sermon.

My cousin is RC in his 30s and attends fairly regularly with his DW & DC a
and I also know two or three other practicing young RCs- one of whom converted in- and they attend regularly. The convert is very involved in her church community, a lot of her friendship group in where she moved to is from her church and again- big age spread in attendees, although she says it tends to be the older ones on the whole at Sunday AM mass. I find them a closed shop socially and they also worship at an oratory which attracts a type, I feel.

DPs two closest friends are both evangelical. They both attend church multiple times a week, are involved in different groups outside of services and both grew up in religious families. We've accompanied one to church and it was quite a young crowd on the whole- lots of families and a uni ministry too. Everyone was lovely but it simply doesn't appeal to me as a manner of worship.

Sorry, I did not realise that you asked any questions previous to your message before your last. I’d be happy to answer these if you could just let me know what questions you think were not answered, I assume you will extend me the same courtesy.

I must say I disagree with you last point about “changing assumptions, straw man arguments and whataboutery” it would be useful if you could provide examples of these so I can clarify any points which might have been misunderstood.

Yes I do know a few young families (parents in 30s with young children) however I do see your point and I think a generation or two a go I would have known more Christian families.

I grew up in quite a religious household and practically everyone we knew was connected through church. Of the children in those groups - now in their 30s to early 40s themselves - I would say less than half are religious so I can see very easily how it’s becoming less and less of the total population.

“Can you not be black and British?”

Of course you can that’s why I said white and British, because you can be white and not British or British and not white….

It’s an interesting post. What’s your view on a “perennial philosophy” certain religions and Gods are manifestations of this based on cultures separated by time and space? Therefore one Source?

It raises the same questions as I posed earlier really. If there is but one source then that means either none of the current religions are true and thus no one is following God's will correctly, or one religion is true and all others are false/wrong. Which brings me back to the question "how do you know you're following the right religion?" You don't, you just have faith it is, and having faith means you're accepting something without proof.

Many don’t believe in a personal God as you describe. Many do believe in this as being Nothing or No-thing.

I would argue that if you don't believe in the God that Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc describes in their scriptures then you're not really a Christian, Jew, Muslim, etc. It's like saying I'm vegetarian but don't believe that chickens are animals so it's I'll eat them.

Most who do shape their lives around religion would most likely say they are not basing their lives on “nothing” you are confusing quantifiable data with existence.

I perhaps phrased that wrong. By nothing I mean no proof. Making a life choice based on an unknowable and unprovable assumption is not something we should aspire too and it is certainly not something that should be welcomed. Take homesexuality as an example. If I were to say I'm opposed to homosexuality because homosexuals are actually aliens sent here to subvert the human race I'd quite rightly be regarded as a lunatic and shunned. Yet we're supposed to accept the argument of "it goes against God's will" as a valid reason to marginalise and mistreat whole sections of society.

Maybe there is a symbiotic relationship between the divine and mankind? “God is dead [because] we have killed Him” maybe the human race is also on course for distinction. Or more likely we will create another God/gods to fulfil a basic human need that has existed throughout history. What makes us so special that out of nearly all of human existence we suddenly see the right way to view the world? Surely this is no better argument than the old one about which god?

I'm sorry but I am unclear on what you are trying to say here? That god(s) are a creation of mankind? Then yes, we agree I also think that God(s) and religion stem from our need as a species to know and our need to control.

But ultimately why would anyone want to change some one else’s mind? How about simple acceptance of different perspectives-evangelical thought processes exist outside of religion.

Why indeed? Why do religions seek to preach and convert? Why should I have to be accepting of their views if they're not accepting of mine? You also have to consider that many aspects of religion, like the aforementioned views on homosexuality as well as those on sex education, womens rights, etc, are damaging to society and should not be accepted or tolerated.

I'm a Christian in my 30s. I go to church regularly with my family (husband and 2 sons). There are many similar age families at my church.

I find this confusing though. These things were based, according to them, on the Word of God. Has he changed His mind, been swept up with the woke brigade, “lives” in fear of being cancelled?

Or are they acknowledging the Bible is a collection of texts )randomly chosen several hundred years after the death of Christ out of many similar books) or based on much older myths that were subsequently (and often literally) demonised? Therefore, you can chose which myths to continue to accept?

I genuinely don’t get this.

I suggest you do the course. I have recently done this, as an evangelical, and was very impressed with it.

I am CraftyGin, and I am living in love and faith

[quote SmugOldBag]@maddiemookins16mum

SmugOldBag
Very heartening to hear this OP. Hopefully the church will die out in the UK soon. 
Would you also say this about Mosques, Temples and Synagogues

Yes I certainly would! Where I said 'church' read 'religion'. Religion doesn't belong in the 21st century. [/quote]
There are millions and millions who disagree.

Yes I know two. Aged 27 and 29. Both married to young Christian's.

But they were raised very strongly Christian (I went to school and was best friends with them). They took me to lots of church stuff but it never stuck to me tbh.