Researchers found that most young people believe in something they labeled 'Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.' “It helps you feel good. Otherwise God stays out of the way. . . . Most parents don't want their kids to end up too much like Jesus.”
-- From "'Almost Christian' teenagers cause concern for church scholars" by Bob Smietana, Gannett News Service 9/4/10
Kenda Creasy Dean, professor of youth, church and culture at Princeton Theological Seminary . . . is the author of “Almost Christian,” a book based on the National Study of Youth and Religion, the largest study of faith and young people in U.S. history. Dean was one of the researchers involved in the project and interviewed dozens of young people about their faith.
Instead of learning the Bible, young people are drawn to a cult of niceness, Dean said.
. . . young people are “almost Christian” — they believe in God, but they don't believe Christian doctrines. That has caused several youth ministries to move from fun and games at youth groups to more intense Bible studies. They also want kids involved in more outreach and in volunteer work.
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