Heard about the new teen religion? It is huge!

Heard of the new religion in town? It's big, brash, bold and ultimately very lazy. In fact, it is so pervasive you probably rub shoulders with it every day but hardly knew it had an identity - in fact, a name. It does. And it matters. It matters a whole lot. It is called .... MTD. Any teens out there who want to comment on this article (sorry, you will have to read it first!) are encouraged to do so. Read on!

Christian Smith is a researcher, and a good one at that. A few years ago he and Melinda Denton embarked on a research project in the good old USA in order to get a snapshot of the religious and spiritual lives of US teens. The 'big picture' they arrived at was published in a book called "Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers."

Surveying & interviewing hundreds of teens from the big faiths such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam and even the 'non-religious', Christian Smith and Melinda Denton discovered a new religion - what they claim as "the defacto dominant religion among contemporary teenagers" ; they call - wait for it - "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism".

OK, it sounds boring BUT it is far from boring. Anyone working with teens should examine their findings. Why? Because what they discovered in this religion they call "dominant" has enormous implication for teens in Australia and other western countries as well.

What do the teen followers of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism believe? Christian Smith suggests that they believe in the following:

1. A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.

2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.

3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.

4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when he is needed to resolve a problem.

5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

Sound familiar?

It does to some of us because it is a very prevalent set of beliefs in the brains of many mainline Protestant (and Catholic) youth.

However, Smith suggests that the new religion cannot essentially exist on its own. It needs a host in order to be parasitically healthy (his metaphors, not mine). "Indeed, this religious creed appears ... to operate as a parasitic faith. It cannot sustain it's own ... independent life. It must attach itself like an incubus to established historical religious traditions, feeding on their doctrines ... and expanding by mutating their theological substance to resemble its own distinctive image."

Does this concern you? It worries the heck out of me because one of the reasons why this new religion is sucking the life out of our kids, and our churches, is because we have given up teaching teens sound Bible doctrines. We pussy foot around good, solid, Biblical teaching so well that we have created a vacuum for Moralistic Therapeutic Deism to take root and grow so powerfully.

Now I know my comments above are a bit too harsh in light of what some churches are doing but let me ask you seriously - how many well grounded mature Christian kids do you know who are well versed in the fundamental doctrines of evangelical Christianity?

Sorry?

Can't hear you?

Speak up! How many do you know?

It's time to get serious about teaching youth sound, core, Biblical doctrines so that they know WHAT they believe and WHY they believe it.

Part of that process will have to be a complete re-think, not only about the role of preaching but also about Youth Groups and the role of the Youth Pastor. Do we need them? Don't panic - it's just a question!

Should Youth Pastors be 23 or 43? And solidly trained in God's Word. Do we need Youth Pastors?

Should Youth Groups major on entertainment or serious Bible study? Do we need Youth Groups in their current forms? Again, questions folks - just questions.

Whatever we do, we must take heed of Smith's research because of golden moments like these: When teenagers talked in their interviews about "grace"' they were usually talking about the television show Will and Grace, not about God's grace.

This would be so funny if it wasn't so sad.

Some will say, "C'mon Steve (my name is Stephen by the way); this is Yankee stuff!" Oh yeh? Do you think endless nights of watching the Simpsons (banned from some Christian homes) over the years hasn't affected the way our Australian children see the world?

What do your kids like doing? What are they are listening to? What are they watching? What they are reading? How far is it removed from the culture of the world? Guess what? We have had great breakthroughs recently in the world of literature - our kids can now read about good vampires. Let's get real!

This study highlights what we already know about today's (Christian) teens. They want to be happy, good, better and fulfilled. Isn't that what non-church teens want too?

Smith also, quite rightly, suggests the obvious too - adults are also card carrying members of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. We are a major part of the problem.

Which is why Western Christianity is in decline and is 'softer, more inclusive, ecumenical and multireligious' in it's direction and expression.

I can't wait for Joel Osteen to visit our shores to tell a heap of teens that it is God's will for them to be happy, good, better and fulfilled. Sigh!

I appreciate your comments. Let's have a good debate on this! I think it is important to dialogue. I would especially like to hear from teens - any teens.

Further information about Moralistic Therapeutic Deism can be found HERE. 

I strongly recommend you read this article written by Professor Christian Smith (University of North Carolina). It makes for interesting reading. All pastors should read it too.

Finally, Al Mohler's blog on the new religion is a cracker, especially the final few paragraphs - well worth the time! A summary article on his blog is instructive.