Page 1

Kelly Walter
Religions God: Understanding the Problems with 21
st
Century Religion
As I hild! I grew u" surrounded by God! and more im"ortantly lo#e$ %ne o& my shar"est
memories is the &irst time I ste""ed through the o#erwhelming doors o& a athedral$ 'y mother
des"erately wanted my brother and me to e("eriene the wonder o& a Catholi mass$ As we
wal)ed in! I immediately notied the deadening eho that *udged any tal)ing! mo#ing! or
de#iation within its walls$ +oo)ing around! I remembered stories that I had heard about my dad
hel"ing at a Catholi mass$ ,e was barred &rom ta)ing ommunion beause he didnt "ratie
Catholiism$ Another story was a reminder that when you marry a Catholi! you must on#ert to
Catholiism! marry a "riest! obtain a""ro#al &rom the "residing bisho"! and "romise to raise your
hildren Catholi or else you ha#e ommitted monumental sins$
1
A third story was about
on&essions and my mother e("laining how she and her &riends -in a atholi shool. used to
rotate through sins &or the wee)ly on&essional that had to ta)e "lae beause you had to di#ulge
something and ouldnt *ust state /I ha#e nothing to on&ess$0 A&ter thin)ing o& those stories! I
imagined mysel& ba) in my home hurh12ewton#ille United 'ethodist Churh1 where we ran
around the halls in bare &eet! &ound seret "assages through a mysterious library! and learned
more about oursel#es in the "roess$ In my hurh3 e#eryone was a &amily and hel"ed eah other
out$ 4ut more im"ortantly3 we nurtured our lo#e o& God$ A year later in 5unday shool3 our
hildrens leader e("lained her understanding o& God$ At the end! she told us that God ould be
whoe#er we wanted the +ord to be$ +ater in youth grou"3 we disussed all o& the entities that
God is$ 6ah o& these "eo"le still belie#es in God$ 7et we are unli)e most o& our generation -the
/millenials!0. beause we ha#e not been taught to &ear God$
1
Our Lady of the Rosary Library, Lesson 31: The Sacrament of Marriage.
Page !
4ut now! the United 'ethodist Churh -U'C. is now ha#ing similar "roblems as the
Catholi Churh with the le#el o& youth "artii"ation and engagement$ 8hese "roblems are3 there
is no de#elo"ment &or a dee"er onnetion with God and the hurh is &ostering losed minded
monologues instead o& o"en1minded disussions$
'any hurhes ha#e hosen the easier "ath to gain young adults attention$ 8his "ath is
su"er&iial$ 8he hurh leaders try to reate /hi"0 worshi" bands and trans&orm their santuaries
into e(tra#agant and &lashy onerts by using large &ormat 89s and strobe lights during ser#ie$
8hese tehni:ues attrat those who want the thrill o& being &ul&illed1without any o& the e&&ort a
relationshi" atually ta)es$ 8hese tehni:ues do not! in &at! hel" the hurh retain young
members$ Instead these tehni:ues "ush young members away! beause these methods are
somehow not om"lete! not dee" enough$ 'illenials dont want to beome a number1they want
their relationshi"s to &eel "ersonal$ Rahel 5loan o& A4P 2ews as)s /we are not going to a
hurh that does not are about our ideas and we are not going to a hurh that is not willing to
&ully embrae us$ Would you;0
2
5he is "ointing out the hy"oritial mentality o& the hurh
when it omes to reruiting millenials #ersus anyone else$ I& we dont &eel &ully ae"ted! then
why would we loo) to the hurh when we need a "lae o& ho"e and su""ort3 a "lae on whih
we an &all ba) when doubt or trauma is e("eriened;
<ournalist Rahel ,eld 6#ans "uts this into onte(t in her artile =Why 'illenials are
+ea#ing the Churh$
>
5he desribes "re"aring to tal) to e#angelial "astors as arming hersel&
with &ats and data$ 5he says that researh /shows young e#angelials o&ten &eel they ha#e to
!
S"oan, Rache", #hat Mi""enia"s don$t %ant from the church, &P' (e%s, October !3, !)13,
htt*:++%%%.ab*ne%s.com+o*inion+commentaries+item+,-./0%hat0mi""ennia"s0don0t0%ant0from0the0
church1.2!r3i4"d#So.
Page 3
hoose between their intelletual integrity and their &aith! between siene and Christianity!
between om"assion and holiness$ I tal) about how the e#angelial obsession with se( an ma)e
Christian li#ing seem li)e little more than sti)ing to a list o& rules! and how millennials long &or
&aith ommunities in whih they are sa&e as)ing tough :uestions and wrestling with doubt$0
'illenials dont want to ha#e to hoose between siene and religion but *ust as im"ortantly3 we
see Christianity as a strit set o& rules that we must adhere to in order to &ind hea#en in the
a&terli&e$ We want a "lae that is *udgment1&ree &rom doubt$ We want to )now that its o)ay to
hesitate about the idea o& God and as) :uestions that dont always ha#e "rearranged answers$
6#ans understands that religion is su""osed to &ill the #oid where sel&1on&idene and ho"e meet$
4ut these e#angelial "astors arent getting the message when they as) /5o what youre saying is
we need hi""er worshi" bands$0 ,a#ing &oundational om"laints ignored &or the su"er&iial and
easier o"tion "ushes away those who need God the most$
4rian 8$ Cal#in "ro"oses a uni:ue "ers"eti#e &rom his artile =Why arent 4la)
'illenials +ea#ing the Churh; Cal#in argues that /4la) hurhes are uni:uely "ositioned to
be a ha#en o& both ommunal and s"iritual enouragement0 whih laims that the Christian
hurh doesnt ty"ially &ul&ill the same ommunal need in other raes$
?
8his need stems &rom
their inability in soiety to be whoe#er they are rather than what e#eryone else thin)s they should
be$
Using hurh as a "lae o& re&uge &or bla) "arishioners should also be onsidered when
loo)ing at the needs in other ty"es o& grou"s1ie: the +G48@ ommunity$ Using Cal#ins logi! a
3
Rahel ,eld 6#ans! /Why 'illenials are +ea#ing the Churh!0 4elie& -blog.! C22! <uly 2A! 2B1>!
htt":CCreligion$blogs$nn$omC2B1>CBAC2ACwhy1millennials1are1lea#ing1the1hurhC
5
4rian 8$ Cal#in! /Why arent 4la) 'illenials +ea#ing the Churh;!0 Rele#ant 'agaDine!
htt":CCwww$rele#antmagaDine$omCgodChurhCwhy1arenE62EFBEGGt1bla)1millennials1lea#ing1hurh
Page 5
religious institution should be *udgment &ree &or non1heterose(ual "eo"le$ 7et! in the artile
/Gay rights and religious &reedom: God Hamned It!0 5$'$ e("lains a ontro#ersial to"i: the bill
54 1B2I in AriDona$
J
Churhes are a "lae that an nurture &aith and lo#e but it an also brew
hatred and disrimination$ Religious leaders who allow hatred to &ester in the hurh also reate
"eo"le who belie#e in the &estering$ 8hese "eo"le elet li)e1minded "olitiians! whih in turn!
allow religious si)ness to see" into the laws being reated$ 8his bill! 54 1B2I! allows more
institutional religious &reedoms by gi#ing business owners the right to deny anyone who o&&ends
their /sinerely held belie&s$0 In order to hide the true meaning o& the bill whih is anti1+G48@
legislation! the bill reators made the law a blan) an#as that i& "assed! /would e&&eti#ely turn
e#eryone into "otential one1"erson mini1hurhes$0 8his would legaliDe disrimination1
something the stereoty"ial Christian religious institution does not need more hel" in doing$
A Pew Researh Center study o& religious institutions shows that ABE o& the una&&iliated
"o"ulation belie#es religion has beome too onerned with money and "ower! and IAE o& the
same "o"ulation belie#es that religious institutions &ous too muh on rules$
I
8hese strit notions
ma)e the "athway to ,ea#en seem li)e there is only one narrow1seemingly im"ossible1road that
will lead there$ Rather than hel"ing to de#elo" a moral om"ass based o&& o& the 4ible!
ommunities are gi#en /to1do0 and not /to1do0 lists$ An e(am"le is marriage in the Catholi
Churh$ A atholi an only be married when they are &ree &rom sin and i& they hoose to marry a
non1Catholi3 they must reei#e a""ro#al &rom the 4isho" and "romise to raise their )ids in the
Catholi &aith1or else they ha#e ommitted a sin against one o& the saraments! whih is the
.
5$ '$! /Gay rights and religious &reedom: God Hamned It!0 8he 6onomist! Kebruary 2J! 2B1?! htt":CCww
w$eonomist$omCblogsCdemorayinameriaC2B1?CB2Cgay1rights1and1religious1&reedom
/
//2ones0 on the Rise!0 Pew Researh Center! last modi&ied %tober G! 2B12!
htt":CCwww$"ew&orum$orgC2B12C1BCBGCnones1on1the1riseC
Page .
worst ty"e o& sin to ommit$ Whether or not religious institutions &ous too muh on rules3 the
"ere"tion is there$
8hese "ere"tions are &ound es"eially in the Catholi Churh$ Anthony +ayne has a
di&&ering #iew in his artile &rom the Catholi 5tand$ ,e starts with the :uote /We ha#e only one
<esus to o&&er$ I& hes not the )ind o& <esus millenials are loo)ing &or! thats ultimately their
hoie$0
A
,e then "roeeds to e("lain that the war between siene and &aith is a war /between
sienes honest "rationers and those who misuse it to ad#ane agendas!0 that :uestions whih
dont ha#e "redetermined answers atually do /ha#e "redetermined answers! whether millenials
want them or not!0 and that /the Churh has a "rior! o#erriding obligation to Gods truth!
elements i& whih many in the +G48@ ommunity &ind hard to ae"t and are o&ten at "ains to
rewrite!0 8heologians ha#e been disussing and trying to better understand the teahings i& <esus$
8here is a reason that "astors1in the 'ethodist &aith1need a master in theology be&ore beoming
&ull1time "reahers$ 8hese lasses are needed to teah their students di&&erent ways to understand
<esus li&e$ I& <esus was only one teaher1with no de#iations1and with e#eryone in agreement!
then why do "astors ha#e to go to seminaries;
I res"et&ully disagree with this argument! but use these :uotes as anedotal e#idene that
the hurh is &ostering lose1minded monologues$ In siene1li)e religion! "olitis! eonomis!
et$1there will be those who try to mani"ulate the system to ad#ane their own agendas$ Unli)e
religion! siene already has a good set o& he)s and balanes to "re#ent mani"ulation$
5ientists in res"eted *ournalists are "eer1re#iewed! he)ed &or biases! be&ore being "ublished$
A&ter! other grou"s rereate the e("eriment and try e("eriments that should gi#e similar results$
I& both trials &ail then either the alternate onlusions are wrong or the data is &a)ed$ Religion has
6
Layne, &nthony, 7789 The Mi""enia"s are Lea4ing the :hurch9 :atho"ic Stand ;!)13<,
htt*:++catho"icstand.com+ee30the0mi""ennia"s0are0"ea4ing0the0church+
Page /
nothing losely similar to that ty"e o& balane against mani"ulation o& the 4ible to suit
someones agenda$ 'any answers that are gi#en in religion dont onstitute real answers$ 5ome
:uestions are why women ha#e misarriages! why do bad things ha""en to good "eo"le! why do
in&ants die! why do hildren star#eCare homelessCare beaten! and why are natural disasters so
aw&ul$ 8hese :uestions do not ha#e real "redetermined answers1and /its Gods will0 does not
ount as an answer$ /Its Gods will0 is a &any way o& saying nothing$ As) any :uestion1why is
the s)y blue; 1 and answer it with /its Gods will$0 7ou dont learn anything &rom the answer3
in &at! its a non1answer$
Another as"et o& the Christian religion that is o#erused is homose(uality$ 8he ha"ter
that homose(uality is mentioned in1+e#itius 1F1is not homo"hobi in nature! nor should it be
understood that way$ 8hat ha"ter is a set o& rules &or the disi"les o& <esus to &ollow: most o&
whih are &or heterose(ual "eo"le$ 8hat list inludes: &armers ant "ut di&&erent ty"es o& seed in
the same &ield3 "arents with stubborn! rebellious sons ha#e to bring him to the elders and all the
men o& the #illage stone him to death3 a "erson with a "hysial blemish annot go "ast the altar
in the tem"le3 and &ollowers annot wear garments mi(ed o& wool and linen$
F
<esus also does not
outright state that homose(uality is a sin but! the two master ommandments are lo#e thy
neighbor and lo#e thy God$
G
+o#ing others is a "re#alent theme in all o& his teahings1well that
and tolerane &or other belie&! but religious institutions an only ma)e so many hanges at one
time$
4ut being lose1minded has more im"liations than *ust dangerous go#ernmental bills
and soietal "ere"tions3 it also beomes an Authoritarian1li)e ditatorshi" where )nowing and
,
Le4iticus 1,.The 'ib"e from The Message.
-
Matthe% 5:1). The 'ib"e from The Message.
Page 6
lo#ing God is held hostage$ Kearing God auses more ba)lash than any moral good it
aom"lishes beause o& too strit e("etations$ 8his is similar to the Authoritarian style o&
"arenting! and it auses similar "roblems$ 4eha#ioral sholars 2a*ma! 2a*am and 5idra 4atool
suggest /hildren who "erei#e "arents as authoritati#e ha#e a "ositi#e image about God!
whereas hildren with authoritarian and re*etingCnegleting styles ha#e a negati#e one"t o&
God$0
1B
8his im"lies that strit rules and regulations with no room &or mista)es reate the
o""osite intended e&&et one the rule is bro)en$
I& a hild is told to be home at 11:BB "m shar" and &rom 11:B1 "m onward they are
grounded &or a wee)3 then with any hange o& "lans! that will ma)e the hild home later$ 8here is
an instint to stay out longer and en*oy them sel& sine the "unishment has already been inurred$
8his "syhology orrelates with the "syhology assoiated with a strit #ersion o& God$ I& you
*udge someone! say a bad word! or ant go to hurh on 5unday beause o& e(tenuating
irumstanes3 then the "unishment has been inurred so why bother trying to "lease God; 8his
is an unhealthy relationshi" where one "erson 1or entity 1holds all o& the "ower o#er another
"erson and the relationshi" starts to rumble beause o& an une:ual distribution o& "ower$
+oo)ing at the onte(t o& #ery strit white religions! "erha"s the missing "uDDle "iee &or
white hurhgoing millenials is the same that )ee"s bla) millenials in the hurh: 8he &reedom
to be who they are without "re*udie and ondemnation &rom their ongregation$ 'aybe lea#ing
the hurh is one way to sol#e the immediate "roblem but de#elo"ing a sense o& seurity to ha#e
doubt an sto" the issue be&ore more "ermanent damage is done$
1)
2a*ma 2a*am and 5idra 4atool! /Relationshi" between Perei#ed Parenting 5tyle!0 Journal of
Behavioral Sciences 9ol 22 2 1 -2B12.: FI
Page ,
White millenials ha#e been lea#ing the Christian hurh but none ha#e been able to
e("lain why$ 8his om"liated issues boils down to two main "arts one3 religious institutions are
&ostering hate and &ear in their ommunities instead o& lo#e$ And two3 these same ommunities
#iew and treat millenials as little hildren1&asinated with e#erything new and unable to
om"rehend or want a &ull relationshi" with the hurh and God$ 4ut the sim"listi sounding
solutions are more di&&iult to "ut into "ratie than it seems$ +o#ing your neighbors no matter
what wal) o& li&e they ome &rom should be the ore o& any hurh ommunity$ Combining
siene and religion teahes "eo"le to :uestion e#erything around them but where an they go to
as) tough issues without being "enaliDed &or as)ing; Where an millenials go to as) why must
we on&ess our sins when <esus died &or us! why do we ha#e to &eel daunted by the ornate
athedral in &ront o& us! and why is it suh a sin to marry within the Christian &aith; 8he hurh
should be the sa&e ha#en that brings ommunities together! ae"ts all loo)ing &or a real
relationshi" with God! and allows &or o"en and honest disussions with eah other instead o&
monologues that teah the only rules to get into hea#en$ Perha"s white Christian religious
institutions need to ta)e a dee"er loo) at their bla) ounter"arts to see where they went wrong$