Millennial Jesus

The Pew Research Center released info about a year ago stating Millennials are less likely to join organized religion, attend church, or see the overall value of faith. Many Baby Boomers seem puzzled by this, yet maybe the reason is because people between 50-75 years of age have done everything in their power to make faith anything but a spiritual experience.

I'm not going to address other faiths beside Christianity. Since that's my jam. But I think this is a start.
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Here are three major reasons Millennials (1981-1996) have turned away from the church:

1. Church is seen as Judgemental.

Whether the issues be divorce, gay marriage, or abortion, older Christians turned sexual sin into the biggest sin.

"Forget pride, envy, etc. People are having sex! Signal the Batman!"

While purity is important in all walks of life, Jesus seemed more concerned with religious hypocracy than sexual
immortality. He clarified the position on divorce by stating the men are causing adultery by forcing women into prostitution, that sexual sin is forgivable and that he who is without sin can cast the first stone, and not one statement on homosexuality, which is interesting because the Old and New Testaments write about it with clarity.

Maybe be if baby boomer Christians were to not have been the most divorce happy group of people ever, their stance on everyone else's sexual lifestyle would seem less cringe worthy.

2. Older Christians Have Made Religion Too Political

Since when did Jesus become Republican? How would Jesus be a Democrat? If anything, Jesus would be a libertarian. A free choice Jewish rabbi who paid taxes and seemed pro death penalty. He never once asked Rome to take care of the sick, but he seemed feverish about healing them. He never handed out food vouchers, but he fed the 5,000. He seemed to live a life telling people to be democrats in their private life. 33% of Millennials want to vote for a 3rd party like Gary Johnson. Maybe because they see social justice as an individual opportunity.

By turning Jesus into a socialist or capitalist, Millennials smell bias. And that smell turned them off.

The final straw. Supporting Trump because he isn't Hillary. That's not a reason. It's an excuse.


3. The American Dream is not religious.

This idea of the American Dream has brought more heartbreak and disappointment to young Americans than any other ethos or pathos perpetuated by the baby boomers. The idea that we are supposed to have it all figured out by 22 is ridiculous. The plan of college by 22, marriage by 25, kids by 27, and all nestled in a house by 30 with a 40 year mortgage is not realistic to the modern young adult.

What's fascinating is how much baby boomer Christians turned Jesus into an American. Jesus would have been anything but a follower of the American Dream. He was an unemployed, long-haired, single guy who lived at home with his mother until his death at 33.

I can't imagine him doing well with the baby boomer generation.

Final Thoughts

Faith is both natural in comprehension, but supernatural in application. All in all, my challenge to Millennials is to look at the book and not the followers. Go read the four gospels. Watch how Christ is everything you loved about Bernie and everything you find fascinating about Gary Johnson. Those two politicians are not the Son of God, but they are closer to how Jesus would walk the walk and talk the talk policy wise. And if older Christians would have seen that, they would have realized there were better options (including John Kasich) but the baby boomers messed it up.

Have faith in God. Not man. People fail is. God catches is when we fall.