I could categorize 2013 as the year of the "nones."
It seemed like every month there was some new headline showing that people with no religious affiliation were the fastest growing group in America. The studies all showed younger people (age 18-25) were not interested in church and all that. Just an aside- the assumption seemed to be that in previous generations, people 18-25 were breaking down the doors to get into church. Unless I went to an atypical college where EVERYONE slept in on Sunday mornings, I actually had to laugh at that assumption. Younger people (as a whole) have never been thrilled about church- even in 1 Peter it tells the readers to "flee the evil desires of youth."
However, there is a correlation here that we need to examine.
A study of social history will show that when we were mostly an agrarian society, faith in God was the norm. When we lived off the land, when we hunted for sustenance, when we farmed and produced our own food, when we went outside for walks instead of staying inside watching tv, faith in God was everywhere. Why?
Whatever world we live in determines what we have faith in.
When we immerse ourselves in the natural world- the REAL world, the world of wind, rain, hot and cold; when we immerse ourselves in the real world of rivers, mountains, grassy fields, animals and insects; when we immerse ourselves in the real world of oceans, thunderstorms, rain and rainbows, we are drawn to God. Even if we are not drawn to God, even the most non-religious of us all will admit that this world is not a creation of humans. It is not something we designed nor is it something we sustain.
However, when we immerse ourselves in the online digital world- the fake world of video games, "reality" tv, movies, sitcoms, Disney channel, and youtube; when our world is fed to us from the safety of our climate-controlled homes in seven minute increments interrupted by five minutes of consumerism; when our preferred mode of life is to experience life vicariously through actors on a screen pretending to do things, it is very easy to discount God. After all, we aren't even living in the world He created.
If we immerse ourselves in a human-made online digital world, we will worship the creator(s) of that world. Ourselves.
We will push God off the throne, because He is no longer the creator of the world we live in.
The rise of the digital world also saw a rise in the "nones."
The "nones"- primarily young people aged 18-26 or so, have never known anything other than the digital world. They have never known a time without the internet, never known a time without hi-tech video games, never known a time when they weren't connected to each other instantly by cell phone. They have never, unless intentionally forced by a parent or by their own decision, been in a place where digital entertainment wasn't the norm. They have been brought up in a totally fake, digitized, man-made, man-centered world. Why WOULD they have any faith in God?
God is found in the stillness; in the quiet. The environment that you surround yourself with literally shapes your mind and forms your consciousness. Adults have unwittingly laid the foundations for atheism and agnosticism in their children by allowing them to immerse themselves in non-reality. How can young people find God when their "world" doesn't have a single trace of Him?
I would like to see a scientific study testing religious belief and amount of time spent in front of a screen every day.
My hypothesis is that there would be a very strong correlation between people who say they have no religious affiliation and more than five hours of screen time per day.
Children in America average seven hours of screen time (tv, internet, video games, etc- sitting passively in front of some kind of screen) per day. Hmmm- and we are seeing a sharp rise in the "nones?" Well of course we are! God doesn't approach us when we are constantly being entertained. God approaches us when we immerse ourselves in reality- in the natural world, in the world of His creation.
God approaches us in all His wildness and untamedness when we are camping out and a thunderstorm hits. God approaches us in the quiet of an early morning walk on the beach. God approaches us in the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Teton Mountains or the thundering power of Niagara falls. When we are in the real world- a world that is not of our creation, where we are not spoon-fed life through a screen, we are far more likely to experience the closeness and fellowship of God.
Parents, do not lay the foundation for atheism in your home. Do not allow your children to immerse themselves in a fake, man-made, digitized world. Do not let them settle for experiencing life from the couch, watching actors pretend to do things or following pre-programmed excursions on an Xbox. Force your children to experience the real world. Turn off the screen and send them outside. Plan a family outing where they will be confronted with real beauty, real wonder, real life . . . . REALITY.
Allow your children to live in the real world. The natural world. The one where God rules and is sovereign. It's not pre-packaged, it's not pre-programmed, and it's not accessible from your couch. But it is real. And it's real good.
It seemed like every month there was some new headline showing that people with no religious affiliation were the fastest growing group in America. The studies all showed younger people (age 18-25) were not interested in church and all that. Just an aside- the assumption seemed to be that in previous generations, people 18-25 were breaking down the doors to get into church. Unless I went to an atypical college where EVERYONE slept in on Sunday mornings, I actually had to laugh at that assumption. Younger people (as a whole) have never been thrilled about church- even in 1 Peter it tells the readers to "flee the evil desires of youth."
However, there is a correlation here that we need to examine.
A study of social history will show that when we were mostly an agrarian society, faith in God was the norm. When we lived off the land, when we hunted for sustenance, when we farmed and produced our own food, when we went outside for walks instead of staying inside watching tv, faith in God was everywhere. Why?
Whatever world we live in determines what we have faith in.
When we immerse ourselves in the natural world- the REAL world, the world of wind, rain, hot and cold; when we immerse ourselves in the real world of rivers, mountains, grassy fields, animals and insects; when we immerse ourselves in the real world of oceans, thunderstorms, rain and rainbows, we are drawn to God. Even if we are not drawn to God, even the most non-religious of us all will admit that this world is not a creation of humans. It is not something we designed nor is it something we sustain.
However, when we immerse ourselves in the online digital world- the fake world of video games, "reality" tv, movies, sitcoms, Disney channel, and youtube; when our world is fed to us from the safety of our climate-controlled homes in seven minute increments interrupted by five minutes of consumerism; when our preferred mode of life is to experience life vicariously through actors on a screen pretending to do things, it is very easy to discount God. After all, we aren't even living in the world He created.
If we immerse ourselves in a human-made online digital world, we will worship the creator(s) of that world. Ourselves.
We will push God off the throne, because He is no longer the creator of the world we live in.
The rise of the digital world also saw a rise in the "nones."
The "nones"- primarily young people aged 18-26 or so, have never known anything other than the digital world. They have never known a time without the internet, never known a time without hi-tech video games, never known a time when they weren't connected to each other instantly by cell phone. They have never, unless intentionally forced by a parent or by their own decision, been in a place where digital entertainment wasn't the norm. They have been brought up in a totally fake, digitized, man-made, man-centered world. Why WOULD they have any faith in God?
God is found in the stillness; in the quiet. The environment that you surround yourself with literally shapes your mind and forms your consciousness. Adults have unwittingly laid the foundations for atheism and agnosticism in their children by allowing them to immerse themselves in non-reality. How can young people find God when their "world" doesn't have a single trace of Him?
I would like to see a scientific study testing religious belief and amount of time spent in front of a screen every day.
My hypothesis is that there would be a very strong correlation between people who say they have no religious affiliation and more than five hours of screen time per day.
Children in America average seven hours of screen time (tv, internet, video games, etc- sitting passively in front of some kind of screen) per day. Hmmm- and we are seeing a sharp rise in the "nones?" Well of course we are! God doesn't approach us when we are constantly being entertained. God approaches us when we immerse ourselves in reality- in the natural world, in the world of His creation.
God approaches us in all His wildness and untamedness when we are camping out and a thunderstorm hits. God approaches us in the quiet of an early morning walk on the beach. God approaches us in the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Teton Mountains or the thundering power of Niagara falls. When we are in the real world- a world that is not of our creation, where we are not spoon-fed life through a screen, we are far more likely to experience the closeness and fellowship of God.
Parents, do not lay the foundation for atheism in your home. Do not allow your children to immerse themselves in a fake, man-made, digitized world. Do not let them settle for experiencing life from the couch, watching actors pretend to do things or following pre-programmed excursions on an Xbox. Force your children to experience the real world. Turn off the screen and send them outside. Plan a family outing where they will be confronted with real beauty, real wonder, real life . . . . REALITY.
Allow your children to live in the real world. The natural world. The one where God rules and is sovereign. It's not pre-packaged, it's not pre-programmed, and it's not accessible from your couch. But it is real. And it's real good.
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