Millennials: Their Anxiety, Their Lack of Faith

I came across a very interesting article this past week written by Karol Markowicz, a writer with the New York Post.  The article was titled, "'They can't even': Why millennials are the 'anxious generation.'"  You can find the entire article at: www.nypost.com/2016/03/20/they-cant-even-why-millennials-are-the-anxious-generation.  The writer begins, "Seventy years ago, there was 'the greatest generation.'  Later, Generation X became known as the slacker generation.  Today, millennials are turning out to be the anxious generation.  Numerous recent studies have shown that millennials suffer from anxiety at a much higher rate than generations that preceded them.  What's wrong with kids these days?"

That is a great question.  The writer seeks to answer that question.  "A lot, actually.  They're the first generation raised with Internet.  The first generation to experience 'helicopter' parenting.  They're at once constantly exposed on social media but also permanently sheltered by overbearing parents.  They're not the first generation to experience a rough economy, but they certainly act as if they were."  The author then cites an article that appeared in New York magazine, written by Jean Twenge, a social psychologist at San Diego State University, who "cites all the change and upheaval young people today have seen.  As marriages happen later or not at all, the family structure is changing dramatically."

Yes, our culture is undergoing some cataclysmic changes...most of which seem to not be beneficial to culture as a whole.  This causes anxiety for most of us.  Now, for that part of the article that captured my attention.  "But the real change comes in the freedom of movement that has made it easy for people to leave families far behind.  Studies have shown that having limited family in close proximity can lead to anxiety and depression.  It makes sense.  In 2015, the American Psychological Association's annual 'Stress in America' survey found that people who have close family or friends to turn to in times of crises experienced less stress. Today we instill independence in our kids and tell them to forge their own paths.  But we've stopped telling them that doing so might be easier if they stay geographically closer to us. ... It's not a crazy idea that if you live near people who love you the most, you're more likely to be more comfortable and confident, all other things being equal." 

I have lived in Minnesota now since 1999.  Minnesotans seem to practice this "staying-close-to-home" with an almost zealous approach.  I wonder if it does relieve their stress?

A second article was disturbing in the statistics that it shared.  It was written by Joshua Krisch and published at www.vocativ.com/news/299168/americans-pray-think-heaven-is-real.  The article begins with this banner: "Since 1980, the number of Americans who believe in God has decreased by half and the number who pray has declined five-fold.  Has America lost its faith?"  The article now had my undivided attention.  Allow me to share just a few of the facts:

"Researchers found that the percentage of Americans who claim they never pray reached an all-time high in 2014, up five-fold since the 1980s.  Over the same time period, belief in God and interest in spirituality appears to have similarly declined, especially among young adults.  The findings suggest that, 'millennials are the least religious generation in memory, and possibly in American history,' says Jean M. Twenge, psychology professor at San Diego State University and coauthor on the study."  (You remember this same psychologist was quoted in the above article on millennial anxiety.) 

"But this new study suggests that Americans have a problem with God - and that our spiritual issues run deeper than paltry mistrust of religious institutions.  For the study, researchers pulled 58,893 entries from the GSS, a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults.  The results suggest a steep decline in the number of Americans who pray, believe in God, take the Bible literally, attend religious services or identified as religious - all factors that should have relatively little to do with America's skepticism of large institutions.

"As of 2014, nearly one third of thirty-somethings who matured in the 2000s said they were 'secular' and one fifth reported that they were not even 'spiritual', suggesting a decline not only in religious affiliated but also in the core beliefs of Generation Y.  'Decline in religious affiliation and participation has now extended to private practices and beliefs,' the authors write.

"The next generation, often referred to as iGen, is even more secular.  By 2014, the number of 18 to 22-year-olds who reported no religious affiliation rose from 11 percent in the 1970s to 36 percent; the percentage who said they never pray rose from 4 percent to 28 percent.  Belief in God and attendance at religious services declined by half while self-reported spirituality declined five-fold.  'This suggests that iGen will continue the decrease in religious orientation rather than reversing it, even in spirituality,' the authors write."

Friends, as Christians who believe those fundamental truths of the Word of God, we have an incredible task before us.  Why has the younger generation turned away from faith?  Why have they turned their back upon the Church?  More importantly why have they walked away from a belief in God?  I believe one of the great contributors is the hypocrisy they have witnessed both within their homes and within their local church.  They have witnessed the "one-hour-on-Sunday-morning" all their lives.  Yet what impact has that "one-hour" had upon what they have seen at home?  Mom and Dad still fight with each other.  Children are still yelled at.  Dad is so busy with work that he does not even know what is going on in his children's lives.  And so they have had it with God.  They have had it with the local church.  They have had it with religion.  It doesn't work for them! 

If we are going to make a turn-around, friends, we have to get back to modeling an authentic faith.  It has to be founded upon the absolute essential truths found within the Word of God.  But it has to be heightened with relationships, beginning with our own families, that are filled with grace.  As one author I recently read expressed it, we need truthful compassion and compassionate truthfulness.  That is what Jesus did.  That is what we must do. 

I am reminded of those words of Jesus to His disciples recorded for us in Luke 18:8, "However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"  Perhaps Jesus was pointing to our times.  Perhaps this lack of faith is another indicator pointing to the soon return of the Lord Jesus.  If it is, then I rejoice to see that day.  But my heart is saddened that a coming generation has decided to walk away from God.  The lingering question in my heart and mind is this: If God does not fill this "belief-vacuum" then what will?  The answers to that question become frightening.

I want to close on a more glorious note: He is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Our redemption has been sealed!  Our victory has been assured!  Let's tell the world that "Jesus is the answer they are searching for!"