“We cannot continue to send our children to Caesar for their education and be surprised when they come home as Romans.”
-Voddie Baucham Jr.

They act as though it is rocket science. As if one must possess a doctorate to understand. These experts. Perplexed they are. “How can this be?” they ask as they retreat to their complex equations and figures. They evaluate. They tear the page and ball it up once again. Wastebasket. He shoots, he scores! They start the clean slate again. White sheets. Scratching of the head.

“Why do young people leave the church?”

Beloved, it is not that complicated. It is not anything new. It is not anything old. For the passing of generations, the concern grows. The various articles and studies. The multiple theories. Publications from both The Way and the Unredeemed. The latter, of course, salivating over their perception of the pending collapse of The Church and death of Christianity. They interview Youth. Those that have abandoned the pews. Those that yearned for what was on the other side of the door. Those that doubted. Those that wanted out. The responses are something along these lines:

“Christians demonize everything outside of the church”; “My church is too concerned that movies, music, and video games are harmful”; “Church is boring”; “Faith is not relevant to my career or interests”; “God seems missing from my experience of church”; “Christians are too confident they know all the answers”; “Christianity is anti-science”; “I have made mistakes and feel judged in church because of them.”; “Churches are afraid of the beliefs of other faiths”; “Church is like a country club, only for insiders”; “I have significant intellectual doubts about my faith”

These are valid concerns indeed. In my experience I can vouch for many of these. I have seen Youth sitting in the pews, bored to within an inch of their life. Son wants to get home to play his video games. Daughter can’t wait to see her boyfriend. Sunday morning stands in the way. The wicked Mom and Dad drug them there. I have seen Youth question Faith when they have held it up to the light of the world. The teachings that Man was born from Ape. The teachings that promiscuity is healthy. The teachings that Normalcy dies in the shadows of The Alternative. Because they are born that way. The belief that we are all inherently good. That all dogs go to Heaven. That Sin and Salvation are folly. There is indeed a head on collision between Doctrine and Indoctrination.

Many of these experts stand in awe of these responses. They theorize how this can be. Where did we go wrong and what can we do to stop it? When did Failure take hold of the altar?

It is as simple as a worldview. Both in the books and on the streets. We ship our children to Indoctrination Camps for most of their life. It is here where Government bureaucrats, bought and sold by ungodly ideals, formulate what your children will be taught. They work meticulously to craft the mold that Son and Daughter will be forced into. One size fits all. They are taught from the inception that God is dead. That Science is the new savior. That true literature lies in the dust of greats such as Shakespeare and Poe and that The Bible is a book of Lies and fairy tales. They are taught and encouraged that sexual desires and actions are healthy. One generation ago Sex-Ed was the education of the difference between a boy and a girl. Now it is the vivid teachings of how Daughter can physically please Boyfriend and vice versa. No wonder she cannot wait for The Benediction to end. It is also the teachings and encouragement that one can change their gender at the drop of a time. Pending one’s feelings, of course. And it is the assurance that if anyone opposes the mold, then cursed they be. Fools they are! For no one knows more than the trained Government mouthpieces. gods they are perceived to be.

Then the bell rings. Son and Daughter pack up their books and board the Indoctrination Bus. What happens there? Maybe Son’s Friend has some crude pictures that he would like to share on his cellphone. Maybe Daughter and Boyfriend get too cozy in the back. Foul words are shared and dirty jokes are told. Someone somewhere discusses the newest violent movie. Some vile song is playing on someone’s iPhone. Son likes what he hears. Maybe he’ll buy the MP3 with his allowance that he has not earned. Then Son and Daughter arrive at their humble abode. They will spend the rest of the evening delving into their own little worlds. Pursuing their fleshly desires. Being their own gods.

A life devoted to such pursuits. Feeding the flesh. “I want”. “It’s about me”. Day in and day out. It is the same broken record. The same broken path. Being fed ungodly Lies about reality at the Indoctrination Camps during the day. Being told that the God that Mom and Dad drag them to go see every Sunday is dead. That He is the purveyor of misinformation. A mythical creature like Ktulu. Then spending their available hours in their own world. Piecing together what will fulfill their appetite from those around them. Influenced by the Unchurched. The Unredeemed. Sin pulling at Son and Daughter from all directions at all hours of the day. From Friends. From Media. From Indoctrination. Faith’s Failure sets in as a lifetime of Darkness swallow whole the one hour per week that they sit in the presence of The Light. And then the experts ask “Why is this happening?”

“Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”
-The Apostle Paul to The Church in Rome

Beloved, do not be naive. We are sinful in nature. Sin feels good to the flesh. Sex feels good. Drinking and partying with friends feels good. Getting high feels good. And so on. Pursuing these is the adrenaline rush. Like the hunter stalking the trophy that has the town talking. Once captured it is the ultimate release. Our flesh is satisfied. Instant gratification. “I will do what I want to do because I like it” becomes the new mantra. Yet, there is an antithesis. It is the Law of God. Righteousness. Holiness. A death to our sinful nature. A birth to our self renewal. In His likeness. His Law and Sin do not agree. His will and our flesh are at odds. Light and Dark do not comprehend each other.

“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
-The Apostle John

The answer to the question regarding the departure of Youth from the church is not complex. They leave because their worldview is forever altered by a lifetime of Sin and flesh feeding self pleasure. Their impressionable minds and vacant souls are poured into the molds that are cast by ideals and influences that are rooted along the path of the Dark One. Before adulthood many have experienced sexual deviancy with others and themselves. Many have sipped from the bottle of poison. Many have experimented with altering their minds. Perversion rooted in entertainment. Cursed speech from forked tongues. Laughter. It all feels so good as it pumps into the veins and down into the belly of their carnality. And then, when they cross the threshold of adulthood, Mom and Dad are stunned that Son and Daughter decide to turn their backs on that boring and oppressive God. Once Mom and Dad’s shackles are released, they choose The World. It feels so good! It always has. Unrestrained.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”
-Proverbs 3:5-6

Now do not cast words into my mouth. I am not saying that homeschooling is the answer. As you may recall from my previous post “Don’t Look Now…”, there were many homeschooled Youth that turned their backs on God. They fell hard from Grace and pulled an entire church down with them. They hungered for what was on the other side. They doubted. They grew weary of God. Of The Church. Once they stepped out from Mom and Dad’s shadow, it was time to traverse the broken road. To strip off Holiness and Righteousness, and to wear the garments of The World.

“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
-Jesus Christ

If we are to keep our Sons and Daughters in the pews then we need to understand Spiritual Warfare. We need to understand the immaturity of their minds and faith. The Enemy knows that they are weak. That they are curious. That peer pressure influences their every motive as they try to fit in with the crowd. As they try to belong. As they struggle with identity. With acceptance. Therefore, whatever Friends will do, so will Son and Daughter. Whatever Teacher says, they will agree and accept lest they be considered an outcast for foolish Biblical think. So their path is set. Broken and shattered is the way. Until one day, if that day ever sees its Dawn, they come crawling back to The Father’s house like The Prodigal Son. Mom and Dad exhaust themselves in prayer. Calloused knees. Where did they go wrong?

Beloved children, given over to ungodly teachings and influences. Beloved children, being kept in the distance from watchful eyes. Beloved children, living in a world run by The Dark One. Living in the shadows cast by Midnight. Inattentive parents, Who are their friends? What is on their devices? What are they being taught? What are they doing? What are they saying? What are they hearing? Feeling? Thinking? Inattentive parents, deceived by The Lie that this is their world. That innocence abounds as it did in their days of youth. Unfortunately, this is a whole different game. A whole different war.

Inattentive parents that aren’t standing before Youth and fighting.

Beloved children that grow up too fast.

The Dark hands that surrounded them had pulled them down into the grave.

“He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.”
-Proverbs 13:20