Studies show that a majority of kids raised in Christian homes are leaving the faith when they leave the nest. It is vital that we understand the primary reasons why young people no longer believe if we want to help them return to the faith.



In this episode, Catherine airs an important conversation she had recently on the Redeeming the Chaos Podcast with Laurie Christine. Catherine and Laurie discuss new research which tells us why young people are bailing on Christianity. Highlighted are the 7 most prominent reasons Gen Zrs cite for walking away from the Christian faith. They are:



1. I have a hard time believing that a good God would allow so much evil or suffering in the world (29%): see EPISODE 66 w/ Dr. Douglas Groothuis

2. Christians are hypocrites (23%)

3. I believe science refutes too much of the Bible (20%) See Dr. Stephen Meyer: Signature in the Cell, The Return of the God Hypothesis, and Darwin’s Doubt; also see Dr. John Lennox (The “God Delusion “ Debate with Richard Dawkins)

4. I don’t believe in fairy tales (19%) see “The Case for Christ” & “The Case for Christ for Kids” by Lee Strobel

5. There are too many injustices in the history of Christianity (15%) see Episode 9: How Does Christian Worldview Creates the World We all Want to Live”, see Episodes 93, 94, & 95 w/ Os Guinness

6. I used to go to church, but it’s just not important to me anymore (12%)

7. I had a bad experience in church/with a Christian (6%) see Episodes 39, 40, 41, & 42; see “When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community from Emotional & Spiritual Abuse” by Dr. Chuck DeGroat



Catherine offers some helpful resources to consult if a child you know has embraced one of these claims about Christianity, and she and Laurie also offer some helpful resources for discipling younger kids in the faith.



BIO: Laurie Christine is an author, podcast host, Biblical Parenting Coach, wife, and mom of four loud, adventurous boys. Her podcast, Redeeming the Chaos, invites moms of boys to join her on the wild, wonderful adventure of raising courageous boys and connecting them with Christ Her new devotional book for boys, Rise of the Enemy, was released on Amazon last year.



RESOURCES REFERENCED AND CITED:



“Emerging Gen Z may deliver huge blow to religion in U.S.” by Jeff Brumley (June 8, 2018)

The American Worldview Inventory in 2022highlights worldview beliefs of American pastors.

“Only Half of Evangelical Pastors Possess a Christian Worldview: Incidence Even Lower for Most Denominations” (Cultural Research Cente::ACU)

ACU Cultural Research Center Worldview Inventory 2020-current

Foundation Worldview Curriculum (use “CPCW10” code for 10% discount)

Apologia: What We Believe (4 volume set)



EPISODES CITED:

Episode 57: “How To Teach Your Kids the Christian Worldview” w/ Elizabeth Urbanowicz

Episode 58: “7 Lies Culture is Selling Our Kids: Are They Buying?” w/ Elizabeth Urbanowicz

Episode 72: “What Do People Leaving the Faith often Get Wrong about God?” w/ Elizabeth Urbanowics

Episode 84: “How To Learn More Scripture in 2024 Than You Ever Have Before” w/ Zac Fitzsimmons



SCRIPTURES REFERENCED:



Psalm 78:1-8

Hebrews 10:25

Studies show that a majority of kids raised in Christian homes are <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/christian-kids-leaving-the-faith-what-can-we-do.html">leaving the faith</a> when they leave the nest. It is vital that we understand the primary reasons why young people no longer believe if we want to help them return to the faith.
 
In this episode, Catherine airs an important conversation she had recently on the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=redeeming+the+chaos+podcast&amp;oq=rede&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggBECMYJzIGCAAQRRg5MgYIARAjGCcyFggCEC4YgwEYrwEYxwEYsQMYgAQYjgUyBwgDEAAYgAQyBggEEEUYQTIGCAUQRRg8MgYIBhBFGEEyBggHEEUYQdIBCDMzMzFqMGo0qAIAsAIA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Redeeming the Chaos</a> Podcast with Laurie Christine. Catherine and Laurie discuss <a href="https://baptistnews.com/article/emerging-gen-z-may-deliver-huge-blow-to-religion-in-u-s/?gclid=CjwKCAiAxvGfBhB-EiwAMPakqnlSSGK0KpQ3hA_vs6_rcxNA81o_6cfbn1MrTfBsDc6pdPUcC52boBoCkz0QAvD_BwE">new research</a> which tells us why young people are bailing on Christianity. Highlighted are the 7 most prominent reasons Gen Zrs cite for walking away from the Christian faith. They are:
 
1. I have a hard time believing that a good God would allow so much evil or suffering in the world (29%): see <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/how-can-a-good-god-allow-so-much-evil-and-suffering-in-the-world-with-dr-douglas-groothuis-episode-66">EPISODE 66</a> w/ <a href="https://www.douglasgroothuis.com/">Dr. Douglas Groothuis</a>
2. Christians are hypocrites (23%)
3. I believe science refutes too much of the Bible (20%) See <a href="https://stephencmeyer.org/">Dr. Stephen Meyer</a>: <a href="https://stephencmeyer.org/books/">Signature in the Cell, The Return of the God Hypothesis, and Darwin’s Doubt</a>; also see <a href="https://www.johnlennox.org/">Dr. John Lennox</a> (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF5bPI92-5o">The “God Delusion “ Debate</a> with Richard Dawkins)
4. I don’t believe in fairy tales (19%) see “<a href="https://leestrobel.com/books">The Case for Christ</a>” &amp; “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Case-Christ-Kids/dp/0310719909/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3C2UJL7O2ZNJ&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5hbVWbaY19uTNLwps1vaNRLA-7JR-DMhFbeM8aX7nEYNAoRa3mU0ZJvdtO4TbtWKHb3VSCv9Uy7v-dBbjdBUz9CNYi-9Q9CF3-db6apM2po7mYTl9ayl8XRUbt8gB-iEhO2ZViQ4lD92shPuugh0rYgWGpP7JPV73XM4YYXvI0N5Bt_GzGeno1ZavoDBz5LeRcxcAWoGZMLUFoB4bxebHH53ZK2stul_R3YjxvqAvms.RYJb2JxxXaJM34ydqlobTaLLipw7VF4BUyOeivLu3Uc&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=The+Case+for+Christ+Jr&amp;qid=1712519539&amp;sprefix=the+case+for+christ+jr%2Caps%2C105&amp;sr=8-1">The Case for Christ for Kids</a>” by <a href="https://leestrobel.com/">Lee Strobel</a>
5. There are too many injustices in the history of Christianity (15%) see <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/how-does-the-christian-worldview-create-a-world-we-all-want-to-live-in-episode-9">Episode 9: How Does Christian Worldview Creates the World We all Want to Live</a>”, see Episodes <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/what-most-americans-dont-understand-about-freedom-w-os-guinness-ep-93">93</a>, <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/the-dilemma-christians-face-at-the-ballot-box-w-os-guinness-ep-94">94</a>, &amp; <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/how-is-godly-parenting-central-to-sustaining-faith-freedom-w-os-guinness-ep-95">95</a> w/ Os Guinness
6. I used to go to church, but it’s just not important to me anymore (12%)
7. I had a bad experience in church/with a Christian (6%) see Episodes <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/have-you-ever-been-judged-by-other-christians-episode-39">39</a>, <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/is-it-ever-right-to-judge-others-episode-40">40</a>, <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/six-problems-we-encounter-when-it-comes-to-judging-episode-41">41</a>, &amp; <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/three-steps-to-take-when-you-or-your-kids-are-judged-episode-42">42</a>; see “<a href="https://www.chuckdegroat.net/books">When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community from Emotional &amp; Spiritual Abuse</a>” by <a href="https://www.chuckdegroat.net/">Dr. Chuck DeGroat</a>
 
Catherine offers some helpful resources to consult if a child you know has embraced one of these claims about Christianity, and she and Laurie also offer some helpful resources for discipling younger kids in the faith.
 
BIO: Laurie Christine is an author, podcast host, Biblical Parenting Coach, wife, and mom of four loud, adventurous boys. Her podcast, <a href="https://lauriechristine.com/redeeming-the-chaos/">Redeeming the Chaos</a>, invites moms of boys to join her on the wild, wonderful adventure of raising courageous boys and connecting them with Christ Her new devotional book for boys, <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/v">Rise of the Enemy</a>, was released on Amazon last year.
 
RESOURCES REFERENCED AND CITED:
 
“<a href="https://baptistnews.com/article/emerging-gen-z-may-deliver-huge-blow-to-religion-in-u-s/?gclid=CjwKCAiAxvGfBhB-EiwAMPakqnlSSGK0KpQ3hA_vs6_rcxNA81o_6cfbn1MrTfBsDc6pdPUcC52boBoCkz0QAvD_BwE">Emerging Gen Z may deliver huge blow to religion in U.S</a>.” by Jeff Brumley (June 8, 2018)
The <a href="https://www.arizonachristian.edu/2022/05/12/shocking-lack-of-biblical-worldview-among-american-pastors/">American Worldview Inventory in 2022</a> highlights worldview beliefs of American pastors.
“<a href="chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/AWVI2022_Release_06_Digital.pdf">Only Half of Evangelical Pastors Possess a Christian Worldview: Incidence Even Lower for Most Denominations</a>” (Cultural Research Cente::ACU)
<a href="https://www.arizonachristian.edu/culturalresearchcenter/research/">ACU Cultural Research Center Worldview Inventory</a> 2020-current
<a href="https://foundationworldview.com/">Foundation Worldview</a> Curriculum (use “CPCW10” code for 10% discount)
<a href="https://www.apologia.com/shop/what-we-believe-4-volume-boxed-set/?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwiMmwBhDmARIsABeQ7xSHJgJBn3Os01v8yZ_YdHG5ytqRzUHHTqKw1agof9V-50TOxHDqIw0aAlAuEALw_wcB">Apologia: What We Believe</a> (4 volume set)
 
EPISODES CITED:
Episode 57: “<a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/how-to-teach-your-kids-the-christian-worldview-with-elizabeth-urbanowicz-episode-57">How To Teach Your Kids the Christian Worldview</a>” w/ Elizabeth Urbanowicz
Episode 58: “<a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/7-lies-culture-is-selling-our-kids-are-they-buying-with-elizabeth-urbanowicz-episode-58">7 Lies Culture is Selling Our Kids: Are They Buying?</a>” w/ Elizabeth Urbanowicz
Episode 72: “<a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/what-do-deconstructionists-often-get-wrong-about-god">What Do People Leaving the Faith often Get Wrong about God?”</a> w/ Elizabeth Urbanowics
Episode 84: “<a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/how-to-learn-more-scripture-in-2024-than-you-ever-have-before">How To Learn More Scripture in 2024 Than You Ever Have Before</a>” w/ Zac Fitzsimmons
 
SCRIPTURES REFERENCED:
 
Psalm 78:1-8
Hebrews 10:25

The Christian Parent, Crazy World podcast with Catherine Segars is dedicated to helping you be a godly parent in an ungodly world. Catherine is an expert in Christian Apologetics for parents and every episode helps moms and dads understand what is going on in our current culture and how Christians can and should respond.

Topics covered on this podcast include:
What to Do If Your Child Walks Away from the Faith
Can Our Words Change the Future?
Why Are So Many Kids Falling Away from The Faith?
13 Ways To Be a Better Parent This Year
5 Things Every Parent Needs to Know About Gen Z
What Critical Foundation Do Many Parents Miss When Discipling Their Kids?
How To Teach Your Kids the Christian Worldview 
Hope and Strategy for Parents of Prodigal Children

Want to read some of Catherine's most popular Christian parenting articles? Check them out here: https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars/

The Christian Parent, Crazy World podcast with Catherine Segars is dedicated to helping you be a godly parent in an ungodly world. Catherine is an expert in Christian Apologetics for parents and every episode helps moms and dads understand what is going on in our current culture and how Christians can and should respond.
Topics covered on this podcast include:
<ul>
<li>What to Do If Your Child Walks Away from the Faith</li>
<li>Can Our Words Change the Future?</li>
<li>Why Are So Many Kids Falling Away from The Faith?</li>
<li>13 Ways To Be a Better Parent This Year</li>
<li>5 Things Every Parent Needs to Know About Gen Z</li>
<li>What Critical Foundation Do Many Parents Miss When Discipling Their Kids?</li>
<li>How To Teach Your Kids the Christian Worldview </li>
<li>Hope and Strategy for Parents of Prodigal Children</li>
</ul>
Want to read some of Catherine's most popular Christian parenting articles? Check them out here: https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars/

Christian Parent, Crazy World is a podcast dedicated to helping you be a godly parent in an ungodly world.

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