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What's Happening To
Our Young People?
One doesn't have to read
statistics from a professionally conducted census to know that many
young people who are "raised in the church" are being lost to the cause
of Christ. What's happening to them? Permissiveness is happening to
youth. In many instances, parents have abdicated their God-given role.
They set no firm guidelines, have no definite rules of the house and
often allow themselves to be manipulated. Parents are often literally
afraid to have firm rules, afraid of the child rebelling. They don't
know that love is not some kind of' namby-pamby attitude, but that there
must be a certain kind of toughness to love, amply shown in the book of
Proverbs. It doesn't mean being roguish, tyrannical, or unmerciful in
the demands it makes. But youth need guidance. They need someone to tell
them "how far," some "cans" and "cant's," with good sound "why's." And,
in some instances, the "why" may be simply "because I said so."
Work is happening to youth. In many instances young people are
pushed and shoved into the "job market" without any consideration as to
how the job will interfere with their worship, study, or the influences
they will face. None of us want our children to grow up to be lazy
good-for-nothings. We want them to "learn the value of a dollar," to
know that, at least for most of us, "money doesn't grow on trees." But
often that part-time job, which may be taking far too much of their
time, is during hours of worship on the Lord's Day or during mid-week
Bible study and every night of a gospel meeting. And then the parents,
having allowed, maybe even encouraged it, or in some instances demanded
it, wonder why their child no longer is interested in spiritual things.
Materialism is happening to youth. Not only are they being shoved
into the work arena to make their "spending money," or to "buy some
wheels," but also they see parents who are often more committed to
providing "things" than they are to living for the Lord. Frequently the
parents are recreation crazed, and allow recreational activity to keep
them from worship services and periods of Bible study, or they often put
optional work ahead of worship, especially if "overtime pay" is
involved.
Humanism is happening to youth. Like an octopus with its many
tentacles, humanism is attacking from many directions, approaching from
various sources. From very tender years, humanism's eroding influences
bombard our young people incessantly; and often parents are unaware of
it, and in many instances cannot be aroused to a sense of concern when
told of those influences. Evolution is only one of humanism's tentacles,
but it is a powerful one. How can one who is constantly told that he is
but the higher form of a lower life fail to ultimately act the part? It
is bound to dilute or erode away spiritual influences unless strong
teaching is given to the contrary. "Value clarification" advocates teach
youth that there are no absolutes, no real definitive standard of right
or wrong. This being true, what is to be expected but that he should
eventually cast aside the "old fogey" ideas of parents, preachers, Bible
class teachers, and elders?
Hypocrisy is happening to youth. Children are very incisive, easily
able to discern a sham. When they repeatedly see hypocritical behavior
on the part of adults who are in some authority over them, it has its
effect. Elders, preachers, parents, policemen, governmental officials
advocating one thing while practicing another send forth uncertain
sounds to youth. Especially in spiritual matters, if they see no real
devotion, no depth of spiritual life, it affects them.
--Norman E. Fultz
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