As I read and pondered on the Moralistic Therapeutic Deism thesis written by Christian Smith, it is of my opinion this unfounded religion depicts the lackadaisical attitude some teenagers as well as adults have chosen to live by. When reading some of the responses from various young people the perception is they know God does exist, however God to them is a feel good God meaning they know God is around and He answers when they are in need for something as well as when they are experiencing a problem. For example the response from “One fifteen-year-old Hispanic conservative Protestant girl from Florida expressed the therapeutic benefits of her faith in these terms: “God is like someone who is always there for you; I don’t know, it’s like God
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Rather it must attach itself like an incubus to establish historical religious traditions, feeding on their doctrines and sensibilities, and expanding by mutating their theological substance to resemble its own distinctive image. (Smith 51). Christianity stands on the Word of God alone. God needs no help, He knows all, He is all and “All Scripture is God-Breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). Juvenilization is a process that gives some answers to adults not being role models to guide young people to grow in the knowledge of God. The article “When Are We Going to Grow Up? The Juvenilization of American Christianity,” author Thomas E. Bergler put it quite nicely “American Christians avoid maturing in Christ-likeness”. The definition of juvenilization is the process by which the religious beliefs, practices, and developmental characteristics of adolescents become accepted as appropriate for adults. (Bergler 1) Politicians, youth pastors and parents came to the mindset that young people “held the key to national survival” (Bergler 1). American Christianity failed as they attempted to influence youth to fight for political causes (Bergler 2). The organization Youth for Christ (YFC) used worldly ways to
Rather it must attach itself like an incubus to establish historical religious traditions, feeding on their doctrines and sensibilities, and expanding by mutating their theological substance to resemble its own distinctive image. (Smith 51). Christianity stands on the Word of God alone. God needs no help, He knows all, He is all and “All Scripture is God-Breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). Juvenilization is a process that gives some answers to adults not being role models to guide young people to grow in the knowledge of God. The article “When Are We Going to Grow Up? The Juvenilization of American Christianity,” author Thomas E. Bergler put it quite nicely “American Christians avoid maturing in Christ-likeness”. The definition of juvenilization is the process by which the religious beliefs, practices, and developmental characteristics of adolescents become accepted as appropriate for adults. (Bergler 1) Politicians, youth pastors and parents came to the mindset that young people “held the key to national survival” (Bergler 1). American Christianity failed as they attempted to influence youth to fight for political causes (Bergler 2). The organization Youth for Christ (YFC) used worldly ways to