Why Are Millennials Leaving the Church? - Tim Conway

Answers in Genesis

has put forth these statistics.

You may find them interesting.

I do.

Fifty-six percent of Papa's
generation go to church.

Forty-four percent of my mother's
generation go to church.

Thirty-two percent of Jeff's -

he's in a different one from me.

He called me a young whippersnapper
the other day or something -

but 32% Jeff's age.

Twenty-seven percent my age -

I'm right there at the
beginning of Generation X.

It starts at 1965 and I just slipped in.

I think it goes all the way to '80.

But millennials -

basically those from 1980.

Eighteen percent attend church.

So what you're watching
is from Papa's age - 56% -

down to 18%.

What's happening?

Scripture talks about there may be

a great falling away before the end.

What's happening in America?

Just listen to this,

because the statistics go further.

Notice what they found.

Of millennials who grew up in the church,

61% leave the church

by the time they hit college age.

Why? The common answer:

Evolution.

(incomplete thought)

This is what they recognize:

We hear millions of years

taught in high school -

elementary school,
middle school, high school -

but not only that,

you know what else they're saying?

And we heard it taught by many preachers.

And you know why it's such a battle

for their faith?

Because they're being honest.

The preacher says:

Well, it's okay to think this took

millions of years.

But you know what the problem is?

These millennials read Genesis 1

and guess what they think

they're hearing it say.

That it was all done in seven days.

See, that is the problem.

It sounds like it is saying something

and anybody that wants
to take it seriously -

You know what?

Richard Dawkins says these
sophisticated theologians

who want to try to find evolution in here,

he says they're deluded.

He says these creationists
that are holding

to what I am going to espouse,

he said they're right.

He's saying these other guys

that are trying to find this there,

they're deluded.

Now you see he thinks he's got us then

because he thinks that there's such

irrefutable evidence for evolution -

he calls it - "evil"-lution.

The Brits say it right.

But see, he thinks he's got us.

It's like you can't argue it.

But he says at least the creationists

have it right.

These guys that are trying to
tow the line between both,

he says they're deluded.
You can't do that.

And he recognizes that.

And you know what? The
millennials recognize that too.

Listen to what else:

He said of millennials who leave church,

most heard the preacher teach

that it's okay to believe
in billions of years

which caused them to doubt the Bible.

Of millennials still in the church

that haven't left,

when asked what, if anything,

causes them to ever
doubt the Bible the most?

Answer: the age of the earth

is by far the biggest issue.

Same millennials when asked

if they have had their
Christianity challenged

and said yes, they
were asked at what point.

Two points were about even:

The age of the earth

and why bad things happen.

I'll tell you these young
people are being honest.

And they recognize it.

And you know what, this is the
very thing Andy Stanley sees,

and he's trying to come
up with an answer for.

He recognizes people are bailing out

because scientific evidence -

so-called science is supposedly
undermining this account,

and what happens is -
(incomplete thought).

See, too many people
recognize the reality of this.

You start having the dominoes fall

and click, click, click -

they go right down the line

until you start taking
out the New Testament.

See, guys like Andy Stanley who come along

and say we've got to unhitch this

so that when those dominoes fall

they don't take out the New Testament too.

So we've got to unhitch the Old Testament.

We've got to basically
say, okay, it's myth.

We all recognize that.

That's not the way you defend it

because people aren't buying it.

You want to encourage people's faith?

What we want to do is we want to

defend this book in its entirety.

And that's where the problem is.

The reality is this,

if millennials were
looking at this account

and saying, oh yeah,

I see billions of years in here.

Well, guess what?

When they go into their college course

and the professor stands up and he says

this has all taken billions of years,

what are they going to say?

They're going to say, yeah, my faith

is consistent with what you're teaching.

We've seen that all
along right here in Genesis.

But they don't see it.

That's why it is such a
challenge to their faith.