A ‘no brainer’ test for measuring the faith of our young ones
Are your children (and grandchildren) asking the right questions?
Originally published in a CMI newsletter, July 2014
One of the big challenges facing CMI, in addition to the task of producing high quality information to refute the godless philosophy of evolution masquerading as science, is to convince the majority of Christian families to use it.
To create awareness that acceptance of evolution has a corrosive effect on one’s faith, we often highlight the awful statistics of youth leaving the church, and that no denomination is exempt. Yet, surprising as it may seem for some, a major factor is that most parents don’t see the need to engage their children with creation information. And sadly they often approach our speakers after the presentation, when the penny has finally dropped as to why their beloved children have ditched the faith.
The #1 sign your children are borrowing your faith is if they are not asking questions
An impressive column from homeschool blogging mom, Natasha Crain, resonated with me. She told how she left the faith of her parents, but fortunately returned later in life. As such, she speaks with authority about the reasons for her departure. In essence, she says a key sign that your seemingly God-loving children might be headed for the exits is: “Are they asking you questions about the faith?”
“My faith was so shallow that the first exciting philosophy I encountered after high school swept me off my feet—without so much as an inkling that it was in conflict with everything I had been taught … despite the fact I had gone to church for 18 years and grew up surrounded by family members who deeply loved the Lord” (emphasis mine).1
In this context she was talking about a New Age philosophy she encountered (‘evolving spirituality’, as someone called it). But whether that or secular humanism, we know one of the major reasons for apostasy of all types is not being equipped with answers to the ever-present evolutionary story that infiltrates virtually every subject at high school and college (and the media).
Natasha also had some revealing things to say about her home faith involvement that I think is echoed in many Christian families. She notes that without deeper engagement and teaching critical thinking skills, children just tend to borrow from their parents’ faith and copy it. She says:
“Make no mistake: a borrowed faith leaving home can be just as dangerous as a broken faith. The result is often the same, just delayed … I left home with a completely borrowed faith. Many parents are brokenhearted when their kids reject Christianity in the teen years. I would suggest that many other parents are lulled into a false sense of security when their kids appear to toe the line of faith until they leave home. That faith often amounts to little more than borrowed beliefs which will soon be shattered.”
Why aren’t they asking questions?
This is a ‘heads up’ to all parents and leaders. If your children are not asking questions it is not because they have all the answers. It could well be for the following reasons. Natasha writes:
- “They may be just uninterested enough to not ask questions, but not so uninterested as to reject Christianity altogether. They’ll just borrow your faith for a while because that’s what’s in front of them on the buffet.
- They may not yet see the importance of Christian belief in their lives. It’s perceived as just another subject they’re learning about, like math. They’ll just borrow your faith for a while because they don’t think it’s important enough to think more deeply about.
- They may not have been exposed to enough non-Christian ideas yet. Their faith isn’t being challenged in preparation for the adult world. Challenge them. If you don’t, non-believers soon will.
- They may be scared or uncertain of your reaction. They’ll just borrow your faith for a while because that’s what they think is expected of them.
- They may be getting answers elsewhere—usually not the answers you’d like them to have. They’ll just borrow your faith for a while because they don’t want to rock the boat at home.”
Evangelism begins at home
This is not a cliché. If your family is not asking the right questions then we advise to start asking them questions now. Challenge them as to why they believe and ask them questions the way an evolutionist would, and you’ll soon start to see where they are on the ‘Christian-o-meter’. As they then start to see that Christianity is not a blind faith, they will become more committed to their own faith. Of course, this doesn’t just apply to families. It’s a great tool that pastors and youth leaders should use for measuring the faith of their youth groups.
We get constant feedback from parents telling us that Creation magazine has been a key resource for engaging young ones. Its attractive and easy-to-read articles help make sense of their world. Also, don’t forget that CMI has hundreds of other resources for families that you can use to sit down with your children and learn together.
But if you really want to get your church engaged then contact us to arrange a CMI speaker in your church.
References and notes
- Thanks to Natasha Crain and the article christianmomthoughts.com/the-number-one-sign-your-kids-are-just-borrowing-your-faith-and-not-developing-their-own, 3 March, 2014. Return to text.
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