The respected apologist also says the Internet's "exploding information" plays a major factor in challenging the way young people view culture, the church and their moral views. According to his research, millions of youths take in about 34GB of Internet data each day, which is equivalent to the amount of lyrics found in 8,160 songs.
"Every pastor, youth pastor, and every parent is in competition with the Internet and the information it is spreading," said McDowell. "Most young people don't get their news from CNN or CBS, they get it from bloggers. There are about 181 million bloggers vying for the attention of your children."
The unlimited amount of online information that people have access to has caused an increase in skepticism that will only continue to become more pervasive, says McDowell.
"If you don't believe me, go around and talk to young people in colleges and in junior high. Go and make 'truth statements' and you'll hear them say, 'How do you know that's true?' There's so much out there," said McDowell. "[For] every kid, even Christians, the age of the Internet is wearing down their convictions because they think tomorrow they'll find something else."
He continued, "Fifteen to 20 years ago, the questions that you used to hear at universities about faith, Jesus and the Bible, about skepticisms, questioning what you believe in; questions that you used to hear in the last two years of college are now being asked by 10- and 11-year-olds. It's coming all right down through Facebook."
During his message, he also told pastors they cannot pastor the same way they have been for the last 20 years while telling parents they cannot raise their children the same way they were raised because the Internet has changed "everything."
This world has truly changed over my lifetime and I can't say it's for the good. How do you view the secular world?
Ed
There's still hope for the individual, and always will be,but society is probably beyond all hope.
ReplyDeleteCertainly the Internet plays a part in that secularization, kids can look up information by themselves like no libraries allowed them before, and most of that information casually does not include religious faith. So it makes sense that religion becomes less and less important in their lives when they see the subject rarely if ever mentioned in social networks, Youtube or music.
ReplyDeleteIn a way, public schools have a similar effect. Personally, I don't think religion should enter kids lives before they are at least middle teenagers and able to make a choice for themselves. You can surely teach the good values of any religion to kids, but teaching them prayers and specific Scriptures is almost child abuse if you want to take it to the extreme...
And kids are getting smarter every year too, they know for instance that 34GB represents the 2KB lyrics for about 17 million songs, not 8 thousands. ;)
Skepticism is good for people (and kids :-)) It allows them to research a question and arrive at an answer using logical thinking. Good values are, or should be, taught by the parents.
ReplyDeleteThe parenting issue is definitely involved in our opinion. There has been such change in society in my lifetime, I can't begin to start listing all of them. You all bring up good points and I thank you for them.
ReplyDeleteThese are serious signals in my mind. no matter how you interpret them.
Ed