In any discussion about the future of religion in America, especially as it relates to stalled growth in churches and denominations, those outside our religious communities find one theory especially compelling. This is the idea: that young Evangelicals are frustrated with Christian orthodoxy’s strict standards of sexual morality. We’re told that these young Evangelicals will soon revolutionize our churches with liberalized views on same-sex marriage, premarital sex, gender identity, and so on. But a new study by a University of Texas sociologist finds that Evangelical Christians ages 18 to 39 are resisting liberalizing trends in the culture.
The suggestion of a shift in attitudes does sound plausible. Indeed, one of us has warned for years that conservative Evangelicals are often “slow-motion sexual revolutionaries,” adjusting to the ambient culture on, for instance, divorce in ways that have harmed our witness and compromised the Biblical message. How much more vulnerable would Evangelicals be in a culture that is shifting roller-coaster fast on the definition of marriage itself and related issues? But recent data suggest otherwise.
The research, to be fully released in September, was introduced in Mark Regnerus’s presentation “Sex in America: Sociological Trends in American Sexuality,” unveiled at a recent gathering of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission’s leadership summit. According to Regnerus, when compared with the general population and with their non-observant peers, churchgoing Evangelical Christians are retaining orthodox views on Biblical sexuality, despite the shifts in broader American culture.
Regnerus surveyed 15,378 persons between the ages of 18 and 60, but he focuses in particular on respondents under 40. Significantly, Regnerus did the important work of differentiating between those who identify merely verbally with a particular religious tradition and those who actually attend church weekly. A political poll that didn’t differentiate between likely and unlikely voters wouldn’t be an accurate representation of the electorate, and for the same reasons, a survey should distinguish between someone who says “Catholic” or “Baptist” when asked for a religious identity and someone who actually shows up in the pews.
While support for same-sex marriage characterized a solid majority of those identifying as atheists, agnostics, liberal Catholics, and liberal Protestants, only 11 percent of young Evangelicals actively expressed support for same-sex marriage.
Approximately 6 percent of religiously active Evangelicals expressed support for abortion rights, while over 70 percent of their non-believing peer group said they believed in abortion rights.
While a large cross-section of all Americans believe in marriage’s importance, Regnerus found that, for example, Evangelicals are less likely than most to perceive marriage as “outdated.”
Evangelical Christians were also drastically less likely to believe that cohabitation is a good idea. While upward of 70 percent of those who claim no religious affiliation or those who are “spiritual but not religious” agree that cohabitation is acceptable, approximately 5 percent of Evangelicals agreed that cohabitation is acceptable. “While left-leaning Evangelicals have received considerable media attention lately, it pays to survey the masses and see just what’s going on,” says Regnerus. “These data suggest that while a modest minority of Evangelicals under 40 profess what we might call more sexually liberal attitudes, it’s not a significant minority. Minorities can be vocal. Survey data help us understand just how large or small they really are.”
(For the rest of the article, click the link.)
So basically these Evangelical Christians are the extreme right-wing of the religious spectrum. I think we already knew that. Any group that doesn't leave room for compromise is an extremist group and should be disregarded entirely.
Are you for real, Shane?
I chose to disregard trolls.
…said Shane with an extremist attitude.
Shane – God does not leave room for compromise.
Are you saying that we should be asking God to compromise His word or disregard Him entirely?
So the devil obviously has another advocate–I'd rather be a "right-wing evangelical radical" than you—
Shane is very sensitive about this. He has even expressed himself in too graphic a sexual manner in the past, leading those comments of his to be deleted.
Those with sexually deviant behavior are constantly putting pressure on politicians and judges to force everyone to acknowledge that what they are doing is just fine. This has to come from internal feelings of inadequacy, guilt and a feeling of exclusion. People with standard sexual behavior never give one thought about what others think. They just don't care.
It constantly amazes me how the culture of "democracy"- that EVERYTHING is subject to debate and 'vote" and that that is a GOOD thing- pervades our culture so corrosively. Both politically and socio-morally this culture-atmosphere is complete poison. Politically, When Franklin left the constitutional convention he was stopped by a woman and asked “Sir, what have you given us?” to which he answered “A Republic, maam, if you can keep it.” The word “democracy” does not appear in the declaration of Independence, the constitution or the constitutions of any of the 50 states; The founders put everything they could into law to KEEP US from having a democracy! James Madison, known as the father of the constitution, wrote in essay #10 of the federalist papers “Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention, have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property, and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.” Alexander Hamilton- “We are a republican government. Real liberty is never found in despotism or in the extremes of democracy.” Samuel Adams-“Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself.” Hitler used the "democracy" of the Weimar Republic to DESTROY the Weimar Republic and make Germany totalitarian. It is an expamsion of the Cloward-Piven strategy that Obama is using to do the same to America. Socio-morally, it is the same with our culture and while Bible-believing and Bible-adhering young "evangelicals" (whatever that means- I don't see that word ANYWHERE in the Bible- a search in the 4 most respected translations- KJV, NKJV, NIV, ASV- did not producte the appearance of that word ANYWHERE in the entire Bible in any of these versions. I completely reject its' use to describe anyone. "Christian" is a good word!! "Believer" is a good word!! Both of these words appear numerous times in THE BIBLE! If your using democracy to label even THE PERSON you can bet you'll be using it to dictate what's acceptable morally and you'll be right back to the social Marxism we are being destroyed with. Isaiah 3:12- "As for my people, their rulers are acting like children, and those who have authority over them are women. O my people, your guides are the cause of your wandering, turning your footsteps out of the right way." These "rulers" include the leaders of the church! Women pastors and vocal participants in the CONTENT of the church services is PERVASIVE. It is completely anti-Biblical. So how are the "young people" going to act BIBLICALLY? They are not. They are most definitely not. No more than we act constitutionally by participating in "democracy."
So what is extreme here? Things that everyone outside a hippie commune would have taken for granted in 1968?
More likely typical Christians
What do you expect, as All of Christainity Has been Deceived since the Time of the Apostles, as Jesus (YAHWASUA) said, "They are the Blind leading the Blind, also the the Jewish Leaders 'Where of their Father the Devil" and Never in Bondage, From Esau came the Devil Jews, From Jacob came the Israelites, who Have all the Promises ROMANS 9:4. The House of Judah (NOT JEWS) and the House of Israel are the Whole House of Israel that was in Bondage in Egypt. Jacob's NAME was Changed to ISRAEL ( in Paleo Hebrew used to Translate to Greek Septuagint, ISREAL is ANGELS OF GOD). Let YAHWAH Bless you Through the NAME of His Son YAHWASUA My Lord and My Brother.
The feminists made marriage outdated. When they're ideology is destroyed then it will become relevant again. Until then a man is an idiot for getting married in a western country.
No compromise!
Pot, Kettle, Black…. Right Shane?
Anyone who aspires to get their way through threats of violence should be disregarded.
"Harlotry, wine, and new wine take away the understanding." (Hosea 4:11)
LOL, Gil just told us we should disregard the government.
There are many things that are decided by peer pressure, the majority and "feelings"!!! But there is nothing and no authority that can contradict or exceeds the doctrines and tenets of the Bible. For a simple one page proof see http://www.GodAurthoredBible.com.
correction GodAuthoredBible.com
Shane, your response denies the very idea of truth itself, which your hard-and-fast stance toward evangelicals belies. You're sawing off the branch you're standing on. Think about it.