According to a study published in 2007 by the Social Science Research Council, 64% of students currently enrolled in a four-year institution reported a decline in church (or other religious) attendance. 1 This doesn't mean that universities rob young people of their religious faith or spirituality, but in the very least, it does tell us that the college lifestyle poses a challenge to religious service...something I think we all knew already.
Church attendance may suffer among college students for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with deep philosophical challenges to their faith. It could be the business of their schedules or the fact that they don't have transportation from campus to church. Some students may take part in on-campus Bible study groups instead of going to church. Others may commit to going to church when they're able to return home on weekends.
But let's not kid ourselves. There are sometimes deeper reasons behind the decline in religious and spiritual habits of college students.
For many young people, college represents freedom and independence - from their parents and the traditions that have defined them for 18+ years. This is the opportunity for them to discover who they really want to be, or to finally do what they have wanted to do for years. Because our religious roots can often be traced back to our parents, and because religion is often a part of our family tradition, this thrilling sensation of independence often prompts students to either abandon or challenge their religious faith (or the outward display of it, at least).
This is an excerpt from an ABC News article from 2005 entitled, "Are Students Losing Their Religion on Campus?"
From the day she was born, Ashley Parrish was taught to put God first in her life. She attended a Christian school, did missionary work in Mexico, and gave youth sermons at her local church -- then she left home for her freshman year of college.
"When I came to college I was so excited to get out of the bubble that I'd been in, in high school and in my family, and i just kind of went crazy," Parrish said. 2
It's not always a yearning for independence that drives students away from their religious service. In many cases, it's the college lifestyle - the drinking, partying, sexual promiscuity and perhaps even drug use. Even the Bible speaks of "youthful lusts" (2 Timothy 2:22). For young people whose conscience has been trained by their religious upbringing, the guilt and shame alone could keep them from showing up at church on Sunday morning.
Or maybe they convince themselves that this is their time to "sow their wild oats." They'll get back to God in a few years once they've had their fun.
Finally, it could very well be that college students who abandon their faith do so because they are philosophically challenged by their exposure to other religious and philosophical worldviews. As someone who ministers on the local university campus, I've talked to many young people who blame their departure from religion on the scientific evidence they hear for evolution, or the teachings of a philosophy or "religious studies" professor who reduces Christianity to an antiquated superstition that has outlived its purpose.
Again, I'm not saying that universities rob students of faith or spirituality. In fact, there are some studies which show that folks who go to college are more likely to retain their religious faith than those who don't go to college. 1 Even still, there can be no doubt that college students face many challenges to their faith, with some even choosing to abandon faith altogether.
Hopefully, you can understand why this is a topic worth addressing. With so many college students questioning their need for God, or the role of God in their life, I'd like to emphasize five reasons that we need God. This will be the topic of my article on Monday.
Stay tuned.
Sounds like what you are trying "not" to say is that, education is robbing young people of their faith or spirituality.
ReplyDeleteThat's not at all what I'm saying. Did you read the article? :)
ReplyDelete