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Is Something Happening to our Youth?

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
That's making the word 'spiritual' utterly meaningless.The spiritual question about, say, career could be "what choice can I make that would make me a better human being more able to bring light into the world?". Maybe it's being a better farmer growing healthier food. Maybe a lawyer working for justice. Maybe an actor bringing insight into the human condition into a play.

Another way of looking at the word "spiritual" is:
“Anyone who has had a truly “spiritual” moment, a moment of breaking through our day-to-day reality and touching the divine, knows how difficult it is to communicate that experience to others— or even to recapture it later for ourselves." Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
There we go.

Do you think that the youth of today are loosing spirituality? Over 191,000 attending Fields of Faith in 2018 and that is just one effort among many.
Just because they don't look spiritual doesn't mean they aren't spiritual. Just because they make decisions for Christ that also doesn't mean they are more spiritual. It can be a mental assent to what someone says. It can be just someone reacting to social pressure. I personally see a problem because of the fact that there is social pressure to conform to people around you. When you go to college today you choose your crowd, and it may be the church people or the party people or it may be smaller groups. There's horrible gap between groups, and individuals feel pressured to pretend to be one or the other. Its very bad, and you have no idea who is or isn't spiritual according to which group they join -- so why pretend that you can make that determination. You have no idea based on who makes decision for Christ. You can't count the beans before the harvest, and what people say in a moment and what they think that they are going to do changes whimsically.
 

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I make you a solemn promise here -- the more people who engage in that kind of decision making, the more it will impoverish the world. Oh, whoever is left will be all gooshy spiritual, I'm sure, but they'll also be starving.
You are saying that applying good spiritual principles, those which benefit others and the world we share, to the choices we make in careers will lead to impoverishment? This is the stuff that makes a good, healthy society. What are you imagining, that thinking of your fellow human, supporting those with needs, doing good to those who you live with for the sake of an improved world, will impoverish society?

What has made you such a cynic in life? And furthermore, what you say is irrational. Societies are built on mutual cooperation.

Well, for the record, I do not accept the notion of "the divine." So I attribute that "experience" to the same sort of thing as I do dreaming. And everybody knows that dreams are just as difficult to communicate -- or even recapture.
The divine is that which is good. It doesn't need to look like a children's cartoon version of God. People need to grow up a little about that. Goodness is something real.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
seeking the spiritual side of life.

As in no longer seeking spiritual ideas?

I don't know. There still seems to be a strong interest in spiritual seeking, just maybe just not the traditional way.

Lots of different spiritual views still being investigated. Atheists still remain a very small minority. A little above 3%...

"Fields of Faith" seems geared more towards Abrahamic traditions.
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
As in no longer seeking spiritual ideas?

I don't know. There still seems to be a strong interest in spiritual seeking, just maybe just not the traditional way.

Lots of different spiritual views still being investigated. Atheists still remain a very small minority. A little above 3%...

"Fields of Faith" seems geared more towards Abrahamic traditions.
It is... but I think, regardless, people are spiritual in nature. I think in their hearts they know that mere man cannot bring the answers to all problems and thus seek a higher power. (so to speak)
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
those stats are a little old... 2009?
Agreed, although there's evidence the trend appears to be going downward.


gor religion.png


.
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
You are saying that applying good spiritual principles, those which benefit others and the world we share, to the choices we make in careers will lead to impoverishment? This is the stuff that makes a good, healthy society. What are you imagining, that thinking of your fellow human, supporting those with needs, doing good to those who you live with for the sake of an improved world, will impoverish society?
Well, you see, since nobody ever actually says what "spiritual" actually means, how was I supposed to know that it's all about what "benefits others." That's part of my philosophy, as a humanist, though I've never found that caring about others meant I needed to first believe in realms outside of me and those others.

So I care just as much about others as anybody else. I just don't seem to need to invoke some strange thing called (without ever being defined) "spirituality" to do so. And in fact, I have been witness to many, many examples of those who claim such "spirituality" have been very clear about their hatred for people who are not really quite like them.
What has made you such a cynic in life? And furthermore, what you say is irrational. Societies are built on mutual cooperation.
What is it that makes you think I'm a cynic? I'm a very caring humanist, and know -- possibly more than many of those here -- how cooperation is an essential part of human life. We are a social species, and all social species depend on mutual cooperation.

However, part of what we is also that we can also be selfish -- we can seek our own benefit over that of others, as some social species can't. Worker bees and soldier ants sacrifice themselves for the colony, pretty much involuntarily. We get to decide.

So we're complicated, conflicted.
The divine is that which is good. It doesn't need to look like a children's cartoon version of God. People need to grow up a little about that. Goodness is something real.
That is a nonsense statement. Good and bad are relative, and if some good happens to me (for example I inherit some money from a relative) does not make it divine, and if some bad happens to me (like getting hit by a car), likewise has nothing to do with lack of the divine.

Goodness is not "a thing." Goodness is what avails people, and for that reason it is 100% relative to that.
 
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oldbadger

Skanky Old Mongrel!
Do you think that the youth of today are loosing spirituality? Over 191,000 attending Fields of Faith in 2018 and that is just one effort among many.

Do you believe that spirituality is on the downturn? Or do you believe that because of today's increasing pressures on our youth is pushing them to spirituality for answers?

Spirituality?
Really?
All western youth has ever been fed with is a broth of heavy materialism laced with extreme hypocrisy, together with a well buttered slice of bigotry. No?

There may be a few folks who have lefty materialism and the hypocrisies of the World behind, but most will have been diagnosed as mentally ill and sectioned away, methinks.
 

Samantha Rinne

Resident Genderfluid Writer/Artist
And along with this observation, I would add that people seem to (conveniently) forget that they were youth at one point.

It's not really as simple as this. I remember growing up in a small town, being around kids, and actually trying to have relationships. I wasn't very good at it, mind you, but the youth of today seem to be very cut off from spirituality.

They see this world as just stuff. And they're caught up in this materialism of plastic toys and smart devices. You see this happening to their parents too. All this Kindle and Alexa crap (not ironically, I'm typing on a Kindle right now). When I was a child, church was a part of children's lives, now we have a bunch of brats who run around believing "we now know better."

I have looked at kids around my age who grew up without religion, and it's extremely sad. They see religion as some imposing high standard, never realizing that their own secular system places a brutal standard of success on their shoulders with no promise of grace or forgiveness. "Are you making enough? Are you are a racist? Are you :gasp: not a member of whatever group is politically popular right now? Are your kids in the best schools? Have you prepared for retirement?" And so on. There is an endless list of "not good enoughs." When they aren't spoiled narcissist types, the two non-religious friends I have that are decent seem to be crushed with depression , and 80% of it is basically trying to live up the standards of what they ought to be. Jesus was right, not having religion doesn't save you from sin, it traps you there!
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
Yes... but I'm talking about seeking spirituality... not membership in a church. (Side note: - there are thousands of small churches that are liked to the counter.)
Boy, I didn't see a thing about you "talking about seeking spirituality" in your OP. However I did see four questions:

1) Is Something Happening to our Youth?

2) Do you think that the youth of today are loosing spirituality?

3) Do you believe that spirituality is on the downturn?

4) Or do you believe that because of today's increasing pressures on our youth is pushing them to spirituality for answers?
And I just attempted to answer your first and third questions with a few stats. So what's going on, KenS? Changing horses mid-stream?

.
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
Spirituality?
Really?
All western youth has ever been fed with is a broth of heavy materialism laced with extreme hypocrisy, together with a well buttered slice of bigotry. No?

There may be a few folks who have lefty materialism and the hypocrisies of the World behind, but most will have been diagnosed as mentally ill and sectioned away, methinks.
Can't disagree with what is...

But, usually, after heavy materialism doesn't satisfy the inner soul, spirituality is the next step.

It's like Israel. They connected with God, prospered into materiality, forgot God, got into trouble, and then connected with God again.

A circle of life, so to speak.

Maybe they are reaching the point where they found that materialism doesn't satisfy?
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
Boy, I didn't see a thing about you "talking about seeking spirituality" in your OP. However I did see four questions:

1) Is Something Happening to our Youth?

2) Do you think that the youth of today are loosing spirituality?

3) Do you believe that spirituality is on the downturn?

4) Or do you believe that because of today's increasing pressures on our youth is pushing them to spirituality for answers?
And I just attempted to answer your first and third questions with a few stats. So what's going on, KenS? Changing horses mid-stream?

.
Not at all...

Opening the door of interaction. :D
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
It's not really as simple as this. I remember growing up in a small town, being around kids, and actually trying to have relationships. I wasn't very good at it, mind you, but the youth of today seem to be very cut off from spirituality.

They see this world as just stuff. And they're caught up in this materialism of plastic toys and smart devices. You see this happening to their parents too. All this Kindle and Alexa crap (not ironically, I'm typing on a Kindle right now). When I was a child, church was a part of children's lives, now we have a bunch of brats who run around believing "we now know better."

I have looked at kids around my age who grew up without religion, and it's extremely sad. They see religion as some imposing high standard, never realizing that their own secular system places a brutal standard of success on their shoulders with no promise of grace or forgiveness. "Are you making enough? Are you are a racist? Are you :gasp: not a member of whatever group is politically popular right now? Are your kids in the best schools? Have you prepared for retirement?" And so on. There is an endless list of "not good enoughs." When they aren't spoiled narcissist types, the two non-religious friends I have that are decent seem to be crushed with depression , and 80% of it is basically trying to live up the standards of what they ought to be. Jesus was right, not having religion doesn't save you from sin, it traps you there!
Must depend on the community then, as my observations differ.
 

viole

Ontological Naturalist
Premium Member
Can't disagree with what is...

But, usually, after heavy materialism doesn't satisfy the inner soul, spirituality is the next step.

It's like Israel. They connected with God, prospered into materiality, forgot God, got into trouble, and then connected with God again.

A circle of life, so to speak.

Maybe they are reaching the point where they found that materialism doesn't satisfy?

Israel connected with God again?
Maybe another God. For sure not the Christian one.

Ciao

- viole
 
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