Why are Young People Rejecting Religion?
by David Robertson, ASK:
Part 1 – Seven Deadly Myths about Christianity.
Prejudice is harmful. Lies destroy. Ignorance demonises. Most normal people will recognise how true that is. When people making sweeping judgements such as ‘Jews are greedy bankers, gays are paedophiles, Muslims are terrorists’, they not only reflect their own prejudices but do harm to other human beings.
I would hope that before condemning others as prejudiced, ignorant liars, we would look at our own hearts. Sometimes we need to take the beam out of our eye, before we take the speck out of others.
Whilst in our society some prejudices are considered so serious as to be named ‘phobias’, it appears that others are deemed to be respectable. I was reminded of this in reading an astonishing article by Nikki Gemmel in the Australian Magazine, entitled ‘Losing their Religion”. It’s been a long time since I have read such an unjust article – designed to stir up prejudice and it’s offspring, hatred. Almost every sentence contains a myth or misunderstanding – and the whole article drips with malicious meanness.
The article is a caricature of Christianity. It demonstrates Nikki’s schadenfreude, in her belief that young people in Australia are out to get Christianity; a Christianity which she equates with young women in Iran taking on the Mullahs.
I have no problem with Christianity being subject to scrutiny and legitimate criticism. After all, as followers of the truth why should we be afraid of any truth? But the trouble with Nikki’s article, is not that it contains no grain of truth, but that, like many caricatures, it distorts that truth so that a completely false picture is presented.
(Part 2 is here)
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