Why young people leave the church?

Question

catholic church

Answer 1

I'm not Catholic, but I can tell you why I stopped going to church in college. The main reason is that my church didn't have anything for me to do. The children had TeamKid. The youth had TM412. The older adults had their group. The seniors had their group. There was absolutely nothing for a college kid to do. There wasn't even a Sunday school class for us. And our church was right on the doorstep of a community college. They could have had more college kids than they could handle if they just tried! So, for a while, I didn't go to church. Then, I found another church that has a great college program. Now, I attend a church that has a wonderful group for "career singles" - people who are out in the workforce establishing careers and are still single. I think too many churches do young adults a great disservice by assuming that the college crowd and young unmarrieds don't want to go to church. Sure we do! We just don't want to hang out with the little old ladies, the young marrieds, or the youth group. We want to hang out with people going through the same experiences we are and have classes that are relevant to our lives, just like everyone else in the church.

Answer 2

"Young people" stop going to church because they just don't believe! Its the happy truth that young people are questioning the church more and more. Gone are the days when schools would scoff at things such as evolution and dinosaurs living before humans. Young people are seeing that the church is teaching things that directly contradict everything in modern science and are choosing to lead the future of science rather than dwelling in the stone age. I get you, I was once a catholic and my family made me go to church every Sunday and I hated it. It wasn't the church, the priests molesting children, or the 17th century thinking that got me to leave, it was the youth group. If the people in that group had looked at a modern day science textbook they would have fainted. We were told never to question anything the church did. So to answer your question young people are realizing that the weight of proof falls on religion in general and many are leaving because of it. You will most likely not listen to a word of this because, as House put it "If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people."

Answer 3

There are a few reasons~

1) Church is usually monotonous. It's a set of repeating rituals. It doesn't sound all that celebratory. When I was a Catholic, this was something I didn't like. There was little singing, and the singing didn't sound joyous. Everyone sounded like they were dead.

2) The Priests and church-goers are monotonous when they speak. "Amen" and "Praise be to the Lord" end up sounding like they were coming from zombies. If the Priests put more zest into what they said, and sounded excited and interested, they may keep younger members of the Church.

3) What's preached. Different Catholic Churches focus on different things. Teaching kindness and love with scriptures, and tying them into recent events usually is the best way to go when trying to keep younger parishoners.

Well. That's my opinion. But I'm just a Pagan.


- 17 yo Pagan

Answer 4

There are probably a lot of reasons. I left the catholic church because it was my parents faith and my parents beleif not my own. I need more of interpersonal fellowship which I did not received from my parish. In addition I was in a church where everyone knew my business and my problems and I needed to have a new beginning and a fresh start. In addtion I need to be in a church where Jesus was first not good works not the saints and you cant buy you way to heaven it is a free gift from God because Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
I also felt that church ( not all catholic churches are like this) was punishing and oppresive and that is why I left and I never looked back and I am truly happy.

Answer 5

I can't answer for the Catholic church, but the small fellowship that I attend is over 50% youth. We're loving those kids because they're on fire for Jesus!

If kids are leaving the Catholic church, perhaps it's because there is no inspiration for them there.

Answer 6

I think for many young people the ritual seems empty. There is also the dynamic of the Catholic Church seeming to dictate people's beliefs, and insisting on outdated ideals and morals, i.e. birth control. I know in my own denomination young people have left because they find our more traditional worship unsatisfying.

Answer 7

The Catholic church started in Rome the real church started
in Jerusalem. Read the bible. Read about the sower the
parable about sowing a seed then your question will
be answered.

Answer 8

Because my peers are have been raised to become relativist assholes who care more about which Church makes them feel good than which Church is intrinsically the Church built by apostolic succession!

Answer 9

They are not spiritually fed at the Catholic church. : )

Answer 10

church became boring,to serious,bible scaring item.
young people fail to realize,the historical,moral and cultural value in
church going,regardless being there a cross ou not.