WHY STUDENTS WALK AWAY FROM CHRIST

Why students walk away from Christ… and what can be done about it!

By Chuck Edwards

Decline in student spirituality

When it comes to the spiritual life of college students, the statistics are not very encouraging. According to a recent study by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, after three years in college, the number of students who frequently attend religious services drops by 23 percent.[1] The study also confirms that 36 percent rated their spirituality lower after three years in college.

Another study, the "College Student Survey," asked students to indicate their current religious commitment. Comparing the responses of freshmen who checked the "born again" category with the answers they gave four years later, we find that up to 59 percent no longer describe themselves as "born again."[2] That's a fallout rate of amost two-thirds!

The numbers of students who no longer claim to be "born again" actually vary depending on the type of school they attend. For example, students at public universities drop out of the "born again" designation at the rate of 27 percent. Protestant colleges show 31 percent fewer "born agains" by their senior year! Those attending private (secular) universities indicate a 45 percent decline. And interestingly, Catholic colleges have the highest percentage, where 59 percent no longer call themselves "born again."

Even on colleges associated with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, 7 percent of "born again" freshmen renounce that description by their senior year! However you factor it, these are significant numbers!

Increase in liberal Professors

These statistics validate that many students fall prey to the anti-Christian rhetoric of their professors. That most professors disdain Christianity is affirmed in the March, 2005 issue of the Washington Post. Quoting from a recent survey of college faculty, the article notes that 72 percent of professors and instructors in colleges across the U.S. are liberal.[3] That's a marked increase from just 20 years ago, when those who identified themselves as liberal was only 39 percent. This, also, is in sharp contrast to a Harris poll which found that only 19 percent of the general public describe themselves as liberal.[4]

The Post article goes on to report that 51 percent of college faculty rarely or never attend church or synagogue, 84 percent are in favor of abortion, 67 percent accept homosexuality, and 65 percent want the government to ensure full employment! No wonder students are bolting from a commitment to Christian ideas; they simply believe what they are being taught.

Reversing the trend

There is one bit of encouraging news coming out of the UCLA survey: after three years in college, 20 percent of students rated their spirituality higher. This indicates that at least some students are being helped through campus ministries, the remnant of Christian faculty, and organizations like Summit Ministries.[5]

What can we do as parents, educators, and church leaders to keep our young people from dropping out of church or converting to the "no longer born again" category?

First, we must understand that the battle is for the hearts and minds of students. For too long many churches have been content to focus on the emotions, shying away from a serious discipleship of the mind. Yet, Jesus said that loving God involves both heart and head (Matthew 12:29-30). And Paul, in Romans 12:1-2, insisted that serving God involves renewing the mind.

Second, our teaching should revolve around the fact that Christianity is a robust faith, and when it comes to life's most pressing issues, we have answers that are superior to all other philosophies. As the Apostle Paul put it, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ."[6]

And third, we must teach students that Christianity is a comprehensive world and life view. This means explaining the reality of God's truth in every area: from philosophy and science, ethics and economics, to psychology, sociology, law and, yes, even politics. In this way, no matter what course a student takes, he or she will be able to discern when the professor is presenting an anti-biblical bias.

That is why Summit Ministries has been offering two-week summer conferences for students for over 45 years. Students consistently tell me, "These two weeks have changed my life!" And we receive emails and letters detailing how these students are able to handle almost anything their liberal profs can throw at them. Information about Summit's unique worldview training can be found at www.summit.org.

With biblically-based convictions firmly etched in their minds, Christian students will be prepared to stand firm against the deceptive worldviews of our day. With this kind of preparation, the downward spiral of spirituality can be reversed, and when future surveys are taken, more students will respond on the positive side of the spiritual ledger.

Note: This article originally appeared May, 2005 in Summit Ministries' Truth and Consequences, a monthly e-commentary (http://summit.org/resource/tc/). For more about Summit Ministries' unique worldview training conferences for students and adults, go to http://summit.org.

Endnotes:

By Chuck Edwards Email: chuck@summit.org Click here for bio and archived articles

BOATS HELICOPTERS AND JESUS Posted On: 04/21/07 02:24:17 AM Age 63, OH Hi Kevin; I will try to be careful how I state this so please read carefully. Jesus is everything and is all sufficient. He is the Creator of all and the source of all good things. There is nothing that he can not give anyone who seeks Him. There is nothing good that he would not give to anyone who seeks Him. He is able to do a work within us and not without result. If we are not willing to do what He wants us to do Jesus is able to make us willing if we are willing to be made willing. There is nothing that He can not do and there is nothing that He will not do to help those who want to serve Him. JESUS IS EVERYTHING THAT ANYONE NEEDS. Try to humor me here and stay with me till I am through. At the same time there is the story of the man in the flood who was stranded on a roof. A boat came by, a helicopter came by, and the man kept saying that He was trusting in Jesus to save him. Well he was killed in the flood and in heaven asked Jesus why Jesus did not save him. Jesus said I sent a Boat that you would not get in , so I sent a helicopter and you would not get in that, so I thought you must want to come home. All we need is Jesus, but we are to treat all His gifts with respect. Anyone who has Christ has all of His gifts that Jesus desires to give Him for he has the giver of the gifts. Jesus will see that we get all that we need if we seek Him. Seek Jesus and all these things will be added unto you. We need to be equipped, and Jesus has appointed apostles, prophets, etc. But the job of these men is to teach us to go to the QUARTERMASTER JESUS. The QUARTERMASTER has all the equipment we need. The Church, ministers, gifts, etc are all gifts from Jesus, so if we have the giver we have everything. We have everything but we do not use everything or even sometimes know that we have everything. I say this in all the earnestness that I possess. If a tornado is bearing down on me, I am not in danger. I might feel in danger but I am not. If I turn to Him or if time is not adequate,and do not have time to even turn to Him. I can speak to that tornado and it will turn away, IF HE TELLS ME TO SPEAK TO IT. I know this is true because it happened to me and it turned right before my eyes. I was amazed but Jesus was not. If a father gives his son a gift, he is pleased if the son treats the gift with much respect and is thankful to him for the gift. But he is not pleased if the son starts to look to the gift and look to the father. Here is some wisdom that I read today that I think you will like.He that begins by loving Christianity better than truth will proceed by loving his own sect or church better than Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all. ... Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1824) Thank you so much for your kind reply. Lou lounewton1347@yahoo.com If you contact me at this address I have some worthy things that the Holy Spirit showed me that I will send you. Re: Re: Re: MINISTRY IS NOT THE ANSWER Posted On: 04/19/07 10:23:50 AM Age 36, MI Lou, I tend to think that we are kindred thinkers who are used to different slants on the phrases we use. When I say "'anyone who has Jesus has everything and lacks not one thing' is inaccurate and not scriptural", I do not in any way mean this in terms of 1)salvation, 2)existence. Salvation is ONLY through Christ. Our very existence is ONLY through Christ. You ask: "My question: can you list one situation anyone, who truly has Christ and turns to Him for help,can be in and lack anything." I would respond that scripture tells us things such as "desire the greater gifts" (1 Corinthians 12:31). Scripture also orders us not to forsake gathering together (Hebrews 10:25). Scripture also says that Pastors, Evangelists, etc. are to equip the saints (Eph 4:10-12). The very definition of equip is to give resources that would not otherwise be available. So how can we be told to equip someone if they already have everything. II Timothy 2:2 tells us to teach things who can teach others (again passing things on to those who don't have them, and the context of II Timothy 2:2 is not in regard to sharing the gospel with unbelievers). Now if you include those things in "having everything in Jesus" then I would agree with you that anyone who has Jesus doesn't lack anything, but most people I know who are "Jesus only" (to coin a phrase, which I in no means mean as offensive) take an attitude that says they do not need to grow or learn from other believers. These people (and I assume since we are conversing that these descriptions do not apply to you) tend to, in reality, rely more on their own interpretation of facts than on scripture because 'Jesus showed me the truth, so if you disagree you are wrong.' Your reference to 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 is an encouragement, but its description of "having nothing, and yet possessing everything" does not imply that there is no more that can be added to our lives (or to Paul's life). Matthew Henery comments on this passage: "They were thought to have nothing, and silver and gold they had none, houses and lands they had none; yet they possessed all things: they had nothing in this world, but they had a treasure in heaven." (Note: in heaven, not yet possessed here.) In like manner, the Jamieson, Fausset, Brown commentary says: "for he possesses them all in Christ, his lasting possession, though the full fruition of them is reserved for the future eternity." So I agree with you when you say we have all things if you mean that we are guaranteed possession of them, but not if you mean we currently have them. Like you, I too have failed the Lord in more ways than I can count. My failure is NOT because God has let me down because he has promised us EVERYTHING (II Peter 1:4) but we have yet to fully claim the promises. As you say: "There is nothing except the Lord Jesus Christ He is all that there is." I can only agree based on two assumptions: 1) you include the body of Christ (the church) in this statement and 2) you include those God loves who will eventually join that body but have not yet. "I have met men who I thought were something and found that they were just like me. The only thing that they had was Christ." Amen, they are men like me, but that does not mean that God has not given them useful insight that I may not have. God may have chosen to use them as the conduit that His Spirit uses to teach me. As you say "So again anyone with Christ will have everything there is to possess but anyone without Christ will possess nothing," I agree. But I agree because of the verb tense you use: 'will posses' not 'possesses'. Often, it is the ministries of God through people in His church that He uses to lead us to these things. Kevin Re: Re: MINISTRY IS NOT THE ANSWER Posted On: 04/14/07 08:14:18 AM Age 63, OH Thank you for your kind response. I am encouraged that you agree. I want you to know that I was not accusing anyone in particular but just relating what I have seen and learned. You say the "anyone who has Jesus has everything and lacks not one thing" is inaccurate and not scriptural. I think this would be a good point of discussion as it could benefit both of us. My question: can you list one situation anyone, who truly has Christ and turns to Him for help,can be in and lack anything. Here is one of my favorite scriptures that I can say that The Lord has taught me is true; 2 Cor 6:10 "3We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything." There are many times that I have failed the Lord too many times to count; and in many situations I have felt that I was in lack. I did not want to admit it at the time but felt that the Lord had let me down. But now that the Lord was faithful to me who was unfaithful to Him I can see He was having mercy on me. He was teaching, purifying, and taking me to new heights that I did not deserve to go. He could have left me where I was at but He took me, sometimes kicking and screaming all the way, to a place where I have found the Lord Jesus to be everything that there is. There is nothing except the Lord Jesus Christ He is all that there is. I used to think that I was at least something, but have found that I am truly NOTHING. I have met men who I thought were something and found that they were just like me. The only thing that they had was Christ. Even in the physical we can only exist through Christ. So we are His creation and any man that learns that fact deep in his heart will live forever; but anyone who refuses to admit this fact will perish forever. So again anyone with Christ will have everything there is to possess but anyone without Christ will possess nothing. Lou Re: Re: MINISTRY IS NOT THE ANSWER Posted On: 04/13/07 10:14:39 PM Age 63, OH Thanks for your kind response. Notice that I did not say that you were guilty of these thing but I commented on what I see happening around me.I have been to many churches in my area and can not find one that I could be of any use or that I could get anything of value myself. I love Jesus and just want to go somewhere and see Him glorified in some way. But all I see is lies and errors preached. You say that the statement anyone who has Christ has everything there is to possess and lacks not one thing is incorrect. I would like you to show me one situation that anyone could be in that has Christ and turns to Him to save them that they could lack one thing. Peace Lou Re: Re: Why students walk away from Christ and what can be done about it! Posted On: 04/13/07 07:34:43 PM Age 36, MI This attitude saddens me, after all, where does it end? Do you work in a Christian only company? Should you only go to Christian doctors and only have fun at Christian parks? Most evangelism is done by new converts, not because they are better at it but because they still have non-Christian friends! Our culture has forgotten that we are still to be in the world whil not of it! As one called to reach college students, I am constantly praying and pleading for parents to send their spiritually strong children to secular places where they can impact the world in a way that a non-student never could. But it seems we send many of our best equipped warriors to the place where the battle is the least, leaving the hard battle lines to those not equipped to fight. It breaks me to tears, even as I type, to think of how many people have not been reached because someone was "safe" in a Christian School. Don't get me wrong...I think Christian schools are great for pursuing Christian oriented careers. As a seminary graduate, I obviously attended one! But if you are looking for a major in English, Math, Philosophy, Medicine, etc, why not take the time to equip yourself (through Summit Ministries, Focus On the Family's Truth Project, or even a year or two at a Christian College) and then go be salt in light in a dark and decaying world? Parents: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send me students who see school as more than education and socialization. Send me students who will see the college and university campuses as some of Americas neediest mission fields. (By the way, percentage speeking, there are many University Campuses that are less Christian that Budhist countries (Thailand), Hindu ones (India) or even Communist ones (China). Doesn't this deserve to be a mission field we target for the Lord???? Re: Re: Some right conclusions, but incomplete analysis! Posted On: 04/13/07 07:21:40 PM Age 36, MI I am sorry if I was unclear when I used the phrase "marginal/non-Christians". By saying this, I was unclearly grouping several sets of people. Set one is those who are non-Christians. Set two are those who are "Lone Ranger Christians" or marginal. Set three is those who have salvation but have never grown and are also, therefore, still on the margins. I cannot judge the salvation of someone in the marginal group, but I can say they are not in a healthy place. I agree the idea of "a little bit Christian" is false. I think you read my term to mean the people who might or might not be Christian and are standing with one foot on either side of the line. I was refering to two groups of people, the non-Christians who need to be shown their need to cross the line into salvation by grace through faith in Christ and the group who are close to the margin: who are fully Christians but have not moved away from that place and toward maturity in Christ. THANK YOU for pointing out that my language was not clear! Re: MINISTRY IS NOT THE ANSWER Posted On: 04/13/07 07:12:31 PM Age 36, MI I cannot agree with you more fully when you say that ministry is not the answer. In fact, that is part of what I think the problem has been, we have spent so much time ministering to high school students that we have never taken time to see if they have a relationship with Jesus and sent them to Him who is the Answer. When I say "helping to move them closer to God," I am using descriptive language that comes directly from scripture (Deuteronomy 28:2, Psalm 63:8, James 4:8). Of course no man can move anyone closer to God, but we can equip them with tools to read scripture, fellowship with the Lord, etc. that will move them closer. You say that, "If a person is a real Christian they have been shown to trust God to save them. HOW COULD THIS METHOD EVER FAIL." That is a very correct statement, but how many people falsely think that they can rely on something else and yet think they are Christians. It is a job of ministry to show them the truth about this. You then go on to say, "That is the whole problem; many of our churches are teaching people to trust in the church." I couldn't agree more, that is what is happening with the way things are done now. True discipleship is teaching them how to follow God (again a role of ministry). Paul said "follow me as I follow Christ". And the "things you have heard from me" that he mentions in II Timothy 2:2 are by no means limited to just issues of salvation...the majority of Paul's teachings are on Christian living. When you state that, "The only job of any man called of God to minister is to tell people to trust in Jesus to save them," you are unfortunately not seeing some of the very clear instructions that scripture gives to ministers. Ephesians 4:11-12 specifically tells us that our teaching is for the purpose of building up the church so that church members can minister. It is essential that part of this is trusting in Jesus, but there is still a need for spiritual growth. The church ministries can and should direct people toward growth. I agree that any ministry that doesn't say Jesus came in the flesh is not from God, but that does not mean that this must be the exclusive message! IF it were the exclusive message, how would anyone hear "Call on the Lord and you will be saved"? It is very sad to me, but also accurate with my assessment of the way church (especially youth work) is done that "No ministry has helped me stay with the Lord Jesus." Any ministry should be an extension of Christ's body that He uses to draw people to follow Him, if it is not guided and directed by Him it is not a valid ministry! Many youth groups are salvation by association...you make my point for me when you say "This is the problem; when someone has been shown that staying in fellowship will keep them; then they are bound to fail." True ministry is not association but is teaching people to be disciples. A natural part of this is staying in the assembly of the saints (Hebrews 10:25) While commonly believed, your statemnet that "Anyone who has Jesus has everything there is to possess and he lacks not one thing," is scripturally inaccurate. If it were accurate, we would not be commanded to "bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2). If one who is saved has everything, then why does Paul tell the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 3) that they need to be fed meat instead of milk. I love the comment that "If we show anyone this fact and they trust in Jesus to save them; they can go anywhere on this earth and God will keep them." My only question is "could he not use a ministry as His way of helping them?" Click here to reply to this post Re: Re: Some right conclusions, but incomplete analysis! Posted On: 04/13/07 06:45:44 PM Age 36, MI If you are a Christian, it deeply saddens me that you would not have the time or interest to share the good news about Christ. What more important could there be? Of course if you are not a Christian, there are much bigger problems than whether you share your faith. Of course it would be dishonest to inject irrelevant information into a classroom. I am offended that you are implying that someone who holds a motive of sharing Christ is by definition being "irrelevant". That is not what is meant by a platform. A platform is a job one does to the best of their ability to justify their presence in an environment for making relationships in a particular realm. But giving balanced views of truth is not injecting irrelevant information. (By the way, balanced does not mean PRO-Christian, it means balanced. Of course I will share what I believe, but that can only be justified OUTSIDE of class and outside of coercive situations. I am not an idiot!) As to getting a secular degree not mattering as long as you know your stuff...that is true in some fields and some institutions, but there are others (such as the field of religion) where, no matter what you know, it is often assumed that you will have a bias if you come from a religious institution. The new definition in these fields becomes a statement that defines certain attitudes out of "knowing what you are talking about". If you don't believe this, read some of the other articles on this site and have your eyes opened. I never said that I wanted to indoctrinate...I said I wanted a platform to be in the environment. In addition, many, many professors (if you read the above article) are indoctrinating, but for the wrong things. Indoctrination is part of the problem! Most students that I have worked with have not learned to think critically or independently in class, they have learned to parrot the politically correct party line and doubt that things like logic and authorial intent have any relevance. I don't know you, you may be a very good and unbiased teacher. I truly hope you are. But I also know that if you are, you are among a dying breed that I hope to see live. Oh, and I never said anything about teachers having lots of idle time, that is you reading into my post. But perhaps postmodern thinking has allowed you to concentrate more on your emotional response than on original authorial intent...a common malady in Western Education these days. Re: Why students walk away from Christ and what can be done about it! Posted On: 04/13/07 04:00:00 PM Age 75, NY At the risk of sounding pompous, like I have THE answer to this appalling problem, I offer that the major contributor to this problem is one that generally goes unrecognized. At least, it is not mentioned in the central article or any feedback. That problem is EVILUTION (misspelling is intentional). From formal teaching in the public school Biology classroom to being surrounded by the interjection of evolution in most nature programming and media articles, it permeates our lives and pollutes minds. It undermines the very foundation of our faith, Genesis, and has prominent theologians duped into acceptance or compromise, from the Pope to the apologists, theistic evolutionists. Mr. Edwards states quite accurately that the battle is for the hearts and minds of students. No one has recognized this better than the secular humanists and their recognition of the importance that evolution plays in capturing the hearts and minds of students. Not only have they recognized it, they have captured the classroom and have an exclusive foothold. Recent efforts to introduce Intelligent Design have brought focus on the problem but have also strengthened the resolve of evolutionists to the point of developing curricula down to and including kindergarten level! That is where the battle lies and, on this issue, Christians have fiddled while Rome burned. We have relinquished our hold on public schools and what is taught. Our solution seems to be one of avoidance by home schooling and developing Christian schools. But once these students are loosed into society, they are fair game for the evolutionists. And from the statistics mentioned in the article, they are winning, by a landslide!! Christians need to case their fiddles and head for the extinguisher. Re: Re: Why students walk away from Christ and what can be done about it! Posted On: 04/13/07 09:42:04 AM Age 44, NJ "It ain't no act...." "Either you is or you isn't..." Both of those are wise saying of a country preacher... they should be heeded... The "act like a Christian" part is the EVIDENCE of whose you are, the RESULT of a NEW CREATION. Heathens cannot be taught, MUST NOT BE TAUGHT, how to "act" like a christian - that only makes them FALSE CONVERTS. "Unless you forsake your violations of God's LAWS, your lies, your stealing, your lusting, you will go to Hell." THAT is the initial explanation all heathen need to hear... unless you explain that sin is violation of God's Law, make it clear WHY God is angry every day over their sins, then they will think the Cross offensive and the grace of God's mercy foolishness. How much clearer is that? Patrick J Burwell, OnlyJesusSaves.com