By Hemant Mehta, Special to CNN

 

(CNN) – Articles and books about why millennials are leaving Christianity often focus on what churches are doing "wrong."

 

They're anti-gay, anti-women, anti-science, anti-sex-education and anti-doubt, 
to name a few of the most common criticisms.

 

I don't disagree with those critiques, but there's another side to the story.

 

While Christians have played sloppy defense, secular Americans have been showing off some impressive offense, giving young Christians plenty of reasons to lose faith in organized religion.

 

For instance, atheists dominate the Internet, rallying to thriving websites and online communities in lieu of physical meeting spaces.

 

Even a writer for the evangelical magazine Relevant admitted that “While Christianity enjoys a robust online presence, the edge still seems to belong to its unbelievers.”

 

Christians can no longer hide in a bubble, sheltered from opposing perspectives, and church leaders can't protect young people from finding information that contradicts traditional beliefs.

 

If there's an open comment thread to be found on a Christian's YouTube video or opinion piece online, there's inevitably going to be pushback from atheists.

 

There has also been a push by atheists to get non-religious individuals to "come out of the closet" and let people know that they don't believe in God.

 

Among other things, this proves that anti-atheist stereotypes aren't accurate and, just as important, that atheists aren’t alone in their communities.

 

But more than anything else, atheism's best advertisements may be the words of Christian leaders themselves.

 

When Pastor Mark Driscoll belittles women, Rick Warren argues against same-sex rights or Rob Bell equivocates on the concept of hell, we amplify those messages for them - and it helps us make our point.

 

A 2012 study by the Public Religion Research Institute (PDF) showed that many Christians aged 18-24 felt that Christianity was hypocritical (49%), judgmental (54%) and anti-gay (58%).

 

In addition, Christianity Today reported last year that fewer than half of born-again Christians under 35 opposed same-sex marriage.

 

For instance, there's been talk of finding a better way to reconcile science and religion. Whenever that battle takes place, religion loses.

 

There are some questions we may never know the answer to, but for the ones we can eventually answer, the scientific explanation will devour the religious one. Mixing science and religion requires a distortion of one or the other.

 

Why are millennials leaving church? Try atheism ? CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs

Lots of interesting points, in short, the Jeannie is Out of the Bottle.

Well the Pope said they would still go to heaven even if they were Atheist, so I guess they have no worries.

Well the Pope said they would still go to heaven even if they were Atheist, so I guess they have no worries.

 

Not my area of expertise but the Pope seems to be making some interesting business decisions recently.

Hey, when you have some "Christian" sects, preachers, evangelists, etc. preaching things like there is no hell don't worry, some even saying there really isn't a Heaven, some disregarding the Bible almost totally...no wonder there are some confused people out there.

Well the Pope said they would still go to heaven even if they were Atheist, so I guess they have no worries.

 

Who has the worse job at the Vatican right now: Archbishop Muller, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; or Fr. Lombardi, head of the Vatican Press Office? Both of them are in charge of ensuring that the proper teachings of the pope and the Church get to the ears of the people for whom they are intended. Neither one seems to be having a very good month.

Hey, when you have some "Christian" sects, preachers, evangelists, etc. preaching things like there is no hell don't worry, some even saying there really isn't a Heaven, some disregarding the Bible almost totally...no wonder there are some confused people out there.

 

That is in part what I mean about the Jeannie being out of the bottle.

 

The Internet and Science will consistently point out all the inconsistencies.

 

We are at the tip of the Iceberg but this is the beginning of the end.

The Pope isn't doing anything the Church hasn't advocated for 2,000 years. The media just has a clever way of cutting and bending the snippets they want to use, without providing the true context. As for this article, obvious a lot of pro-atheist propaganda. Faith does not "lose" to science every time. Anyone who has studied Thomas Aquinas or more recently, Thomas Spitzer, Michael Heller, or Nobel Laureate Arno Penziashat would know that there is overwhelming evidence for a created universe. Also, faith goes beyond science, to explain not just the "what" and "how" of creation, but also the "who" and "why." Faith and science are apples and oranges and exist in parallel. Neither has any need for the other to exist.

 

By the way, you know that guy who first proposed the idea of "The Big Bang"? He was a Catholic priest.

That is in part what I mean about the Jeannie being out of the bottle.

 

The Internet and Science will consistently point out all the inconsistencies.

 

We are at the tip of the Iceberg but this is the beginning of the end.

 

I guess my point was, true Biblical Christians call these guys out as they aren't teaching true Christianity. They are trying to be popular or grow their church in anyway they can so they preach what they think people will want to hear and tolerate better. People, especially younger people today, don't want to be held accountable and some teachings will tell them they don't have to be or aren't.

We are at the tip of the Iceberg but this is the beginning of the end.

Absolutely not! For those who want it to be the end, they will find their end. For people of faith, who also approach their faith with logic and reason, there is no end.

Absolutely not! For those who want it to be the end, they will find their end. For people of faith, who also approach their faith with logic and reason, there is no end.

 

We obviously will never agree on this and I am good with that.

 

In short, I mean we are at a period in time where so information is available there will be a lot more "Free Thinking." And I said the beginning, 50 or 100 years from is what I had in mind for the "end."

I think theguru's point regarding the "beginning of the end", means that as religious people die off, american society will become less and less religious. Logic will overcome religious ignorance.

I think theguru's point regarding the "beginning of the end", means that as religious people die off, american society will become less and less religious. Logic will overcome religious ignorance.

 

Correct!

I think theguru's point regarding the "beginning of the end", means that as religious people die off, american society will become less and less religious. Logic will overcome religious ignorance.

Calling religion ignorant is ignorance in itself. That's how those who choose not to see the bigger picture rationalize their narrow view of creation. There may be some religious beliefs that are not based in reality, and could therefore be considered ignorant. But there is also a heck of a lot of logic and reason bolstering many other religious principles.

That is in part what I mean about the Jeannie being out of the bottle.

 

The Internet and Science will consistently point out all the inconsistencies.

 

We are at the tip of the Iceberg but this is the beginning of the end.

 

Of organized religion? Christianity? What?