Walking Away From the Culture Wars?

By Rod Anderson, CP Cartoonist Thursday, January 30, 2014

"The Religious Right is dead," proclaim political analysts on both the conservative right and liberal left. Phrases like "Post-Christian America" and "Post-Evangelical culture" abound. Yet, a mere two decades ago, these accusations would have gone unspoken. Perhaps it is time to consider if something, indeed, has gone wrong within the Evangelical community.

It is true that a fast-growing separation between the traditional moral values of Evangelicals and their twenty-something kids – the Millennial generation – exists. An Evangelical identity crisis is certainly underway, but that does not mean it is time to write our eulogy just yet.

Evidence pointing to a fast-growing spiritual and moral decline cannot be ignored. Baptists are America's largest Evangelical bloc. Yet, many young Baptists are abandoning their traditional values, largely admitting that they no longer see church as a relevant part of their lives. During his remarks to the 2001 SBC Executive Committee, SBC Vice President at the time, T. C. Pinckney, made an astonishing admission. He stated that research revealed approximately 70 percent of teens involved in a Baptist youth group were leaving the church within their first two years of college.