Quote:
Originally Posted by GrowingPains
No, I'm referring to the transition. Many die during this. Many casualties. I think even without the church's "rules", mommy and daddy have a huge role to play with household "standards" that they create as a home, and daddy does as the priest of the home.
It's the transition though that reveals fully the shallowness of what they thought was a deep relationship (not all, but many). They also begin to question everything from the existence in God to the credibility of their own family to have "been wrong this whole time." Their world is topsy-turvy. As a result, I've noticed many youth groups going through this not turn toward holiness, but turn to extreme carnality, flaunting their new liberties like a parade and creating a culture in the church that is not what the decision intended.
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This is typical of most young people growing up in legalistic churches. I am hearing stories from even liberal UPC and ALJC churches of youth who have no hope in anything. They feel like they are hellbound no matter what they do so why try anyway. As a former youth pastor in a UPC church I have youth contact me with their hopelessness frequently. This is the opposite of what the gospel should bring to the hearts of young people.