joel osteen
Joel Osteen, the well-known pastor of Lakewood Church, America's largest church, expressed his opinion that the main reason Millennials (ages 18 to 29) are becoming less and less religious is various kinds of distractions. The mega-church pastor, along with other major Christian leaders explained their views on this issue by talking about the differences between the younger and older generations.
Pastor Osteen had referenced a survey done by Barna Group regarding the different opinions on religion and morality among different age groups. The key point that many leaders took from this research was that Millennials were much more likely than those older than them to view the Bible more skeptically. Almost 40 percent of people in this age group expressed that they never even read the Bible.
Roy Peterson, the CEO of American Bible Society that "American adults, young and old alike, overwhelmingly recognize a moral decline is taking place in the nation." At the same time, Peterson expressed his hope that they will eventually find the Bible as the ultimate solution to all their worldly problems and hardships.
Osteen also expressed that there is hope for the younger generation in the church, for there are still many Millennials who serve and worship faithfully, The mega-church pastor had this to say:
"Young people can see through phoniness, they are more skeptical," the pastor noted. "I think when they see true people of faith, and not just myself - there are plenty of them out there - it's not just about rules and religion, and joining my denomination, but it's about loving God and doing good for others."
