Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Warren: Young Adults Not Interested in After Life

From page 165 of The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren (1995 Zondervan)
Young adults, for example, have different hopes and fears than retirees. A Gospel presentation that emphasizes the assurance of heaven as the benefit of salvation will probably be ineffective in ministering to a young adult who thinks he has his entire life in front of him. He's not interested in the after life. He's consumed with finding out if there is any meaning or purpose to this life.
(emphasis mine.)

I, for one, am offended. Even as a teen I was quite interested in the existance of an after life. Granted I didn't believe one existed, but I was interested. I've posted the quote on a Frenzyboard because most of the people who frequent the site are under the age of 28, which I think would qualify them as "young adults," and I'm asking for a response. I've also contacted some friends, believers and unbelievers. Do they agree or disagree? Why? I'll be posting the responses.

Response: Bringing age into it...do elderly people care less about meaning in this mortal life because they are closer to death? They may actually embrace every hour, every day more fervently for that specific reason, while at the same time attending to their spiritual needs, and considering the 'next step.' I know for me, personally, as a young adult, while I struggle every day with the meaning of life, along with it I am constantly debating the idea of an afterlife and how it may relate to my existence now.

No comments: