Why is skepticism of religion so prevalent today?

Response

Religious skepticism should not be confused with outright atheism or irreligion, although atheists can be considered one type of religious skeptic. The religious skeptic may simply be someone who has serious doubts or who is noncommittal toward religion. Actually, religious skepticism is nothing new. The famous skeptics Nathaniel (John 1:45-47) and Thomas «The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. », (John 20:25) were disciples of Jesus who had their doubts. Yet it does seem today that religious skepticism is growing more prevalent.

Many things have contributed to the rise of religious skepticism. One is the culture at large. For more than a millennium, the ethos of Western culture was “Christian”; that is, the Judeo-Christian worldview was respected and taught, even if it was not always lived. That began to shift during the Enlightenment (also known as the Age of Reason) in the early 1700s and continued during the Industrial Age, a time when man knew no obstacles. The cultural change accelerated in the modern and now postmodern age due, in part, to the influx of many different cultures and ways of thinking.

David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, writes in his book unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity . . . and Why It Matters, “Many young Americans say life seems complicated—that it’s hard to know how to live with the onslaught of information, worldviews, and options they are faced with every day. One of the specific criticisms young adults frequently make about Christianity is that it does n

They do not offer profound, reflective, or stimulating answers to life in a multifaceted culture.” In essence, they perceive the Bible’s responses to cultural matters as overly simplistic. Society is too “sophisticated” to heed the “outdated” values of the Bible. They dismiss fundamental explanations like “because the Bible says so,” and they overlook—maybe they have never been instructed—that there are deeper rationales underlying the Bible’s directives.

Another factor contributing to contemporary religious doubt relates to the followers of religion. Regrettably, some religious individuals are unethical, deceitful, or simply unkind. Some skeptics have encountered negative encounters with religion previously. According to the Barna Group, the primary reason for the rise of religious skepticism among Millennials (those born between 1985 and 2002) stems from personal interactions with “Christians” who behaved in a manner contrary to Christian principles. Religious hypocrisy has disillusioned and alienated many from the faith that once united the Western world.

Any absence of Christlike attitudes and behaviors among professing believers indicates a deficiency in personal change. We are called to emulate Christ. However, many Christians concentrate more on immorality in the culture than on self-righteousness in their own hearts. They miss the essence of Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” The crucified life counters hypocrisy.

Another element fueling religious skepticism today is an excessive reliance on empiricism. Individuals who demand everything to be “proven” beyond any doubt will naturally harbor doubts about spiritual truths, which cannot be measured, analyzed, or experimented on in a laboratory. Ironically, many religious skeptics embrace as undeniable truth the theory of naturalistic evolution, which has never been proven, while rejecting the firsthand testimonies of Jesus’ miracles in the Gospels.

Religious skepticism can also arise from a wish to give fair consideration to all religious beliefs—and being perplexed by the cConflicting beliefs arise from the various religious systems. One group presents a certain view of Jesus, while another group expresses the opposite. Some groups do not focus on Jesus at all, opting instead for a charismatic guru, a cerebral philosophy, or an oddly shaped rock. This situation can understandably lead to skepticism. When combined with the widespread acceptance of postmodern relativism, it is no wonder that there are numerous religious skeptics today.

Intellectually grounded religious skepticism, by itself, is not negative. In reality, healthy skepticism is beneficial—we should be cautious of false teachings, as we are instructed to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). A robust and enduring faith allows for questioning and seeking answers. God can withstand our scrutiny, and doubt does not necessarily mean disbelief. God invites us to “come…reason together” with Him (Isaiah 1:18).

We are advised to “be wise in the way [we] act toward outsiders” (Colossians 4:5; see also 1 Thessalonians 4:12 and 1 Timothy 3:7), and we should engage skeptics in conversations that lead to truth. The apostle Peter encourages us to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).fear: », (1 Peter 3:15). He immediately follows that command with instruction on how to engage the questioner: “Do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter 3:15-16). Humility and respect are essential when dealing with skeptics in our postmodern age.