There was a troubling recent story in Christianity Today that reveals many churches are failing the call to be in the world, but not of the world. It seems that most young Evangelical Christians now embrace cohabitation, living together before marriage. Most Evangelicals under the age of 45 have cohabited, or plan to do so in the future, or are open to the possibility.

A 2019 Pew Research survey found that 58 percent of white Evangelicals say they believe that cohabiting is acceptable if a couple plans to marry. In fact, a 2012 survey found that only 41 percent of evangelicals ages 18 to 29 disagreed with the claim that cohabitation was morally acceptable even if the couple had no express intent to marry. In other words, like the Pew survey, this General Social Survey found that 59 percent of Evangelicals were okay with living together for any reason, even if marriage is not imminent or a consideration.

While 84 percent of those with no religious affiliation cohabit before marriage, compared to 54 percent of evangelical protestants, most people who cohabit never make it to the altar. For example, among Evangelicals, only 49 percent ended in marriage. Some research shows that overall, only about 1 in 4 couples who cohabit make it to the altar. For those that do, the news is not much better. Far from being a “trial marriage” their rate of divorce is much higher than those who did not live together before marriage.

There is more than a practical problem here for people of faith. Living together before marriage is not something God approves of according to scripture. This is not an abstract teaching, or something only mentioned in passing. Sexual purity as an expectation, and the importance of marriage, is easily found throughout the Bible and a concept widely held in Christian circles for centuries.

You can read articles about what the Bible says here or here and lists of verses here.

This article was originally published by AFA of Indiana.

For the last few years the fastest growing group in religion are the “Nones.” Not the kind that wear black and white habits, but the kind that don’t identify with any religion at all. According to the American Family Survey they made up 35 percent of the population in 2018, up from 16 percent in 2007!

Meanwhile, in that same time period, Pew Research Center found that the number of adults who identified as Christians declined 13 percent to 65 percent, while members of non-Christian religions have grown “modestly.” What’s more, 44 percent of adults age 18-29 identify as Nones.

In today’s cultural and political climates, some would assume conservative young people might be more likely to question their religious roots, but the sharpest declines are in the more liberal denominations. Ryan Burge, from Eastern Illinois University, studied data released earlier this year by the General Social Survey. He told the National Catholic Reporter, “The rise of the religiously unaffiliated tracks closely with the decline of mainline Protestantism beginning in the early 1990s.”

Timothy Beal, professor of religion at Case Western Reserve University, wrote in a Wall Street Journal essay,

“What many Nones have in common is a tragically narrow understanding of religion—namely, that a religion is a fixed set of teachings and positions, and that to be religious is to submit to them without question. It is presumed that religion is authoritative, univocal and changeless, and that religious identity is essentially a matter of passive adherence.”

Sharing examples from his classes, Beal told how he has given his students opportunities to argue topics from the Bible using verses they believe support their points in mock trials. He found, “The students learned that there are intellectually responsible arguments by people of faith on all sides.”

Because of this he thinks while the number of Nones will continue to increase in the future, “What we need is sustained conversation in a context that allows and even welcomes different experiences and points of view,” said Beal. “When it comes to religion, Nones are almost never nothing at all.”

“Christian parents and grandparents must become aware of the times and understand how vitally important it is to teach a Biblical worldview to our families,” says IFI’s David Smith. “It is not sufficient just to attend church services a few times a month. Having our children firmly anchored in the Christian faith requires that we teach God’s Word every day (when possible) and take advantage of current events and pop culture to discuss relevant issues through a traditional Judeo-Christian lens.”

Smith continued, “Scripture commands and warns us to impress upon our children and grandchildren a love of the Lord (Deut. 6:4-9; Mat. 28:19-20; Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:4; Ps. 78:2-4).  Make no mistake, the godless left are working overtime to disciple our children and everyone else’s. If we don’t take our job of passing down our faith, others will gladly fill the void, and are already doing so.

Smith cites Luke 6:40 as a warning:

“A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.”

“That is the bottom line,” cautions Smith. “Do we know who’s teaching our children?”

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