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Best-selling Christian author Lee Strobel says, "When I commissioned a national poll to find out how many Americans believe that God is real, I expected to find that young people would be among the most skeptical. While that turned out to be true, I was shocked to discover that their spiritual doubts are matched — or even exceeded — by the oldest Americans."
Be informed.
When I read Strobel's article, I was taken aback a bit. Years of pastoral ministry have taught me that Satan attempts to deceive all of us regardless of our age.
But the number of elderly people who do not believe---or at least strongly doubt that God exists, was shocking.
I want to quote some of what Lee Strobel said in his article, present his new book, and include, of course, some of my own thoughts.
This ministry is not compensated in any way for presenting this book to you. I felt in my heart I should share today. Perhaps it was just for you.
Personal circumstances and challenges can bring us to despair.
But God is real; He is faithful. He is in control. And He loves you. Be assured.
About Strobel
He is an influential best-selling author and he's on a mission to convince people God is real. Strobel wants to help believers and non-believers understand God's power and authenticity in his new book, “Is God Real.” This isn’t the first project Strobel has tackled in trying to lay out this question. In his New York Times best-selling book “Case for Christ,” Strobel, a former journalist, knew he was on a mission to help lay out facts for skeptics like he once was.
Strobel says, “I was trained in journalism. We used to have six deadlines at the Chicago Tribune. I'm deadline-driven. If I’m not on a deadline, I'm playing with my grandkids. I'm very much driven by when the project is due. This project was so life-giving. I was actually going through an era in my life where I was having some depression issues. I don't know why; I just felt very down. I started this project, and it lifted my spirits and reminded me that we serve a very real God.”
For Strobel, this project was personal to him, not only due to his battle with depression but also with long-term COVID-19.
He says, “Writing this book reignited me in many ways. Part of it fed the skillset God has given me to edit, write, and research. I love doing that. Focusing on the question, ‘Is God real?’ reinforced my life. Of course, he's real. Of course, he's there, and of course, he's undergirding and enabling me to do everything that I do. Of course, I’m going to spend eternity with him. It was a reaffirmation of my faith in Christ.”
Only half of senior adults believe God is real.
Strobel says, "When I commissioned a national poll to find out how many Americans believe that God is real, I expected to find that young people would be among the most skeptical. While that turned out to be true, I was shocked to discover that their spiritual doubts are matched — or even exceeded — by the oldest Americans."
The survey was conducted in conjunction with his new book, "Is God Real? Exploring the Ultimate Question of Life." It revealed that only half of seniors (51%) strongly believe that God is real, the lowest of any American age group.
Spiritual skepticism might be expected among Gen Z (born 1995-2009), which has been called the first post-Christian generation in America — and the survey bears that out. One-third of Gen Z doubt that God is real, with 10% expressing strong doubt and 24% indicating they’re somewhat doubtful. Just 66% of Gen Z somewhat or strongly believe that God exists.
More surprising is the skepticism of the so-called Elder generation (born pre-1946). I thought that as they approached the end of their lives, they would be more inclined to trust that God is real and that Heaven might await them.
Belief that God is real is the most robust among Gen X (born 1965-1980) and Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964). Among Gen X, 80% somewhat or strongly agree that God is real, while 79% of Baby Boomers agree. For Millennials (born 1981-1994), the number is 77%. Overall, three out of four American adults somewhat or strongly agree that God is real.
While nobody is suggesting that mass numbers of older Americans are turning to atheism, the results of Strobel's survey are concerning.
Why he wrote this book at this time.
First, he says “I met my wife when we were 14 years old in 1966. At that time, 98% of American adults believed in God; today, the number is 81%, the lowest in history. If you look at Generation Z, it's even higher. They’ve been called the first post-Christian generation. Twice as many members of Generation Z call themselves atheists as older people do. We face a culture of challenge, skepticism, and even hostility toward faith. We're seeing young people challenged in their faith in a way previous generations weren't. Many are unprepared to talk about why they believe what they believe. One of the reasons I wrote this book is for parents to help equip their kids to understand why our faith makes sense.”
Secondly, he says, “We have more social media. We have people on email, Twitter, and so forth, yet the youngest generations feel incredibly lonely. They have been through a season of turmoil from COVID-19 and other issues they’ve faced.”
However, Strobel believes God is moving in this generation and that we shouldn’t give up hope.
“People are looking up and saying, even in the midst of what we’re going through and have been through, there are real answers in Christ.”
Strobel believes even in times like this, God is not only still working and in control but remains the ultimate answer for such a time as this moment in American history.
Takeaway
“He’s the only answer. I know when times are hard, things are confusing, and trauma enters our culture, I cling closer to God.....So, as difficult as these days are, I pray it'll cause more people to seek out the one true God as the ultimate answer for the turmoil we find ourselves in and realize that God is real."
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Encouraged. Be Hopeful. Be Blessed.