Jesus\u2019 parable, along with the historical rivalry between Shammai and Hillel, warns us that there are two types of religious people.<\/p>\n

The first type uses religion as a way to divide the world into \u201cus and them.\u201d As opposed to religion inspiring us to accept our neighbors and \u201cdo unto them as we would have them to do unto us,\u201d religion can easily influence us to be judgmental and condemn our neighbors. It\u2019s that type of religion that Millennials are fleeing from.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”16px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]But there\u2019s another way of being religious. The tax collector isn\u2019t concerned about accusing others. He doesn\u2019t even accuse the Pharisee of being an accuser. If I were the tax collector, I might have prayed, \u201cThank you God that I am not like that jerk of a Pharisee over there!\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead of using religion as a way to make himself feel better than others and accusing others, the tax collector only looks within himself. He explores the ways that he has failed[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”20240″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”olive-branch-bg-l”][vc_column][vc_column_text]to \u201cdo unto others as he would have them do unto him.\u201d He asks for God to be merciful to him so that he can be merciful to others.<\/p>\n

Religion and the Search for Authenticity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Millennials thirst for a spiritual community that is authentic. When churches spend their time condemning other groups of being \u201csinners,\u201d Millennials sense that they are being inauthentic. And they are right.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because religions shouldn\u2019t be in the business of dividing the world into who belongs and who doesn\u2019t belong; who is righteous and who is a sinner. If Jesus condemned anything, he condemned the human tendency to condemn others.<\/p>\n

If churches want the younger generations to feel like we belong, then churches need to stop being known for condemning others. Because that is inauthentic to our calling.<\/p>\n

Instead, we need to be known for following Jesus\u2019 command to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Jesus made no distinctions between our neighbors \u2013 for everyone is included in God\u2019s eternal embrace of love.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pastor Adam Ericksen poses the question “Why are younger generations leaving their churches?” and explores how Jesus would approach the situation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":20242,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4328,14],"tags":[4350,974,4349,73,99,4348,4347,4346],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n