Teens Becoming "Fake" Christians

I came across an article on CNN about a study done on Christian teens. These teens were reported as being indifferent and apathetic towards God and inarticulate when sharing their Christian faith. The author of this article says that; American teenagers are embracing what she calls "moralistic therapeutic deism." Translation: A watered-down faith that portrays God as a "divine therapist" whose chief goal is to boost people's self-esteem. This type of false faith is what is causing more teens to leave the church. I have found that too often Pastors that only preach "feel good" messages to their congregation so that membership goes up and the people keep coming back for more. Instead what people are looking for especially the younger generation is for someone to stir up their faith and teach them how to become more passion about God. Christian teens are looking for substance when they come to church. Sure all the entertainment if fun, but when the fun is over what have learned? What good has the church become if we are only here to make each other feel good, if we have not made an impact for the Kingdom of God. We don't want our sins called out for what they truly are; what we want is a quick fix to the problem. This type of attitude comes from the parents and the leaders of the church community. Parents are displaying an apathetic attitude towards God and Christian living and their children are learning and imitating what their parents are doing. If we continue to live like this are teens will crumble under the pressure of society and the world at large. Because of this "feel good" mentality when life throws a curve ball at today's teens which happens often, they feel as if God has left them and they think; what is the point of it all? If parents exercise their faith in front of their children they will know that this relationship with God does work and when things don't go as planned He is still there for you. Parents, church leaders and the community need to work together to teach the young people what being a Christian really means, having a relationship with God and what living like a Christian looks like. this way our teens will have a passion for Christ and the things of God, and when they are confronted about their faith, they will have a definitive, articulate answer.

~1 Peter 3:15-16~ "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But 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."