More on Does It Matter? 

Also: Is personal evangelism tacky?

I have been asking myself some questions. I have been asking the same questions of some millennial type people in their 20s and now edging into their 30s. I have been puzzling over the growing number of those who say they believe nothing in particular. One senior at California Lutheran University says "I like the ambiguity of going without a label. I prefer to stress the importance of acting with compassion rather than choosing a predetermined system of beliefs."

I have been asking some questions. Does it matter what we believe? Or is benevolent ambiguity good enough? If so why does it matter? What is problematic about benevolent ambiguity?

Benevolent ambiguity sounds so benign, humble, noble and even possible. On the surface, lurking underneath however, is an arrogance, naïveté, and serious error. How dare we say that someone's faith is incorrect and wrong? That is a subject, closely related, that needs attention… Another time.

The "whatever", "nothing in particular", "benevolent ambiguity" faith is inadequate and incorrect because it has no foundation. The existence of God has everything to do with how we live and how we decide that which is right from wrong. If there is a God, higher power, some ultimate order to the universe, then any individual from their speck in the universe perspective is totally unqualified to decide that which is right and wrong, functional, or compassionate. If there is a God, and even most "nothing in particular" people believe there is a God or a higher power. In other words they believe in "something" that is transcendent, above them, and beyond their understanding. My thoughts are not as much focused on the atheist but rather on the large majority who do "believe" in some kind of God.

It is the height of arrogance to live in a universe believing that one person in isolation from the One in whom the Scripture says, " He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1), the same God who orders the incredible balance of the universe also rightfully provides order for the functionality of human behavior. Figuring things out as we go apart from a higher authority is totally inadequate.

Who says so? Observation clearly shouts out that humanity, left to self direction brings greed, domination, violence and anarchy. The human obsession with self interest is very real. As individuals left on our own it is impossible to avoid being conformed to  the patterns of the world that is around us. The admonition of Scripture is to "be not conformed to the patterns of the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12)  We choose what patterns we conform to and if we decide to make up the pattern as we go the reality of misdirection is inevitable.

Alone, on the road, without a map, GPS, or guide we will find ourselves lost. We need a GPS view, the look from above to find our way in life. As Bob Dylan says we gotta serve somebody. Every individual chooses whom they serve, if not God then some other higher power, or we become our own God rejecting the view from above.

What does this mean for we who call ourselves Christian? Call me an old fogey but I still believe in evangelism by living like Jesus, speaking of Jesus, and purposefully encouraging those outside of a relationship with the creator God that there is a better way. If that seems unchristian to you and we are coming from a different direction. But for those who can still buy this "old-fashioned" idea, our role is to prod those "unfaith" people around us to think about Godness. Help them consider the existence of a God who is over all. And if there is such a God how do we come to know him and live in harmony with his ways. If we can somehow believe that "benevolent ambiguity" is not good enough then the "love of God will constrain us" . We will want those we care about to know God.

I am now moving into a seminar on personal evangelism, which many in our day consider an outmoded perspective. But I still think that somehow we people of faith must in obedience to the scriptural call and as an expression of the love of God within our hearts, being used as the tools of God in seeing people come from unfaith to relationship with God through faith in Christ.

The fact remains that people are empty until they find their rest in God. This is something that is unable to be proven, but the people around us "know" this even if they don't know where to look for it. So maybe it is not as hopeless as it seems, to bring the "nothing in particular" people to faith. They are looking for God but don't quite know it yet. 

Does it matter ?

A USA Today article, October Nine, 2012 speaks of Rebecca Cardone, who grew up as a Methodist in Texas and is president of the student body at California Lutheran University. "But don't call her Protestant or even Christian", the article says she is one of the new "Nones" – atheists, agnostics, and folks who like her,  believe in "nothing in particular."

"I like the ambiguity of going without a label" she says. "I prefer to stress the importance of acting with compassion rather than choosing a predetermined system of beliefs." Those who believe "nothing in particular" are now number two in the USA, 19.6% and climbing.

Research by the Pew Forum says the increase of "Nones" is among men and women, those who do and don't have a college education, upper and lower income and urban and rural areas. 32% of the Millennials identify themselves as believing "nothing in particular."

The question we Christians face, and I believe the "None" demographic needs to address is, does it matter? Thomas Oord, Nazarene theologian, asks some questions. "Does the relative lack of religious affiliation by Millennials mean their views on same-sex marriage and the environment have not been properly nurtured by religious communities? To ask this question a slightly different way, the Millennials think more like Baby Boomers if they showed up for worship services more often?"

Or he says, "Should we think religious communities have not adapted well to the ethical convictions of Millenials? Could the views of Millennials represent a new form of authentic religiosity the congregations should be embracing?"

Doesn't matter what we believe? Or is ambiguity good enough? If so why does it matter? What is problematic about benevolent ambiguity? These are questions we must be addressing and I believe if we are to be evangelistic into the next generation, these are questions we must naggingly interject into our societal consciousness.

I am at the point of puzzling over this. Think about it!  What do you think? Why does it matter?