http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/16/opinion/stepp-millennials-church/index.html?hpt=hp_bn9
“Republican conservatives should be worried. Evangelical churches that frequently support conservative candidates are finally admitting something the rest of us have known for some time: Their young adult members are abandoning church in significant numbers and taking their voting power with them.”
“Millennials” are mentioned in the article at length. For those who don’t know what a “millennial” is, “its oldest members are approaching age 30; its youngest are approaching adolescence.”
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1437/millennials-profile
One of the things I find amazing is the number of people and their families at the hospice for whom religion seems irrelevant. I would guess 18 or 19 out of 20 patients discourage visits from clergy. I think in a large family there are one or two or three family members who appreciate talking with a chaplain so their presence is more widely felt. And those who are religious are devout. I’ve seen a couple of examples of that.
The chaplains seem to have a limited repertoire; “Very shortly you are going to be reunited with your mother, father and so on. You’re going to meet Jesus.” The threats of a lifetime seem to be irrelevant, I’ve never heard of any one being condemned to Hell. They are all going to Heaven. Just once I’d like to see that. ”Harry, you always were a blasphemous, philandering son-of-a-bitch, alcoholic wife-beating bastard who was mean to his kids. You didn’t give one dime of your fortune to the Church, didn’t show up Easter, or Christmas, ignored our fund-raising appeals. We begged you to support a missionary to Angola, and build an addition to the nave, or even simply another bathroom for the pastor’s house. All you ever said was to go screw ourselves. And now you are going to rot in Hell, forever. Hah! And you won’t even be the richest man in Hell. You’ll be poor, poor, poor and I hope you remember why. And now excuse me, I’m supposed to pray for your soul.”