Liberation theology is the serious attempt to deal with the social, economic and political status of man in the world. Liberation theology can be said as the theology of the oppressed or the voice on behalf of the oppressed. Liberation theology had a major impact in the world. Here author is trying to deal with the background, definitions, origin, theologians, characteristic, themes, nature and theological issues of liberation theology.
Background of Liberation Theology
Latin America was the cradle of Liberation theology and was the first to formulate a system on behalf of the downtrodden. So to understand the background of the Liberation Theology it is necessary to know the history of the Latin America.
Liberation theology is the consequence of the Iberian and European colonization. Iberian Catholicism was brought to America with the military conquest in sixteenth century. And with them came the Roman Catholic Church. (Smith, 205) Iberians implant Christendom in which church is the only a part at the service of the economic and political interest, represented by the king of Spain and Pope. The church established in America was truly for the political and economical benefit of the Pope and Spanish crown. (Nunez, 18) For four centuries church had a dominant role in the history of the Latin America. Societies were divided into many classes and at the church was the leaders of the both the church and the state. (Smith, 205) in the social class offspring of the leaders and the church captured the second level of the governmental positions; the third stratum was from the Spanish masses that is soldiers, merchants, farmers etc. and then came the Amerindians (American Indians) and the at the very bottom comes mestizos and Black. (Nunez, 18) There was much oppression on the Amerindians from the church as well as government.
There were few missionaries who had pity on these Amerindians and tried to help them and also were successful to some extend. Missionary like Bartholome de Las Casas, freed his African slaves and sought peacefully evangelize the Indians. For the poor, he is the Moses who pleaded to the king of Spain urging that they may free these oppressed people from Spanish rule. Even when there was the decline of the Spanish power in seventeenth century, the power of Roman Catholic Church increased. And so church supported the higher classes of the society and others were rejected by the church and at the same time by the government because church was the governing body of the society either. Injustice and oppression continued after the independence of the Latin Amerindians that is natives. (Nunez, 20)
Definitions of the Liberation Theology
Smith defines Liberation Theology as the
“Theological endeavor which sees God’s continuing work in the world from the viewpoint of the oppressed and understands that work to involve the reconstruction of persons and societies according to the mold of the Master” (Smith, 204)
Grenz and Olson defines Liberation theology as,
“The Theology of Liberation is rooted in a revolutionary Militancy” (Olson, 211)
And they also give the definition given by the native evangelicals,
“Liberation Theology is an allegedly biblical and profoundly christological quest for the genuine Christian orthopraxy. Such orthopraxy results from the juxtaposition of a critical reflection on the church’s pastoral activity and its historical interpretation in the light of divine revelation” (Olson, 211)
Origin of the Liberation Theology
There are number of crucial reference points for the beginning of the movement. In 1965, some third world bishops present at Vatican II issued a pastoral letter concerning the shame of endemic poverty in their respective dioceses. In 1966, the World Council of Churches convened an international conference to consider concrete issues of social injustice. In this same year Camillo Torres the Catholic priest died while fighting as the member of guerrilla group in Colombia. (Hart, 318) In 1968 the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America, gathering in the city of Medellin, Colombia, initiated a theological revolution. This was the second meeting of CELAM, the Latin American Episcopal Conference, often referred to as CELAM II. CELAM II is considered as the true beginning of ‘Liberation Theology’. North American Theologians of Liberation commented that CELAM initiated a revolution in American Church life and which marked in history of Latin America. (Smith, 210)
In 1971 a volume appeared and that became the textbook of the new movement. The name of the book is ‘Theology of Liberation’ written by a Peruvian priest and theology professor name Gustavo Gutierrez. This book dominated the theological circle of the 1970s. (Olson, 210)
Liberation Theologians
The movement of the Liberation Theology is widespread in all over the world. From every corner of the world theologians represent Liberation theology. Even though theologians have different cultural and religious background, it is observed that they have the spirit of unity in their thoughts. The prominent theologians of the Liberation Theology are Gustavo Gutierrez, Leonardo Boff, and Hugo Assmann of Brazil, Jose Miranda of Mexico, Juan Luis Segundo of Uruguay and Spanish Born Jon Sobrino of El Salvador. There were also few protestant Liberation theologians like Methodist Jose Miguez Bonino of Argentina. Out of all these theologians the most prominent Catholic Liberation theologian was Gustavo Gutierrez and in protestant circle was Jose Miguez Bonino. (Olson, 213)
4.1. Gustavo Gutierrez
Gustavo Gutierrez was born Lima in 1928 in relatively poor family. In 1959 he received his Ph.D. in theology from the University of Lyon in France and was ordained to the priesthood. He, because of his lectures and the important book from which the movement derived its name was considered as ‘Father of liberation theology’. Gustavo spent most of his time ministering to the poor parish in Lima and teaching theology and social sciences at the Catholic University in Lima. In 1960s he served as chaplain to the National Union Catholic Students of Peru and during this period he came in contact with the revolutionaries such as Che Guevara and Camilo Torres. His inspired books for the theology of liberation are ‘The Theology of Liberation’ and ‘The power of Poor in History’. He taught and lectured at seminars and universities around the world about Liberation theology and he was the main speaker in the conference of liberation theology and third world theologians. (Smith, 208)
4.2. Jose Miguez Bonino
Jose Miguez Bonino was born in Santa FE, Argentina, in 1924. His parents were Methodist. Although he was raised in a middle class family, he had many contacts with the poor people of Argentina and gradually gained a social concern that led to identity with socialism. He pursued at a protestant seminary in Argentina and received his licentiate in 1948. Later he studied at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and Union Theological Seminary in New York City, receiving his PH.D in 1960. In his book ‘Doing Theology in a Revolutionary Situation’ he deals with the basis of Theology of Liberation, calling the church to overcome with the attitude of privatization and join with the revolutionary struggle on the behalf of the poor. He played a major role in the protestant circle of the Liberation Theology. (Olson, 213-214)
Characteristics of the Liberation theology
The origin of the liberation theology was in Latin America but its impact was all over the world. This movement gave birth to the theologies like Black theology in South Africa Afro-American community, Minjung theology in Korea, Theology of struggle in Philippians and Dalit theology in India and so it is not a monolithic movement. According to Liberation theologians, Liberation theology is the theology of the Church, Hermeneutical theology and Biblical theology.
5.1.Liberation Theology is a Theology of the church
This theology is done by the committed people in the purpose to purifying the church of inauthentic social and cultural baggage, which has compromised its prophetic ministry to speak out against the injustice towards the oppressed people in behalf of them. It promotes the vision of a church which has given up its open or tacit support for political forces that resist the equalization of the power in society, a church that identifies with the suffering solidarity of Jesus Christ with outsiders. (Hart, 319)
5.2.Liberation theology is the Biblical Theology
Bible is regarded as the liberating text. Bible is considered as the appeal to as the guardian of dangerous, subversive memory of a new order inaugurated by Jesus, the Messiah that ends oppressions of all kinds, rights injustices, challenges social exclusions, warns against the personal accumulation of wealth and political dominance, reconciles enemies, demands the selfless service of others and meets violence with suffering. (Hart, 319)
The Exodus is interpreted as a paradigm of the liberation of an oppressed people and of the exile as an example of the consequence of idolatry in religion and injustice in society. The message of the prophets is directed largely to the rich and powerful, is seen as the warning of judgment. The Life of Jesus Christ is interpreted as a struggle against the forces that humiliate and exclude from normal society the exploited poor, women, children and the people of other races and beliefs. His death is seen as a consequence of his challenge to religious and political authority and as a sacrifice for the sin which is result of idolatry and leads to death and resurrection is understood as a victory over the powers of death and as the foundation for the hope in a new way of life. (Hart, 319)
6. Themes of Liberation Theology
Liberation theology is oriented towards the poor and oppressed and so according to their understanding poor occupies a position of especial importance in the interpretation of the Christian faith. And so proper starting point of Christian theology and mission must be ‘the view of below’, that is ‘where the pain is’ that is in the context of he pain and downtrodden and outcast.
Liberation theology involves critical reflection of practice. Western classical theology regarded action as the result of reflection but liberation theology is the view that action comes first and, followed by reflection, that is theology to stop describing the world but transforming it. Liberation theology is committing to the transformation of society on behalf of and along with the oppressed. Then, as mentioned before reflection on what had happened or works to bring it into a right relationship with the revelation of God in Christ Jesus. (McGrath, 255)
7. Nature of the Liberation Theology
Liberation theology is the theology which is totally concentrated to the poor and oppressed people of the society and so theologians view Bible with the same perspectives. Scripture is considered as the liberating book and the God of scripture is the liberating God politically. Theology of liberation gives emphasis to the social, economic and political aspect of the life of the man especially to the context of the Latin America. Liberation theology is criticized as the combination of the Marxism and the Christianity. Liberation theology is has include Marxist thought to give fundamental substance to the Christian belief. (McGrath, 256)
8. Theological issues
These are the few theological issues which were faced by the liberation theology in Latin America.
8.1.New Spirituality
Traditionally and spiritual life and devotional practices have been associated with special times and places like on Sundays, feast days, churches and Monasteries. Liberation theology speaking from the state of the commitment to the poor argues that this concept of spirituality is limited and suggests that God is found by retreating from the world and its tensions and true spirituality is resting in the peace of His presence. It seems that liberation theology is in the view that the experience of God can be found primarily in the political practice of liberation that is the political liberation of the poor gives the presence of the God. (Dyrness, 104-105)
8.2.Biblical Hermeneutics
Bible is considered as the liberating book and the incidents of the bible are interpreted according to their context of Latin America. The salvation of God is always equated with liberation and stresses the social, political and economic aspects of salvation. Jesus is considered as the liberator, the political liberator. (McGrath, 256)
Evaluation
Liberation theology played a major role in the church and also to the world in positive and also negative aspects. Liberation theology became the reason for the birth of the theologies like black, feminist etc. Liberation theology reminded the church that the God who is the liberator of Israelites from Egypt is also the liberator today. God is still the God of Justice. Liberation theology has reminded that 1 John 3:17-18, as the apostle says that -if anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him, let us not love from our words or tongue but with actions and in truth, which the church was missing in large in those days. Liberation theology has encouraged the church to see the interplay between the understanding and obedience in terms of dialectic in which the understanding of the church grows as church respond to God’s word in appropriate ways.
Liberation theology also missed the importance of the scripture in every sense. Liberation theology gave more emphasis to the political, economic and social aspects of man. They saw every thing from the view of the oppressed people. Liberation theology missed to see the other side of the man. Even they molded bible in their own convenience.
Conclusion
Liberation theology has some excellent ideas and stimulating themes but the lost in right way of interpreting the bible. The major drawback of liberation theology is that they looked the physical side of man. They neglected the spiritual life of the man. The major lesson from liberation theology is that even the oppressed are the part of the society and should be helped by the church and church can play a major role in upliftment of them.
Reference List
Nunez. C, Emilo Antonio, 1985, ‘Liberation Theology’, Chicago: Moody Press.
Smith, David L., 1992, ‘A Handbook of Contemporary Theology’, USA: A Bridge Point Book.
Olson, Roger E., Stanley J. Grenz, 1950, ‘20th Century Theology’, Illinois: Intervarsity Press
Hart, Trevor A., 2000, ‘The Dictionary of Historical Theology’, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Dyrness, William A., 1990, ‘Learning about Theology from Third World’, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing.
McGrath, Alister E., 1998, ‘Historical Theology’, UK: Blackwell Publishing.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Anthropological issues among the Urban Youths
Youths are the backbone of the church and the country. The maximum populations of India’s urban centers are youths and these youths are the future leaders of the church and society. And so to build them is the responsibility of the church by knowing their problems. Therefore, author is dealing with urban youth in today’s century, brief anthropological issues of the urban youths and the response of the church.
Urban Youth in today’s century
Urban youth commonly means, people between the age from 15-30. Urban youths are commonly addressed as rebellious generation. Especially for the elders, they are the people who don’t bother about others and who live a life pleasing to them. Today’s youth is mainly concern with their present day in their life, they don’t think about tomorrow. Youths, especially college going students and school going students like to have entertainment by watching movies in theaters or hangout or eating in hotels etc. They normally prefer to spend their time with their peer groups in these places. Urban youths are bolder than rural youths. There have their own opinion about everything in their life and they speak out anyway. There prefer to be independent in their life. Urban youths have been influenced by American concept of independence.
In the physical sense they are the people who like to be different in the society they prefer many styles in their life like having a long hair, having French cut mustache, wearing funny jeans, walking in a funny way, etc. which is not liked by elders. Youths claim that elders cannot understand them as they are but youth cannot change according to elder’s lifestyle. Every youth is searching for something in their life and they do any thing to get that.
Anthropological Problems
There are many problems like Identity crisis, Drugs, Sex, Fashion, Music, Mysticism, communal living, gigolos. The problems of youths are as follows:
Identity Crisis
Major issue for the Urban Youths is the identity crisis. Mostly every youth tries to get identity in many ways, which can in a positive way or negative way. For e.g. normally they take interest in becoming a star of their college or school or in their job place by doing any activities which pleases their friends or other people who relate with them. And this identity crisis end up may be with social evil or drugs or alcohol etc. most of the youngsters who are in racket of ethical evil, they are mostly in search of identity in the society. This identity crisis is there in urban youths because as in cities there is competition in every domain of life and as city life is too busy no one bother about others and are busy with their work. The main reason for crisis is the lack of identity in peer circle or family circle etc. Inorder to gain identity they prefer any means way to be identified in the society.
For young believer also there is an identity crisis. For e.g. a youth who is a believer finds it difficult to find identity among his friends. They find difficulty in mingling with their friends as a Christian. (Interview with Tiji Mathew)
Drugs
Most of the time youngsters get into drug addiction due to the peer pressure, identity crisis, pleasure, movies, etc. Stuart says that most of the youths get in drugs because it is the human nature that if things are restricted to a person then it is the tendency that they want to try it again. The same mentality youths have in extreme of trying things which are restricted. They want to please their peer group or make an identity among other proving that they are something in the society even though it gives negative impact or negative image to the society about them. (Briscoe, 21-23)This habit of drugs leads them to problems like AIDS, psychological disorder, premarital sex, etc.
Sex
In urban centers sex is the common phenomenon. Youths prefer to have a premarital sex and enjoy the life. There is the system in the urban centers among the youths that is ‘crush system’ which means having an affair for two weeks or three or in other words having a love relation which is not genuine or having a time-pass relationship. And this relation is influenced by Medias e.g. in M. TV there is program called Crush in which they call young people who have an infatuation with each other for having game and that results for precious gifts and also they provoke to propose to the people to propose each who have crush with each other, etc. In that relationship they may have sex also, it not at all a major concern. Urban girls are not at all concern about their virginity. Even they prefer to have sexual relationship for pleasure. These crush relations are mainly found in colleges going youths, people who are working in BPO’s (Call centers), etc. In BPO’s they have this relationship for sake of fun in the midst of their hectic pressure of their works.
Stuart says that the last generation girls even not prefer to speak to boys. It was their thinking that talking to a boy was something a big mistake. As far as sex is concern according to her sex outside the marriage is a greatest sin of the world. (Briscoe, 30)
Mysticism
Mysticism can be divided into three groups and they are as follows:
Spiritual Group
In this group very less people are there. They are spiritual due to their experience or due to their surrounding in which they grow. These people are totally dedicated to their God and are committed to it.
Confused Group
Maximum number of youth’s population of the urban areas comes under this category. Most of the youths are in the confused state about religion and God and or in other words are they confused at the same time they don’t bother about their religious stand. This happens because they are seeing so many religions around them and they are finding difficult to choose which religion is the real and which is the real God. None of the religions are able to give the answers to the questions they ask. For e.g. the church is not able to answer the question of the youths because answer to the question contradicts with the life of the pastors and Church elders and at the same time Hindus find it easy to convince the youths but their youths contradicts with the tradition. And so they stay in the confused state. And this confused state result to sometimes Atheism.
Atheist Group
More or less people come under this category. These are the people who first were in the confuse state and later on comes to the conclusion that there is no existence of God.
All their religious faiths depend on the words of the people and their personal experience.
Music
Music is weakness of the urban youths. They are crazy about music. Most of the youths prefer to have songs in their churches and have a live worship. Music is something which they cannot stop hearing. Music influences them so much in their life. This same music is sometimes dangerous for the youths because now a day’s young people are addicted to rock music and most of the rock songs are devilish in nature or in other words we can it is anti-Christ songs. Youths are not religiously educated enough to understand the meaning of this rock music. (Interview, Johncy)
2.10. Gigolos
Gigolos are to some extend can be said as male Prostitution. As I mentioned earlier urban youths are ready to do anything for the sake of money. Now a day the gigolos are very much found Indian urban centers like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi. These gigolos are the men at age of 20-30 and they do it for sake of money. These people are educated people; The Week declares that some are graduates in the domain like Hotel Management, Pharmacy, etc and some are models and the people in entertainment domain. They are the stripper in the kitty parties and strip parties and are also paid very high. Their monthly income is from 100,000 to 200,000. Their clients are mainly old women, and the women who are suffering in their family relationship and also rich girls for pleasure. In this profession they can earn money and at the same time have pleasure. And this profession later result to addiction. (Saxena, 44-54)
Response of the church on these issues of the youths
Most of the churches are silent about the issues of the youths. As a result the youth population of the church is very low n most of the urban churches. Youths are not fed according to their needs. Today’s church is failing in the process of feeding the youths. Today’s churches concentrate to the mission aspects of the church but they are missing their youths because of the lack of their capability. Youths are normally condemned by the elders of the church instead of encouraging them to come to church etc. most of the youths today’s goes to the cults groups unknowing about its reality. Today’s church should answer to the question of where their youths are. Youths are the backbone of the church and church is responsible for the youths of the church. Youths are going to other churches also where their desire is fulfilled. Today’s church is facing the problem of Modernity and tradition.
Today’s youth are in search of identity and if church is able to provide it they will come to the church. Even in the Bible we can see that people believed in God because they received which they were missing in their life, e.g. Jesus did many miracles and so many people were able to believe in Christ. And so today’s churches also should show the power and love of Christ to the youths of the church. Every church member has a role to play to bring the youths back to the church in the belief of God. Once Rev. Chandapilla gave a advise to the one of the church leader that to bring the youths in the church and want to make an interest in them give them what they want, e.g. if they like to play cricket organize the cricket tournament and invite all of them to play. (Interview, Tiji)
Churches as a major scope in attracting youths by showing them the right way for their religious confusion but the church fails in doing so. There are also many exceptional churches that play a major role in the life of the youths. Church can play a major role in the spiritual life of the youths. The consequence of the failure of the church is that youths are becoming atheist in their religion and some go to the church like satanic churches which fulfills their evil desires of their life, to which they get attracted.
Today there are few churches which play a marvelous role in the growth of the youths in the church. Even the traditional churches are also coming up in nurturing the youths of their churches. Today’s churches should give the necessary things for the spiritual upliftment of the youths. Today’s youth prefer live worship, church should give them and they need identity in the church, church should be able to give them any position in the church or should be able to communicate with them in a caring and loving way so that they may feel that someone is concerning about them instead of blaming them. If church is about to respond in these way then church will be able to educate them and try to stop them in doing evil practices like premarital sex, drinking, drugs, etc.
Today’s church should consider youths as mature part of the body of Christ.
Evaluation
The major concern altogether we can say is that there is no one to understand urban youths; even family members who come from rural set up finds it difficult to understand urban youths. Urban youths are accepted as prodigal children of their parents.
Many of the problems of youths are not understood as problem by the youths like sex, music, etc. it is the responsibility of the church to make them understand their problems and make them understand their mistake. For communicating this issues church can have empathy on them and make them understand their issues. Today’s urban youths are going through the direction which is totally unaccepted to God and church cannot just watch that. Therefore let ever church have primary concern for the youths who are going to destruction.
Conclusion
So author likes to conclude it, as youths are the future of the church and the society and it is the duty of the church to nourish the future. Without the right conduct of the youth there is no future of the society and the church. Religious communities can play a major role in building the youths in the society and the church.
Reference List
Briscoe, D. Stuart, 1972, ‘Where was church when the youth exploded?’ Michigan: Zondervan Publishing house.
Interview with Johncy Joseph on 12 Feb. 2008
Interview with Tiji Mathew on 13 Feb. 2008.
Saxena, Payal, 2008, ‘The New G-spot’, in ‘The Week’, Vol.26. No. 11, Kochi: Malayalam Manorama Press.
Urban Youth in today’s century
Urban youth commonly means, people between the age from 15-30. Urban youths are commonly addressed as rebellious generation. Especially for the elders, they are the people who don’t bother about others and who live a life pleasing to them. Today’s youth is mainly concern with their present day in their life, they don’t think about tomorrow. Youths, especially college going students and school going students like to have entertainment by watching movies in theaters or hangout or eating in hotels etc. They normally prefer to spend their time with their peer groups in these places. Urban youths are bolder than rural youths. There have their own opinion about everything in their life and they speak out anyway. There prefer to be independent in their life. Urban youths have been influenced by American concept of independence.
In the physical sense they are the people who like to be different in the society they prefer many styles in their life like having a long hair, having French cut mustache, wearing funny jeans, walking in a funny way, etc. which is not liked by elders. Youths claim that elders cannot understand them as they are but youth cannot change according to elder’s lifestyle. Every youth is searching for something in their life and they do any thing to get that.
Anthropological Problems
There are many problems like Identity crisis, Drugs, Sex, Fashion, Music, Mysticism, communal living, gigolos. The problems of youths are as follows:
Identity Crisis
Major issue for the Urban Youths is the identity crisis. Mostly every youth tries to get identity in many ways, which can in a positive way or negative way. For e.g. normally they take interest in becoming a star of their college or school or in their job place by doing any activities which pleases their friends or other people who relate with them. And this identity crisis end up may be with social evil or drugs or alcohol etc. most of the youngsters who are in racket of ethical evil, they are mostly in search of identity in the society. This identity crisis is there in urban youths because as in cities there is competition in every domain of life and as city life is too busy no one bother about others and are busy with their work. The main reason for crisis is the lack of identity in peer circle or family circle etc. Inorder to gain identity they prefer any means way to be identified in the society.
For young believer also there is an identity crisis. For e.g. a youth who is a believer finds it difficult to find identity among his friends. They find difficulty in mingling with their friends as a Christian. (Interview with Tiji Mathew)
Drugs
Most of the time youngsters get into drug addiction due to the peer pressure, identity crisis, pleasure, movies, etc. Stuart says that most of the youths get in drugs because it is the human nature that if things are restricted to a person then it is the tendency that they want to try it again. The same mentality youths have in extreme of trying things which are restricted. They want to please their peer group or make an identity among other proving that they are something in the society even though it gives negative impact or negative image to the society about them. (Briscoe, 21-23)This habit of drugs leads them to problems like AIDS, psychological disorder, premarital sex, etc.
Sex
In urban centers sex is the common phenomenon. Youths prefer to have a premarital sex and enjoy the life. There is the system in the urban centers among the youths that is ‘crush system’ which means having an affair for two weeks or three or in other words having a love relation which is not genuine or having a time-pass relationship. And this relation is influenced by Medias e.g. in M. TV there is program called Crush in which they call young people who have an infatuation with each other for having game and that results for precious gifts and also they provoke to propose to the people to propose each who have crush with each other, etc. In that relationship they may have sex also, it not at all a major concern. Urban girls are not at all concern about their virginity. Even they prefer to have sexual relationship for pleasure. These crush relations are mainly found in colleges going youths, people who are working in BPO’s (Call centers), etc. In BPO’s they have this relationship for sake of fun in the midst of their hectic pressure of their works.
Stuart says that the last generation girls even not prefer to speak to boys. It was their thinking that talking to a boy was something a big mistake. As far as sex is concern according to her sex outside the marriage is a greatest sin of the world. (Briscoe, 30)
Mysticism
Mysticism can be divided into three groups and they are as follows:
Spiritual Group
In this group very less people are there. They are spiritual due to their experience or due to their surrounding in which they grow. These people are totally dedicated to their God and are committed to it.
Confused Group
Maximum number of youth’s population of the urban areas comes under this category. Most of the youths are in the confused state about religion and God and or in other words are they confused at the same time they don’t bother about their religious stand. This happens because they are seeing so many religions around them and they are finding difficult to choose which religion is the real and which is the real God. None of the religions are able to give the answers to the questions they ask. For e.g. the church is not able to answer the question of the youths because answer to the question contradicts with the life of the pastors and Church elders and at the same time Hindus find it easy to convince the youths but their youths contradicts with the tradition. And so they stay in the confused state. And this confused state result to sometimes Atheism.
Atheist Group
More or less people come under this category. These are the people who first were in the confuse state and later on comes to the conclusion that there is no existence of God.
All their religious faiths depend on the words of the people and their personal experience.
Music
Music is weakness of the urban youths. They are crazy about music. Most of the youths prefer to have songs in their churches and have a live worship. Music is something which they cannot stop hearing. Music influences them so much in their life. This same music is sometimes dangerous for the youths because now a day’s young people are addicted to rock music and most of the rock songs are devilish in nature or in other words we can it is anti-Christ songs. Youths are not religiously educated enough to understand the meaning of this rock music. (Interview, Johncy)
2.10. Gigolos
Gigolos are to some extend can be said as male Prostitution. As I mentioned earlier urban youths are ready to do anything for the sake of money. Now a day the gigolos are very much found Indian urban centers like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi. These gigolos are the men at age of 20-30 and they do it for sake of money. These people are educated people; The Week declares that some are graduates in the domain like Hotel Management, Pharmacy, etc and some are models and the people in entertainment domain. They are the stripper in the kitty parties and strip parties and are also paid very high. Their monthly income is from 100,000 to 200,000. Their clients are mainly old women, and the women who are suffering in their family relationship and also rich girls for pleasure. In this profession they can earn money and at the same time have pleasure. And this profession later result to addiction. (Saxena, 44-54)
Response of the church on these issues of the youths
Most of the churches are silent about the issues of the youths. As a result the youth population of the church is very low n most of the urban churches. Youths are not fed according to their needs. Today’s church is failing in the process of feeding the youths. Today’s churches concentrate to the mission aspects of the church but they are missing their youths because of the lack of their capability. Youths are normally condemned by the elders of the church instead of encouraging them to come to church etc. most of the youths today’s goes to the cults groups unknowing about its reality. Today’s church should answer to the question of where their youths are. Youths are the backbone of the church and church is responsible for the youths of the church. Youths are going to other churches also where their desire is fulfilled. Today’s church is facing the problem of Modernity and tradition.
Today’s youth are in search of identity and if church is able to provide it they will come to the church. Even in the Bible we can see that people believed in God because they received which they were missing in their life, e.g. Jesus did many miracles and so many people were able to believe in Christ. And so today’s churches also should show the power and love of Christ to the youths of the church. Every church member has a role to play to bring the youths back to the church in the belief of God. Once Rev. Chandapilla gave a advise to the one of the church leader that to bring the youths in the church and want to make an interest in them give them what they want, e.g. if they like to play cricket organize the cricket tournament and invite all of them to play. (Interview, Tiji)
Churches as a major scope in attracting youths by showing them the right way for their religious confusion but the church fails in doing so. There are also many exceptional churches that play a major role in the life of the youths. Church can play a major role in the spiritual life of the youths. The consequence of the failure of the church is that youths are becoming atheist in their religion and some go to the church like satanic churches which fulfills their evil desires of their life, to which they get attracted.
Today there are few churches which play a marvelous role in the growth of the youths in the church. Even the traditional churches are also coming up in nurturing the youths of their churches. Today’s churches should give the necessary things for the spiritual upliftment of the youths. Today’s youth prefer live worship, church should give them and they need identity in the church, church should be able to give them any position in the church or should be able to communicate with them in a caring and loving way so that they may feel that someone is concerning about them instead of blaming them. If church is about to respond in these way then church will be able to educate them and try to stop them in doing evil practices like premarital sex, drinking, drugs, etc.
Today’s church should consider youths as mature part of the body of Christ.
Evaluation
The major concern altogether we can say is that there is no one to understand urban youths; even family members who come from rural set up finds it difficult to understand urban youths. Urban youths are accepted as prodigal children of their parents.
Many of the problems of youths are not understood as problem by the youths like sex, music, etc. it is the responsibility of the church to make them understand their problems and make them understand their mistake. For communicating this issues church can have empathy on them and make them understand their issues. Today’s urban youths are going through the direction which is totally unaccepted to God and church cannot just watch that. Therefore let ever church have primary concern for the youths who are going to destruction.
Conclusion
So author likes to conclude it, as youths are the future of the church and the society and it is the duty of the church to nourish the future. Without the right conduct of the youth there is no future of the society and the church. Religious communities can play a major role in building the youths in the society and the church.
Reference List
Briscoe, D. Stuart, 1972, ‘Where was church when the youth exploded?’ Michigan: Zondervan Publishing house.
Interview with Johncy Joseph on 12 Feb. 2008
Interview with Tiji Mathew on 13 Feb. 2008.
Saxena, Payal, 2008, ‘The New G-spot’, in ‘The Week’, Vol.26. No. 11, Kochi: Malayalam Manorama Press.
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