With everything going on in our culture today, studies that highlight what young people believe are particularly interesting and sometimes even surprising. For instance, a new study of high school seniors found that boys are trending conservative (though many define themselves as “moderate” or as having no political affiliation). Girls, on the other hand, are becoming increasingly liberal.
Now, why might boys be trending more politically conservative? Well, commentators have offered a variety of reasons—from the appeal of the “locker room”-style communications of former President Trump to a rejection of the liberal mantra that the “patriarchy” is heavily responsible for all the world’s problems. And it likely is a blend of a variety of the reasons given, but that’s not what I want to focus on in my blog today.
What I want to do is pair this study with another study, this one from the Barna Research Group in 2018. That study found that young people are twice as likely as previous generations to identify as atheist and that a mere 4% have a biblical worldview. These two studies coupled together show that even if young men are trending politically conservative, that doesn’t mean they are trending biblical! And spiritual issues are the most important.
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Although those who start with God’s Word tend to identify as conservative because they share more in common with the politically conservative than the politically liberal, there’s a massive difference between being “conservative” and being “Christian” or “biblical.” And that’s to be expected—even those who are conservative, but unsaved, are going to love darkness rather than light (John 3:19), because the light of Christ has not yet shone in their hearts. This means that this coming generation of young men, while they might vote more conservative, is just as lost as the young women who will vote Democrat—both need to come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ!
I am thankful that more young men are trending conservative, as conservatives—Christian or not—are often on the front lines of fighting abortion, the mutilation of children in the name of gender ideology, and government overreach into homes, churches, and businesses. But we must remember that these young men need the Lord just as much as their liberal counterparts. It’s a reminder for parents not to just raise conservative children but to always direct them to God’s Word (not a politician, a party, or a favorite influencer) as the ultimate authority for their lives and their worldview. It’s only the gospel and a biblical worldview that will truly make lasting change in homes and in this nation.
Ultimately, our trust is not in politics, but in God and his Word.
