Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

A recent research project has determined that the religion of teenagers in the US can best be described as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. If you have no idea what that means, here are a few of the beliefs...

1. A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the bible and by most world religions.
3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

Jason showed me this article this morning, and we both agreed that this religion is pervasive
throughout our culture, and not just among teenagers.

The results of this research project were compiled into a book titled Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers.