1. Conversion, deconversion, and disenagement

2. Classical vs. contemporary paradigms p. 216 Deconversion: move from one religion to another (But how about becoming skeptics, agnostics, or atheists?) Disengagment: detach from mainstream religion What are the similarities and difference between deconversion and disengagement?

16. Seth grew in a Christian family in Oklahoma Nothing made sense when getting older God in the OT condones rape and genocide Oral Roberts University: God would like Oral Roberts unless he gets $1 million

17. Losing my religion and found peace Lobdell, W. (2009). Losing my religion: How I lost my faith reporting on religion in America and found unexpected peace. New York: Harper. Dr. William Lobdell was a Christian who investigated the Catholic sex abuse cases. He reported that in one case a mother sent her daughter to a Catholic retreat camp. The young girl was raped by a group of priests and was pregnant. The church told the mother that her daughter was a “bad” girl, and then covered this up by sending the young girl out of the country.

18. He also reported that he attended a church meeting. In the meeting the members voted to name a church after an abusing priest (The priest had admitted the crime). A policeman was among the audience. He stood up and yelled, “I am a cop. I see criminals every day. Shame on you! All of you are Christians. But no one ever mentioned the victims. And now you want to name a church after a criminal!” Dr. William Lobdell described that this experience is his “road to Damascus” (in a reversed fashion). Later he lost his religion and found “unexpected peace.”

20. You lost me The author of “Unchristian” Use empirical data and statistical methods, not just guessing or use a preconceived theory 18-29 years old

21. Three types of devonversion or disengagement Nomads:  wander around the church and maintain their church connections and relationships  not fully committed, inconsistent Prodigal  Deny the faith for various reasons  e.g. sexual conducts, intellectual challenges  4 out of 5 evangelicals have sex, just like the general population Exile  Like Daniel, wants to be faithful to God in “Babylon” (a non-Christian culture)  would like to transform the culture, but without support from the church.

22. Is college a faith killer? No. The tendency of deconversion happens around the senior year of high school. About 60 percent of young people who went to church as teens drop out after high school.  Christians are too confident that they know the answers (52%)  Churches are out of step with the science world we live in (41%)  Christianity is anti-science (34%)  I have turned off by the creation-evolution debate (34%)  Christianity makes complex things simple (29%)  Christianity is anti-intellectual (26%)

23. Assignment Talk to a person who changed his religious belief (e.g. from Christian to Buddhist, from Hindu to Christian, from Christian to atheist…etc.) about his or her deconversion experience. Do not debate with him or her. Just listen and try to understand his or her thought process. What are the reasons of his or her deconversion? Intellectual? Life crisis? Present your findings in class