While the world keeps getting worse and stressful times keep coming faster and faster and more frequently, some are turning to religion as a way out, specifically Christianity. Christianity is a monothiestic religion that believes in God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ. Christianity is known for the love and peace that it brings to its followers.
For many years, in the 2000s till a couple of years ago, the belief in Atheism skyrocketed. People stopped believing in not only Christianity but also Islam, Judaism, and many other religions. But now the trend has changed; the belief in Christianity has been growing recently among Gen Z. This is evidenced by increased Bible sales, greater engagement with the Bible, and, in general, more young people identifying as Christian. I believe this to be because people have been seeing how evil the world is and how horrible life can be, and they want hope for the world and that things will get better. The belief in Jesus Christ has provided a hope to Christians all around the world. It gives them a sense of peace and belonging, and a reason to live their life the way they do.
There are many different sects of Christianity, one being the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints. Ammon Hardy is a part of this sect of Christianity. Hardy was asked why he thinks Christianity is rising. “I would say the reason behind the rise of Christianity is because of the rise of darkness and wickedness in the world . . . seeing this, Gen Z goes to the only thing that will give them help, comfort, and joy in their life, Jesus Christ,” said Hardy. Jesus Christ provides people with hope and comfort in their lives. Jesus’ teachings encourage his followers to be morally strong people who want to do good in the world. When asked how Jesus Christ provides hope, Hardy said, “Jesus Christ provides hope to young people by showing a different way of life that gives joy, love, and confidence in life and in the sight of God. Jesus is a symbol to us of second and third and fourth chances.” To Christians, Jesus is a sign of redemption and provides a feeling of belonging. Hardy is a strong believer in Christianity who has dedicated himself to it. So when asked about what happened to Jesus when he sacrificed himself for humanity, Hardy said, “Jesus Christ suffered the will of the Father from the beginning. He bled in the garden of Gethsemane and died on the cross for all of our sins.” For people who may not understand that, Christians believe, Jesus Christ suffered what all humans deserve to suffer for the atonement of their sins, and because of the sacrifice Jesus made, we as people are forgiven for our sins, and if we have a true, loving relationship with God, we can go into heaven.
Another sect of Christianity is Non-Denominationalism. These people believe in building a relationship with God, not with the sect or denomination that you are in. Wyatt Martin identifies himself as a devout Christian and Non-Denominationalist. When asked what he thinks is the reason behind the revival of Christianity, Martin said, “the rise in Christianity in our generation (Gen Z) would be due to probably a number of things, including what is revealed though the tech now, the signs and prophecies getting fulfilled from scripture as time goes on, and seeing all of the wicked acts showing that we could be moving towards the last days.” Christians believe that Jesus Christ will come a second time to judge the living and the dead. This is what the “last days” are. Christians do not know the hour nor the date that Jesus will come again, so they are taught to live every day like he is coming that day. Martin was asked what he thinks Jesus gives to young people that makes them feel accepted and loved. “The belief provides a true end goal in life, as we are gifted the free gift of eternal life by grace through faith, but with that turning away from the worldly things and showing our true love for Christ as he gave us on the cross . . . without the belief in all powerful, all loving God, what is the point if there is no life after this? This gives us a purpose and someone to look to and glorify in the good times and glorify and lean on and put our weight on in our trials and tribulations,” said Martin. The belief in Jesus gives Christians something to get them through the hard times in life and a reason not to give up and push through all the challenges that we face in our lives.
People are tuning to Christianity much more than other religions as well. Unlike Judaism and Islam, which mainly grow from the high birth rates of these people. Christianity has a pull on people that a lot of other religions in the world don’t. Martin was asked why he thinks this is. “The unique thing that makes Jesus Christ stand out compared to other religious figures was the finished work on the cross that grants us the free gift of eternal life, which most other religions require your works and the things you have done before you recieve eternal life, but our salvation (Christian salvation) through Jesus is not built on that, so no one can boast, Jesus says in John 3:16, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,’” said Martin. This shows the appeal of Jesus Christ because the Christian God doesn’t say If you do this, then I will give you eternal life. He says I already did this, so now you can have eternal life. There is no price that you have to pay. All Christians have to do is love Jesus and God with all their heart. Christians believe that when you do this, you won’t even think about following his teaching and will just start doing it unconsciously. Hardy was asked the same question. “People are choosing Christianity over other religions in the world because Jesus Christ was the greatest sacrifice for the benefit of man in history. His sacrifice and example on Earth are what makes Gen Z feel so connected to him and follow his example,” said Hardy. Christians believe that people can feel love and be connected to someone who has given their life for the good of society. I think we all can appreciate that. Like the soldiers who sacrifice their lives to keep the U.S free. Jesus did tenfold. Christians believe his sacrifice and resurrection saved humanity from eternal damnation. This is why people are turning to Christianity more than before.
