According to a worldwide survey, most teens have a favorable impression of Jesus.
A recent international survey of adolescents found that most had a favorable impression of Jesus but are less clear about the influence he has made in the world and in their own lives.
Nearly 25,000 adolescents (ages 13–17) from a variety of religious backgrounds and 26 countries participated in Barna’s poll.
Almost half of today’s youth (49%) say Jesus is “kind,” and nearly as many (46%) say he gives people hope. Almost four in five (43%) also say he really cares about his followers. About 40% of people believed he could be trusted, and 37% said he was generous.
Although this number drops to 15% among youth of other faiths and to 13% among those with no religion, over half of all teens (47%) think he was crucified and a third believe he rose again.
The majority of young people (31%), when asked to characterize who Jesus is to them, responded that “God in human form” best encapsulates his essence.
Forgiveness was the most essential attribute of Jesus mentioned in the Bible, according to a survey of teenagers (39 percent).
When asked which of the following statements about Jesus was most meaningful to them, “Jesus is God in human form who came to forgive us of our sins” was chosen by a plurality (36%).
Six percent of young adults said Jesus was “irrelevant,” and just 10 percent believed he was best recognized for the things he opposes.
“Negative opinions about Jesus among young people are unusual, but not unheard of. Jesus is widely believed to be reliable, kind, and wise “Barna said.
Despite these favorable impressions, less than one-quarter of teenagers (24%) feel they can have a personal connection with Jesus, and fewer than one-quarter (23%) think he makes a genuine impact in the world today.
Furthermore, Barna said “The belief that Jesus is still involved in each individual’s life is slipping behind.
“Even many teenagers admire many aspects of Jesus’ life and character, they may not fully understand or believe the teachings regarding Jesus’ incarnation, resurrection, or current significance.
“Teenagers and their teachers and leaders, particularly in Christian communities, will be held accountable for this.
Have older people taught young people that the values they admire in Jesus’ persona are relevant in the modern world?
While most teenagers have a favorable impression of Jesus, just 31% have a favourable impression of Christians in general. Even while 42% of people think Jesus was clever, just 18% think Christians are wise.
Barna’s The Open Generation volume 1 has these results; volumes 2 and 3 will look at adolescents’ perspectives on justice and the Bible, respectively.
Barna Group CEO David Kinnaman remarked, “The results of this research will hopefully encourage us to take today’s youths seriously. These opinions provide the impression that today’s youth is tolerant of and interested in the beliefs and experiences of others who are different from themselves.
“Based on the facts we have, we can say that millennials are receptive to Jesus, and their interactions with him have a beneficial impact, even if they don’t connect with him often.
“We want to provide a picture of the next generation for the worldwide Church so that we can better serve and connect with today’s youth.”
Alpha, Biblica, and World Vision collaborated on the project, while Christian Vision, Bible Study Fellowship, Christ in Youth, and the Association of Christian Schools International also provided funding and assistance.
Teens in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, India, Philippines, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa filled out the survey.
Alpha International’s Global Youth Director Dan Blythe made the following statement: “Some decades past, young people were expected to be seen but not heard.
“However, this approach won’t work with today’s youth if you want their participation and cooperation. For today’s youth, listening is the universal language of romance.
“Almost 25,000 young people from all around the globe participated in the Open Generation project, a worldwide listening exercise that aimed to better understand how these young people conceptualize Jesus, the Bible, and social justice.
In his words, “My heart and prayer is that it inspires, educates, and empowers anybody who has a heart for teens to not give up on them but to listen to them and learn from them so we may love and lead them wisely.”
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