Russell Moore, with whom I often disagree, has called on Southern Baptists to stop Millennial bashing. His article on the subject is typical Southern Baptist’s fair in these truth-denying times. I suspect few will pay any attention to my objections to Moore’s musings, dismissing them as the mumbo jumbo of an un-credentialed nobody who is unqualified to even shine the shoes of a well-credentialed somebody like Russell Moore. For instance, I was recently told by a friend that someone with whom he shared my views on Bible prophecy quickly retorted, “Who does this guy think he is to disagree with Dr. David Jeremiah?” Apparently, the true test of biblical orthodoxy is no longer whether it agrees with what the Bible says, but whether it agrees with what popular preachers, like David Jeremiah, and Southern Baptist’s leaders, like Russell Moore say.
What does Moore mean by Millennial bashing? According to him, it is to claim that Millennials are a “self-obsessed” generation that feels “entitled” and rejects “taking counsel from their elders.” Moore insists that all Southern Baptists need to join together and say in unison with him, “It ain’t so!”
In his article, Moore, in agreement with Rex Huppke of the Chicago Tribune, argues “that every generation in recorded human history sees the next as spoiled, lazy, and selfish.” Moore then goes on to add, “And every generation in church history tends to see the next as carnal, unorthodox, unevangelistic, and uncommitted.” He concludes, that “the nasty caricatures” of Millennials “are just not true,” but spawned by the older generation’s “envy” of Millennials, since they serve as “a sign of” the older generation’s “coming irrelevance and mortality.”
As if my blood pressure was not high enough after reading this dribble, Moore goes on to claim that today’s younger generation is less “lazy, entitled, [and] narcissistic” than previous generations. In fact, Moore goes as far as to assert that Millennials “are far more theologically rooted,” have a better “grasp of” the Gospel, are “better at articulating” it, and more “committed to reaching” others for Christ than “their parents’ generation.” Now, you’ll not find me arguing for the spiritual depth of the previous generation, which raised the spiritually shallow Millennial Generation, but to argue that the spiritually shallow Millennials have launched out into the spiritual depths is obviously absurd. It is to completely deny the facts and to dive into the depths of a daydream.
To Moore’s credit, he does admit that his conclusions about Millennials are anecdotal, based on his personal experience with seminary students during his tenure as preaching professor at Southern Seminary. What appears to allude Dr. Moore is that Southern Seminary students—Christians called by God into full-time Christian service and pursuing postgraduate degrees at Southern Baptist oldest and most prestigious seminary—are not typical of today’s Millennial Generation. They are the exception, not the rule, a small minority among the vast majority of modern-day Millennials.
While we should avoid ascribing to all Millennials the vices of the majority, we should also avoid ascribing to the majority the virtues of the minority. Furthermore, we should not drop the sad and sorry state of today’s Millennials into the generation gap, dismissing it as typical differences of opinion between generations. There is something far more sinister afoot than the age-old age gap between children and their parents.
In 2 Timothy 3:1, the Apostle Paul warns us “that in the last days perilous times shall come.” He then proceeds to explain the characteristics of the end-time world that will make the last days so dangerous. He begins by saying that “men shall be lovers of their own selves” (v.2). Now, what is so unusual about this; have fallen men not always been lovers of their own selves? What is it that will make this quintessential characteristic of fallen humanity more imperiling in the perilous times of the last days? Think about it; today, unlike in the past, selfishness is no longer seen as a vice, but as a virtue. Indeed, self-love or self-esteem is seen as the cure-all of all the ills of fallen humanity. How dangerous will this fallen world now become with fallen humanity prescribing its problem as its cure and solution?
In her book, Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled and More Miserable Than Ever Before, Dr. Jean Twenge draws from numerous studies and surveys conducted with people in their twenties and thirties to show why today’s Millennials differ from past younger generations in ways that are very troubling. According to her, “GenMe,” her term for Millennials, have been taught to highly esteem themselves, to expect everything they want, and to believe they can be whatever they want to be. Raised on such optimism and unrealistic expectations, they are now really mad and miserable, having been struck in the face by the harsh and hard realities of life. For instance, instead of getting everything they want, they now find themselves faced with widespread unemployment, which explains why more than a third of them are still living with their parents.
The Me Generation being in the doldrums over the disappointment of all of its dreams not coming true, helps to explain two foreboding things. First, it explains a shocking study recently conducted by Harvard University. According to the study, capitalism is dying in the United States. More than half of American adults under thirty reject capitalism, undoubtedly laying the blame for their unrealized dreams at capitalism’s feet. Second, it explains why the vast majority of America’s Millennials are “feeling the Bern”; that is, fueling the phenomenal success of Bernie Sanders, a self-avowed socialist, in this year’s presidential primaries. If Millennials alone were allowed to vote for president this coming November, Bernie Sanders would win the White House in a landslide.
The economic guru of Charisma News, Michael Synder, argues that these shocking developments prove that today’s Millennials are not like any of America’s past younger generations. According to Snyder, America is not turning “back to the principles that it was founded upon.” Far from it, today's younger Americans “are running in the opposite direction as fast as they can.” Therefore, Snyder concludes, that “we should be deeply concerned about the future of America,” since “the values that [have been] relentlessly pounded into the heads of our young people are directly opposed to the values that this nation was founded upon."
I don’t know if I’m Millennial bashing or not, but to deny the truth about today’s Me Generation is the height of folly. To whitewash it and throw glitz and glitter on it is even more foolish. I don’t care what Russell Moore thinks or says, I for one won’t do it! Not only are those who do so failing to prepare themselves and their families for the dark days ahead, but they are also failing to proclaim the truth to Millennials, who, just like the rest of us in today’s America, desperately need to hear it.”