God versus Elvis

"What can you say about a society that says that God is dead and Elvis is alive?" - Irv Kupcinet

I spend much of my time surrounded by teenagers whose blind faith in religion is borderline frightening. I say religion instead of God because many of their beliefs are so misguided that they don’t resemble anything of what I know of God. For example, a boy in my husband’s sophomore Biology class looked at him with all the conviction in the world and said, why should I learn about evolution? No one knows if it really happened. At least with Creation someone witnessed it and wrote it down, so we know it happened. Blind, stupid, ignorant faith.

Last year, while working with a Jewish student-teacher, I witnessed many of her students-after learning that she wasn’t Christian-begin to try to convert her. They went as far as to post signs all over her room saying, “Jesus died for you.” Since when did evangelizing rank above respecting your elders?

Why do these teenagers grasp so tightly the literal, unquestioning and often misguided beliefs they learn from friends, church leaders, and other adults? Is it not the job of Christians to teach the “truth”? So where do they think that truth comes from, others or the Bible? Is the truth in the Bible literal or figurative?

We often choose to believe in our own contrived truth and reality. Many people manipulate their religious beliefs to suit them. How do people rationalize their distortion of the Bible and God? Form a new religious sect. This sect sets its own rules, declaring a higher level of morality than other sects.

Do people not realize the most basic truths? 1. Evolution is the truth. It is accepted by most religious governing bodies. It is scientifically proven every day. Look how infections change and adapt based on the use of antibiotics. Therefore, the creation story is a myth to help illustrate God’s love and devotion to us. This myth supports the ideas that we are created purposefully by Him and His plan for us exists. This does not diminish God or his power. It just shows how humans have an innate desire to rationalize everything. 2. Almost every major religion is based around the idea of a, singular god: a being that is representative of morality, love, and commitment to serve others. What is distinctive between these religious sects? Whether they decide to read the Bible as literal truths or as a set of illustrations demonstrating the morals, ideals, and love of God.

So why this sudden surge of religion among teenagers? Why such a large and passionate following now? Are teens searching for a morality that our current society lacks? What have they witnessed in their older childhood years? Springfield shooting. Columbine. 9-11. Operation: Iraqi Freedom. Are they searching for their own identity when they disagree with the immorality of the adult world surrounding them, but stumbling because of their lack of mental maturity?

If you were to ask people today whether they would prefer to meet Elvis or God, I’d have to say I believe it would be a toss up. In fact, you might just get more than a few who believe that it is possible to meet Elvis. Literal or figurative?

So why is our adult society more likely to believe that Elvis exists than God?