One of the tragic results of Europe`s slide into spiritual malaise is the effect on its young people. Reports out of England show a generation who "consider Christianity irrelevant to their lives." So concluded a recent survey. The dominant focus of the generation born after 1982 "was more likely to put their faith in friends, their family or themselves, than in God." On rare occasions during an illness or loss of friend or family member, they might think about God, even consider a private prayer. But most of the time, "Religion and spirituality was irrelevant for day-to-day living."

They were not looking for answers to ultimate questions about life`s purposes or the existence of God. When they did think about God all they had to refer to was a "very faded, inherited cultural memory of Christianity."

The research did indicate less hostility to religion and Christianity than the previous generation. They were generally just "...quite content with the situation, happy to get by with what little they knew about the Christian faith." The common assumption that the young people were alienated from their parents and hostile to religion is a holdover from the 1960s and 70s generation.

This picture can only be the result of decades of unbiblical teachings and secular influences. America should take a close look at this. Europe has been at the effort of eliminating God from the culture longer than we have, so these results should tell us where this road leads.

We can only hope that we take the lesson seriously. However, unless the true church wakes to the opportunity, it will not last. Besides the wake-up call to soul winners in this country to get busy living out the Great Commission, this news presents a missionary challenge.

If these British young people are typical of the rest of Europe, then there is a generation that is ripe for "instruction in righteousness." The accompanying articles detail how the pope sees this vacuum and is maneuvering to fill it with his prostitute church`s false gospel of pagan rituals and spiritual bondage. A close look at the "dark ages" when Rome ruled Europe in ignorance and superstition, shows where that road leads.

Already firmly planted in the middle of this vacuum is the 7th century tribal religion of Islam diligently promoting another false gospel. If we follow that path to its destination, we end up in Taliban country, where women are little more than sex slaves and revenge and honor killings are the order of the day.

We are reminded of another golden opportunity that the church missed at the end of World War II, when General Douglas MacArthur appealed in vain to the American church for a thousand missionaries to lead the disillusioned Japanese ancestor worshippers into the freedom of the true gospel.

The devil knows all about this vacuum, this European field "white unto harvest." Is the true church willing to field enough laborers to reap this harvest?

One way you can help is to locate one of the few missionaries struggling in Europe and fill his hands with "paper missionaries," powerful, no-nonsense gospel tracts designed to puncture the spiritual stupor of these young people. Or you may send your donation to Chick Missions Fund.

Unfortunately, we are unable to issue a tax deductable receipt. However, 100 percent of your gifts are used to purchase and ship literature to missionaries.
If you make the donation through your church, you can often get a receipt to use for tax purposes.

Satan has lulled them to sleep with his most effective lies. Only the drawn Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God can back him off.

And also, we better get to work here at home or we will soon succumb to those same lies.