Meet the Bridger Generation

1
Meet the Bridger Generation Based on Gallup
Polling Research by Thom Rainer, Ph.D. Cky
J. Carrigan, Ph.D. Interfaith Evangelism North
American Mission Board, SBC ccarrigan_at_namb.net
www.ontruth.com
2
MEET THE BRIDGER GENERATION

• Bridger Generation Follows Builders, Boomers
  Busters
• 72 Million Young People
• 2ND Largest Generation
• Born 1977 - 1994 ( Present Ages, 7-24)
• Growing Up In A Vastly Different World...

3
Growing Up In A Vastly Different World...

• Mult-Racial
• Multi-Cultural
• Non-Traditional Family Structure
• Socio-Economic Class Divisions
• Youth Stress
• Youth Skepticism

4
BRIDGERS AND FAITH

• Very Religious, But .
• Almost Any Religion Will Do
• 86 Claim To Be Christian

5

• 72 Truth Can Never Be Clearly Defined

• 66 Affirm Salvation By Works
• 50 Jesus Sinned
• 50 All Religions Teach Similar Lessons
• 50 All Good People Go To Heaven (With or Without
  Faith In Jesus)
• 4 Affirm Exclusivity of Christ for Salvation

6
Two Prominent Beliefs That Define Bridger
Beliefs About Religion...
7
1) Christ Is Not The Only Way To Salvation

• Four Options
• Universalism (None Lost)
• Pluralism (Many Ways)
• Inclusivism (Many Ways Thru Christ)
• Exclusivism (Christ Is The Only Way)

2) Tolerance Is The Supreme Religious Principle
8
The Toleration Slide

• Toleration Means Openness To Other Beliefs
• But, Other Beliefs Contradict Christianity
• Accepting Contradictions Means Compromising Some
  Christian Beliefs
• Compromising Some Beliefs Opens The Door For
  Compromising Any Or All Of Them
• Ultimately Left With No Absolutes

9
The Toleration Slide Has Caused...
A Crisis of Truth And the Crisis of Truth Has
Caused... A Crisis of Morality
10
Evidences of the Crisis of Morality

• Remember--86 Claim to be Christian
• 90 Affirm Situation Ethics
• 80 No Certainty About Morality
• 60 Lying is Necessary

11
ww.ontruth.com