Questions Students Ask

(From the forthcoming book, Living in the Fabric of Faithfulness, by Julia K. Stronks and Gloria Goris Stronks)

Ask Christian parents what they wish for their children and they will likely say, “I want my child to have a Christian faith and to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.” When you probe further you will likely hear, “I want them to be honest and to work hard. I would like them to go to church regularly, to be leaders in their church and community, and to be good parents.”

Those are good goals for one’s children but will they lead to transformed lives? There is no guarantee that, having reached those goals, our children will be living changed, radically different lives from those of non-Christians.

People reach age l6, the beginning of older adolescence, having come through one of the most fragile periods of their lives. The l2-l5 age period is a most tumultuous time during which young people examine the beliefs and attitudes held by their parents and teachers in order to begin to understand what they will hold as true for their own lives.

The reason why Christians are so similar in their attitudes values, and lifestyles to non-Christians is that they were not sufficiently challenged to think and behave differently – radically differently, based on core spiritual perspectives – when they were children. Simply getting people to go to church regularly is not the key to becoming a mature Christian. Spiritual transformation requires a more extensive investment in one’s ability to interpret all life situations in spiritual terms. (George Barna, 2004, discussing his research on children’s faith. http://4kids.ag.org/4kids/news_maturity.cfm.)

Recently we began wondering whether the changes in family life and the frequent use of different kinds of technology might be limiting the amount of time and, therefore, the ability young people have to engage in their newly developing skill of reflective thinking. We developed a survey to find out and then accumulated 2510 responses, all coming from seventh and eighth grade students in 17 Christian schools across North America. As part of the survey students were asked to list questions they would like to ask someone but probably wouldn’t dare to do so. While their questions concerned everything from wondering about sexuality, bodily functions, and family problems, their questions concerning biblical truths and their own faith demonstrate serious soul-searching.

• I would really like to know if God is as loving as everyone believes, why does he let evil happen?

• Why do I question God’s existence?

• I would like to ask why God won’t just show all people who are lost a great miracle and then they will all believe in him.

• What’s the point? Besides asking God for things and saying thank you for other things, what’s the point? Why do we need God? Why do some people yearn for God or want more of him? I’ve never felt that way. What’s the point of God? Does our life matter at all? I mean, I’d rather be alive, but, again, what’s the point?

• Why did God test Adam and Eve if he knew they were going to sin?

• How did everyone get here if only one man and a woman were here first. I mean everyone started in Israel. Then how did they get to North and South America and become Indians and have a whole different language?

• Why did people live longer before the flood?

• Am I a good Christian? Am I doing God’s will? Can you stop being a Christian?

• How can you change the ways you have been so that it pleases God (like get rid of bad habits)?

• How do I know if I am forgiven? How do I know if I am growing in faith? How do I make myself stronger in faith?

• How do I witness without shoving the gospel down people’s throats and being annoying?

• How do we judge things not in the Bible?

• How often should we pray?

• I love God, go to church, and go to a Christian school but don’t feel closer to God. What does that mean? I read my Bible everyday. Why do I still feel so far away from God?

• Why am I drifting apart so far from God? What has happened to me? I feel like a chameleon I have to change in front of every new person I meet or have meet.

• How can people talk about the greatness of Christianity, when it is stained by so much bloodshed?

• If I don’t want to go to church, is it sin? If we don’t go to church, and just believe Jesus, do we go to the heaven after we die?

• If you are a Christian but you hate going to Sunday school…does that mean you’re not a Christian?

• Isn’t Saturday the Lord’s day of worship? Why do most people go to church on Sunday?

• What exactly are saints?

• What is Lent about, why do they do it?

• How does God interact with life on other planets?

• Is there life in other galaxies? Do they know about God? Why couldn’t God make other intelligent life in the universe(s)?

• Does anyone else wonder if God is really real? Because Buddhist thinks Buddha is God. I feel Bad for asking that but I wonder sometimes.

• I want non-biblical proof that Jesus rose.

• I want to know the truth How History and Biblical history fit together. I want to know the answers to all the questions I have that make me doubt my religion.

• If God already knew the world would be corrupt why did he make it in the first place?

• When Satan sinned was he in heaven & if so how could he be in heaven since you can’t sin in heaven?

• Who does Satan think he is?

It is clear that our middle school students want to understand the biblical teachings that are to direct their lives. Teachers and parents need to learn about the questions their own students are afraid to ask and then, together, find ways to answer them. I am so very grateful to God that we have Christian middle schools where this can happen.