|
New
research released ahead of the United Nation’s
International Youth Day revealed startling statistics
about the world’s youth including their views on
personal salvation, virginity and attempts to commit
suicide.
OneHope, a children-oriented Christian ministry, found
that 91 percent of youths in Costa Rica say they do not
believe they will go to heaven despite claiming to have
accepted Jesus Christ.
In Spain, 74 percent of the youth say they do not want
to be a virgin when they marry. And in Russia, 42
percent of the youth report having tried to commit
suicide.
The above are only a few of the disturbing findings from
OneHope’s comprehensive study that began in 2006. The
ministry hopes the research will help organizations
working with youths to more effectively customize their
programs and materials to meet the needs of the children
in their region.
“It isn’t enough to hear about the children in a
community. To truly understand youth, we need to hear
from them,” said OneHope president Rob Hoskins.
Since its founding in 1987, OneHope has tried to reach
the world’s youth with the message of the Bible in a
culturally sensitive way. The ministry, which this year
changed its name from Book of Hope to OneHope, began its
research project to find out why there is a lack of
spiritual transformation in nations with high
percentages of missionary activity and evangelical
populations.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, OneHope noted how
the Christian population is above 50 percent but many
nationals continue to engage in idolatry while attending
church. “Our goal in providing this research free of
charge is to allow others to benefit from its findings,”
said Hoskins. “We hope this research helps other
organizations to also become more effective in reaching
the world’s children.”
Included in the research findings are insights on the
daily lives of youths and their cultural beliefs
regarding their relationships with families; behaviors
and morals influencing their relationships with the
opposite sex; social influences and future goals; and
worldviews, beliefs and religious affiliations.
All the research findings have been made available for
online to commemorate the 2009 U.N.-sanctioned
International Youth Day. The findings can be viewed by
country at no cost. Though the research currently
includes only 22 countries, OneHope plans to soon expand
the number to 38 additional countries.
|
