Disturbing Behavior
CHMN 301
Foundation of NextGen Ministry
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Submitted to Dr. Steve Vandergriff
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
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Description
Today, we hear many teenagers claim the future is non-binary. We see statistics saying
between 2015 and 2019, the percentage of teenage girls who defined themselves as non-
heterosexual rose from 12.2% to 17.8%.1 We see our youth being influenced by many pro
LGBTQ+ celebrities on all platforms of social media. Today's youth are far more accepting of
people who are publicly lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, non-binary, and more.
The disturbing behavior of accepting gender dysphoria as the truth of one's identity is
sweeping the nation. This is mainly because of the uprise in social media and the false teachings
of the Bible. Now more than ever, teens believe and accept what their friends think versus what
their parents believe because they feel their parents reject their identity. Our teens are surrounded
by affirming friends, affirming role models, and even affirming teachers. This has caused an
ongoing shift in the culture where more people accept it than those that don't, thus influencing
our youth.
Examples
As Christians, we are called to love those around us, but we are not called to affirm sin.
Viral videos can be found on TikTok and YouTube of people without credentials claiming that
the Bible does not address homosexuality as a sin, and our teenagers are watching these daily. It
is now invading churches and Christianity. Recently, there has been a split in the United
Methodist Church regarding this issue where some affirm, and others don't. Most affirming
Christians are more progressive versus evangelical or fundamentalist Christians. There is also an
acceptance of LGBTQ+ Christians in churches and social media communities. It is now
completely acceptable to be a Christian from this community because "love is love" and Jesus
1 Murez, Cara. 2021. “Big Rise in U.S. Teens Identifying As Gay, Bisexual.” WebMD. 2021.
https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/news/20210615/big-rise-in-us-teens-identifying-as-gay-bisexual.
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loved everyone, or they go with the "it's not a sin" argument. Our teens are heavily influenced by
the culture surrounding them and will do anything for a like on social media. An epidemic of
sorts is occurring that begins with our youth, where traditional Christian beliefs are offensive and
horrible towards people in the LGBTQ+ community.
25% of TikTok users are between the ages of 10 and 19.2 They are the biggest age group
on the app. On Instagram, the biggest range of users are between the ages of 13 and 24; they
cover 29.8% of the users.3 Social media plays a significant role in what the culture accepts. The
adverse effects are addiction, bullying, comparison, safety concerns, and mental health issues.4
People can get on TikTok and say anything they want to say that doesn't have to be proven true.
There are many examples of Christian LGBTQ+ accounts ran by teenagers and young adults
disproving the "homophobic" verses in the Bible. Unfortunately, it seems the influence of social
media is more powerful than the influence the church has on teens.
I have spoken to a 3rd grade teacher at a Christian school in West Virginia who has
confirmed that five girls in her class claim to be bisexual. Her daughter is in 11th grade at the
same school, and more teens, primarily girls, identify as bisexual, lesbian, or non-binary. She
believes it's a combination of fitting in, the school not talking about it enough, and parents not
protecting what their teenagers are consuming on social media. She has been a teacher for 20
years and has never seen a generation such as this have so many young people identify
themselves in this way. The kids are watching the teenagers affirm it, so the age of acceptance
and admittance of one's identity is becoming lower.
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4
Statista Research Department. 2021. “Distribution of TikTok Users in the United States as of March
2021, by Age Group.” Statista. 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1095186/tiktok-us-users-age/.
Ibid. “Distribution of TikTok Users in the United States as of March 2021, by Age Group.”
“The Negative Impact of TikTok on Teens.” 2020. Smart Social. 2020.
https://smartsocial.com/post/negative-impact-tiktok.
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Solutions
The quest to solve this disturbing behavior is a remarkably vast one. However, it must
first start in the home, and it must begin while they're young. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a
child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."5 Parents should be
raising their children to find their identity in Christ and trust that He created them the gender
they were supposed to be. They should also be limiting social media and paying attention to what
their kids are consuming. God has a purpose and a plan for all of those who follow Him (Prov.
3:5-6). Kids should learn these biblical principles from a young age so they can begin to accept
Jesus and find their identity in Christ. Once they do, they will begin to see God accomplishing
His will through them and His specific plans for them coming to fruition. This is achieved
through reading the Bible with your kids, making sure they go to church, and building healthy
relationships. Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivy write, "Relationships bring clarity. When kids see
themselves the way a loving adult sees them, it changes how they see themselves."6 Teens who
find their identity in Christ will not be so easily swayed by the worldly culture that rejects
biblical truth.
When parents handle a teen who claims they are not heterosexual or they are another
gender, it is necessary to react in a loving manner and not from a judgmental standpoint. This is
done by first responding calmly and respectfully. Parents can do their best to respond in a
Christlike manner before destroying that relationship with their teenager. Next, parents can
surround themselves with help and advice from a pastor, mentor, close friends, and a licensed
mental health counselor. Questioning and having conversations about the topic can solidify one's
5 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the Christian Standard Bible (B&H
Publishing Group, 2017).
6 Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivy, It’s Just a Phase So Don’t Miss It: Why Every Life Stage of a Kid Matters
and at Least 13 Things Your Church Should Do About It (Cumming: Orange, 2015), 100.
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beliefs on the subject. Spouses can research the Bible together and make sure they're on the same
page. After this, parents should assure their child of their unconditional love for them. The teen
should know his parents deeply care no matter what he's going through. He should not think
unconditional love means love without concern or disagreement. God loves us unconditionally
but cares about what we do and does not agree with any sin in our lives. Next, parents can begin
to figure out what their child means. They can ask clarifying questions about the statement made.
This is a grand discovery time where questions like, "Do you experience attraction to the
opposite sex?" and "What led you to believe that you were not born the correct gender?" can be
asked. Parents can create a safe space for their child, so nobody will humiliate them for
questioning their sexuality. This should involve bringing in a third party like a pastor or licensed
Christian counselor. Finally, parents can help their child talk it out instead of acting upon their
thoughts and desires. They can explain how their child owes it to themself to shut out all of the
distractions from the culture and examine their options. Many Christians suffer from same-sex
attraction but never act upon it or identify as gay. Our culture teaches teens to follow their hearts
and do what they feel is right. We are weak, and God is our truth. We need Him to tell us what is
right and wrong.
Biblical Response
We do not serve a God of mistakes, and instilling this from a young age is essential to
how a teen perceives themself. Psalm 139:13-14 says, " For it was you who created my inward
parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been
remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well." In the
King James Version of the Bible, we also read how God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor.
14:33). Gender dysphoria is the confusion of one's identity. When we follow our flesh, we are
Bibliography
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doomed to fail because the desires of our flesh are against the spirit (Gal. 5:17, Matt 26:41).
Developing a biblical worldview and a moral conscience about what the Bible says is right and
wrong is crucial for our youth today. Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivy write, "If you want to help a
kid develop a moral conscience, you have to interpret and influence their motive."7 When parents
build relationships with their kids and have open conversations about what the culture is twisting
and making acceptable, only then will teens have the courage to go against the normality of
society.
Conclusion
Our teens are facing intense social issues and questioning their identity more than any
generation before them. As disturbing as this behavior is of following the culture's version of
identity, it is preventable. Parents can raise their children from a biblical perspective and have
open conversations to prevent the acceptance of sin. They can set boundaries for social media
and monitor the content their teens are consuming. They can respond in love and always show
their children they care if they do face the problem. Ultimately, we should look to God and
glorify Him in all we do. We can prepare and develop our children to do the same.
7 Ibid., 119.
7
Joiner, Reggie, and Kristen Ivy. 2015. It’s Just a Phase So Don’t Miss It: Why Every Life Stage of
a Kid Matters and at Least 13 Things Your Church Should Do About It. Cumming:
Orange.
Murez, Cara. 2021. “Big Rise in U.S. Teens Identifying As Gay, Bisexual.” WebMD. 2021.
https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/news/20210615/big-rise-in-us-teens-
identifying-as-gay-bisexual.
Statista Research Department. 2021a. “Distribution of Instagram Users in the United States as of
July 2021, by Age Group.” Statista. 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/398166/us-
instagram-user-age-distribution/.
———. 2021b. “Distribution of TikTok Users in the United States as of March 2021, by Age
Group.” Statista. 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1095186/tiktok-us-users-age/.
“The Negative Impact of TikTok on Teens.” 2020. Smart Social. 2020.
https://smartsocial.com/post/negative-impact-tiktok.
