Column “Uni live”: Prayers against masturbation and homosexuality?

There is a book exchange shelf in the basement of my old student dormitory.

Schmonzetten, thrillers, sometimes something clever.

What the dormitory reads and exchanges corresponds somewhat to the cross-section of the book market.

But there are also the Christian edification books that creep into the rows of shelves again and again and that I diligently pulled out out of interest until I moved out.

These books are often not at all edifying. One copy, for example, contains prayers for many real-world issues, for example for a life without masturbation or against a homosexual feeling. Oh god, I thought to myself when I first studied the book in my room, is anyone in this dorm adoring against masturbating? Meanwhile, I rummaged in my university bag for a rainbow sticker that I really wanted to stick in the shared kitchen.

This column is not meant to be a swan song for religion, I regularly kneel in church.

But that doesn't matter.

Even for an atheist, this fact does not change: Religion is important because people believe in it.

It is therefore a social reality and it should be designed in such a way that it fits the values ​​of our free, democratic society.

Now the ban on masturbation sounds more like the Middle Ages than modern, after all, it won't do much damage.

It looks different when it comes to homosexuality.

Young seekers of meaning in free churches

Now one could say: Who cares what one or two students with a reactionary image of God three or four rooms further believe and think? Perhaps the phenomenon is not as marginal as one might think. In my five years in the dormitory I kept getting invitations to some hardcore Jesus clubs in the mailbox, a college friend is now an evangelical and recently a group of fellow students on the cafeteria meadow who thought all religions were Schmu, only Jesus brought salvation to tried to proselytize.

In my environment, too, the wind is on polarization. Christian religion plays a role for fewer and fewer of my friends and acquaintances, but a decisive role for more and more. The young seekers of meaning often find their home in free congregations for young people who come up with pop music and lemonade after the service. Perhaps one can still understand that, it is certainly easier to pray there than in the midst of the 80 plus generation. But the price is high. According to my observation, these churches often represent a black and white image of God from times long past.

Ever since I held the prayer against masturbation in my hands, I have asked myself: How can young people who have enjoyed a humanistic education in the broadest sense for at least twelve years turn against the enlightenment and emancipation movements in our society in such a way? What do these rigid Christian communities offer them to put their reflective powers aside?

These are questions that cannot be answered so quickly, says Martin Fritz. The theologian from the Evangelical Central Office for Weltanschauungsfragen (EZW) is an expert in the field, but he also knows where the blind spots are. It starts with the membership structures. Because there are no binding censuses and associations in free churches, one can only estimate how many Christians are assigned to them. According to figures from the Evangelical Church in Germany, there are around 900,000. However, the statistics do not register a direct boom, since 2012 they have seen growth of around 3.5 percent. During the same period, the Evangelical Church has lost around 15 percent and the Catholic Church around 10 percent. Another ambiguity arises because of the diversity of the free churches, which mostly act independently of one another.What some preach, others do not believe for a long time. Nobody has an overview.

One thing is clear: the free church movement is alive. It is not known whether it is particularly successful with young people. At least in the cities there are numerous gatherings that appeal primarily to young people and are well attended. Martin Fritz from the EZW tries to explain why they succeed: "These churches cultivate clear, intense and simple forms of religiosity." embody a young, Christian attitude towards life.

Simple shapes would make it easier for young people to find answers to their complex life questions.

At the same time, the communities create a strong sense of community, you can quickly make friends there.

For many students and young professionals who often have to move, this is a plus.

“In many churches, people accept the reactionary point of view, even if it does not necessarily correspond to them at home,” says Fritz.

It all makes sense, but it does not explain the situation exhaustively.

Better numbers were needed to understand exactly what was happening.

They could provide broad studies of the sociology of religion.

A few doctoral theses on the topic would be desirable.

In the meantime, what can we do about increasing social fragmentation?

What are the values ​​that hold us together as a community?

How do we convey that?

Last but not least, the university as a laboratory and space for reflection in our society is in demand here.

But she does not seem to have grasped this challenge yet.