在新媒体平台上，宗教领袖们为不同教派的信众找到了与年轻一代沟通的新途径，而新冠疫情将它们推向了有利位置。”虽然对2024年年轻成年人的信仰似乎充满挑战，但我见证到社交媒体和TikTok是有效的工具。这些平台能够复兴下一代，并促成持久的社会变革。尽管许多人可能正远离组织宗教的束缚，但他们并未完全关闭对精神世界与内在力量的探索门户。”基督教演说者、内容创作者及传道家盖伯·波罗特告诉福克斯新闻数字频道。
波罗特在社交媒体和TikTok上活动了四年，合计积累了超过40亿次观看量。更令人鼓舞的是，他收到了成千上万条评论，其中包含人们看到其内容后归信基督的故事。对于年轻一代来说，在寻找精神支柱的道路上，校园宗教团体报告称，学生们对在“崩塌”的文化中找到意义的兴趣显著提升。
通过社交媒体和TikTok传播福音，波罗特发现了一个分享奇迹、展示信仰力量的空间——比如当他从严重的脑损伤中被耶稣带回来，并在其昏迷17天后奇迹般康复的故事。”在那之后的2021年11月14日，我醒来时，我曾经破碎的大脑得到了修复，我的肺部也再次健康如初；仅在我的一个见证视频在所有平台上的观看量就超过一百万年轻人。”
社交平台上还有许多基督教相关的视频内容，包括圣经研究、个人见证、崇拜音乐录制、祈祷日记教程等，展现了年轻一代基督徒生活方式的方方面面。
“在越来越世俗的世界中，年轻成年人主要依赖手机进行活动的情况下，TikTok和社交媒体成为了我们追求基督教未来希望的关键工具之一。我希望，能够出现一群忠诚而热情的基督徒们，在每一个平台上为真理发声，即便身处被主流宗教操纵、教人们相信自己即神，并使他们对事实的认知发生偏移的时代。”
“然而，值得欣慰的是，许多年轻男性和女性开始睁眼看世界并寻求基督——无论他出现在何处，甚至在手机或TikTok上。他们追求来自真实人的亲身经历的真实体验。”
尽管社交媒体已成为吸引年轻人进入基督教领域的催化剂之一，但这也可能触及了一种让宗教领袖担忧的趋势：年轻女性作为传统教堂中的主导群体正出现大规模流失。一些分析认为，这与女权主义的兴起、对社会正义的关注以及对更传统的价值观和机构的远离有关。
但也有报告指出，在充满不确定性的时代，年轻人似乎比以往更频繁地前往教堂——特别是年轻的男性。或许是在探寻精神寄托中，年轻人发现了一种新的意义感。
新闻来源：www.foxnews.com
原文地址：Scrolling toward salvation: Christian TikTokers inspire faith in increasingly secular young Americans
新闻日期：2024-10-06
原文摘要：
Call it TikTok televangelism or social media sermons. While faith and Gen Z might not be the most synonymous with each other, social media has given religious leaders across all denominations a new way to reel in young brothers and sisters, and the COVID-19 pandemic placed them in a prime position to do so. "While it may seem like there is little hope for the faith of young adults in 2024, I have witnessed the incredible effectiveness of social media and TikTok as a great tool that can be used to bring revival to the next generation and see lasting change. While many might be turning away from organizational religion, they are not closed off from spirituality and power," Gabe Poirot, a Christian speaker, content creator and evangelist, told Fox News Digital. Poirot has been on social media and TikTok for four years, amassing over 400 million views between the platform and YouTube combined. He's also come across thousands of comments containing testimonials of how viewers came to Christ after viewing his content. CAMPUS RELIGIOUS GROUPS REPORT GREATER INTEREST FROM STUDENTS TRYING TO FIND MEANING IN ‘CRUMBLING’ CULTURE For Poirot, the digital world is a space to share miracles and show others the power that faith can bring, including how it saved his own life. "I have been able to share my testimony of when Jesus brought me back to life and miraculously healed me after a traumatic brain injury and 17-day coma, where the hospital asked for my last will and gave me no hope to live again," he said. "On Nov. 14, 2021, I woke up from the coma, and my formerly broken skull was healed, and my lungs were restored. The views on that testimony alone across all platforms has reached more than a million young adults." CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE Poirot is far from the only person using social media to spread the gospel. A quick search on the platform returns results for hashtags like #ChristianTikTok or #ChristianInfluencer as well as a slew of videos from influencers who create faith-based content. Among them are people like Ashley Heatherington, Malachi Dawson, Julia Peterson and others who have thousands of followers, some even boasting over 500K. GEN Z MEN POUR INTO CHURCH PEWS MORE OFTEN THAN WOMEN, FLIPPING THE TREND ON FAITH: ‘WHAT’S THE LORD DOING?' There are masses of Bible study videos, recorded testimonies, worship music recordings, prayer journal tutorials and more, all showcasing what it's like to live a Christian lifestyle as a young adult. "In an increasingly secular world where young adults are spending the majority of time on their phones, TikTok and social media is an essential tool that must be taken advantage of if we want any hope for the future of Christianity," Poirot said. "My prayer is that there would be a remnant of dedicated and passionate Christians who speak up for the truth on every platform, even in the midst of the woke religion that has manipulated most of the country. It has taught far too many to believe in the god of themselves, and shift the truth to fit whatever they identify as. "But the good news is that many young men and women are opening their eyes and seeking Christ, wherever He may be found, even on their phones and on TikTok. They seek an authentic experience coming directly from the enthusiasm of real people," he added. THIS NIGHTCLUB HELPS GEN Z KEEP THEIR FAITH-BASED VALUES: ‘WE’VE OFFICIALLY REDEFINED PARTY CULTURE' Gen Z coming to Christianity through TikTok could perhaps put a dent in a trend that has concerned faith leaders, as young women – once the dominant group that filled church pews – particularly indicate an exodus from faith. Some speculate there are multiple reasons for this – a shift toward feminism and a focus on social justice, steering them away from more traditional values and institutions that tout them. On the contrary, some recent reports indicate young men are flocking to churches more frequently than before, perhaps as younger generations search for more meaning in an age of uncertainty. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
