Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, sometimes abbreviated MTD, is a term coined by authors Christian Smith at the Notre Dame and Lisa Pearce at UNC Chapel Hill, to describe the common religious beliefs among American youth. Their research project, titled the National Study of Youth and Religion, was funded by the Lily Endowment, a private organization known for its support of Christianity. The pair found that many young people believed in several moral statutes not exclusive to any of the major world religions:
- A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.
- God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.
- The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
- God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.
- Good people go to heaven when they die.
- How many people do you know who believe this and call it Christianity? Are you actively working to share the real Gospel with them?
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