The Moralistic Therapeutic Deism of Young People

In 2005, sociologists found that the religion of young people was moralistic therapeutic deism. That is to say, we basically think God's out there to make us feel comfortable and happy. Contrast that with our passage where Paul says he wanted you to feel sorrowful. Sin in the Bible is not just bad behavior; it's a posture of the heart that says to God, "I don't need you"