The changing God imagination of youth as a subject of religious consultancy

Globalization makes its presence intensely felt in all areas in the age we live. Technological developments have increased the variety of transportation and communication means and also provided a faster dataflow and more intense interactions among different regions. The circulations in many fields have made sociocultural and economical interactions inevitable. Economically and culturally developed societies have a dominant influence on the other societies, especially in terms of religion and values. Changing society norms and lifestyles are thought to have caused transformations in beliefs and this impacts the youth most. The youth is a period in which doubts and questionings in beliefs are experienced most like in many other fields. The young people who encounter different beliefs and truth claims by means of globalization and developing communication tools may be impressed by these thoughts from time to time. It is seen that there is a significant increase in the number of the young people who define themselves as atheist, deist and agnostic. The deficiencies and destructions in God imagination are considered to be the cause of diverging to different belief systems. In our study, we examine the imperativeness of extensive and active usage of Pastoral Care and Guidance Institution that guides young people and helps them with their belief problems and God imagination. Presidency of Religious Affairs performs studies to help young people about religious subjects in different institutions with pastoral care and guidance studies. But the purpose of our research is to popularize this service and emphasize that this service must be given by specialists on God imagination. In our research, we preferred combined methods and used both qualitative and quantitative research patterns. In this context, we conducted a survey and had semi-structured interviews to detect the God imagination of young people. They were asked whether they demand professional support on the conflicting situations about God imagination in their lives. Consequently, some of the young people stated that they want such a support and some stated that they do not have a need for this. It is remarkable that the ones who do not want pastoral care and guidance service on that topic tell that they have lost their trust to the people and institutions giving religious education. As a result, the increase in the number of the young people having different God imaginations propounds those serious studies should be done in this field. But primarily, the necessity to build the trust to the people and institutions giving religious education is seen as another problem.