Written by: Myan Subrayan
Article source: JOY! Magazine
The global phenomenon of youth radicalisation is no longer confined to extremist groups operating in foreign lands or remote conflict zones. It has reached into the homes and communities of ordinary families worldwide. Through digital platforms, mainstream media narratives, political agendas, and targeted manipulation, children are increasingly being drawn away from their families, taught to dishonour authority, and conditioned to reject the Biblical order of respect, obedience, and honour within the household.
A deliberate strategy to weaken the family
This troubling trend cannot be dismissed as coincidental – it reflects a deeper, deliberate strategy to destabilise the family, the foundation of society as defined in Scripture. The Bible warns of this very pattern in 2 Timothy 3:1-3: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good.”
Prophetic warnings for today
This prophetic warning captures the essence of the present crisis. The rise of disobedience and dishonour among youth is not a cultural accident but a spiritual and ideological strategy aimed at eroding family unity and weakening society’s moral fabric.
Digital indoctrination and family erosion
The internet and social media have become the new battleground for the hearts and minds of young people. Extremist groups no longer require physical spaces to recruit – they now infiltrate online communities, gaming platforms, and encrypted chatrooms.
Algorithms reinforce echo chambers where rebellion, disrespect, and anti-family values are normalised. By isolating youth from parental influence and replacing it with curated propaganda, digital radicalisation directly undermines the Biblical commandment to “honour your father and your mother” (Exo 20:12).
The influence of mainstream media
Mainstream media often plays a destructive role in shaping youth attitudes. Through selective reporting, sensationalism, and entertainment programming, media outlets frequently glorify rebellion against authority, ridicule traditional family structures, and normalise disrespect towards parents and elders. Subtle but constant messaging paints Biblical family values as outdated or oppressive. Sitcoms, films, and even children’s programming often portray parents as ignorant, irrelevant, or authoritarian, while children are elevated as wiser, freer, and justified in rejecting parental authority. News reporting, meanwhile, often frames parents who hold Biblical convictions as intolerant or harmful, undermining their God-given responsibility to disciple their children. In doing so, the media does not merely reflect cultural change – it drives it, encouraging young people to distance themselves from Biblical truth and embrace dishonour as acceptable.
Political agendas and the undermining of parental authority
Certain political movements, particularly those aligned with left-leaning ideologies, have advanced policies that weaken the role of parents in their children’s upbringing. Under the guise of “progress” or “individual rights”, such policies increasingly shift authority away from the family and toward the state. Examples include:
• Education policies that exclude parents from decision-making on moral or sexual instruction.
• Legislation that empowers children to make life-altering choices without parental knowledge or consent.
• Political rhetoric that labels traditional family values as discriminatory or regressive.
These agendas often position children in opposition to their parents, encouraging them to see parental authority as oppressive and state ideology as liberating. This is a direct inversion of God’s design for the family.
Psychological manipulation of youth
Extremist movements, cultural influencers, and political activists exploit vulnerabilities such as loneliness, injustice, or personal hurt to draw young people into new identities detached from faith and family. The tactic is clear: weaken parental authority, sever intergenerational respect, and replace it with allegiance to ideologies that destabilise society and oppose Biblical truth.
Fragmentation of ideology and families
The ideological marketplace is increasingly fragmented. Radical groups, mainstream narratives, and political movements blend together to create confusion and division. The result is a generation bombarded with contradictory messages, many of which reject God’s order for family and life.
This confusion fosters attitudes of pride, rebellion, and dishonour – exactly as described in 2 Timothy 3:1-3. The rejection of parental authority is not merely behavioural but ideological, cultivated to fracture the very unit God ordained for stability and nurture.
Biblical and social implications
From a Biblical perspective, the deliberate turning of children against parents strikes at the heart of God’s design for the family. Honour and obedience to parents are not only moral virtues but protective safeguards against social collapse (Eph 6:1-3).
What we are witnessing aligns with Paul’s warning: a targeted erosion of natural love, gratitude, and obedience, replaced with pride, rebellion, and brutality. It is a spiritual battle manifesting in digital propaganda, media messaging, and political ideology.
Towards a whole-of-society and faith-based response
While governments and agencies recognise the dangers of radicalisation, their solutions often remain limited to counter-terrorism frameworks. What is missing is recognition of the spiritual and moral dimensions of the crisis. Combating youth radicalisation must involve restoring Biblical values of family, honour, and respect. A comprehensive response must include:
• Strengthening the family: equipping parents to disciple their children in faith, discernment, and Biblical obedience.
• Exposing media influence: training believers, especially young people, to recognise and resist anti-family narratives in news and entertainment.
• Resisting harmful policies: encouraging Christians to speak out against legislation that undermines parental authority and to advocate for God’s design for family.
• Community and church mentorship: providing safe spaces where youth can find identity, belonging, and discipleship apart from destructive ideologies.
• Persistent prayer and intercession: covering children and families in prayer, breaking strongholds of rebellion and deception.
Conclusion
The rise of disobedience, dishonour, and disrespect among young people is not an isolated cultural shift – it is part of a broader, deliberate agenda to weaken families, destabilise societies, and erode Biblical authority structures. Mainstream media, political ideologies, and digital radicalisation all contribute to this erosion, but the root is spiritual. As 2 Timothy 3:1-3 warns, these are signs of perilous times.
The family, as God designed, remains the frontline of defence against cultural decay and spiritual deception. To preserve future generations, we must resist not only violent extremism but also the ideological and political assaults that turn children against their parents. Reaffirming Biblical principles of honour, obedience, and family unity is not optional – it is essential for both the survival of our faith and the stability of society.
This article is featured in the November issue of JOY! Magazine. Read a digital version of this magazine here: joygifts.co.za
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Date published: 31/10/2025
MYAN SUBRAYAN – life coach, speaker and author. He works with elite athletes and professional teams, including Olympians and players from top rugby and cricket squads.
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. Artwork adapted from www.freepik.com
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