Yesterday, I read two reports that should remind us what are the most important issues are today. The first survey (conducted by Barna Group) addresses Christians in general (does not specify evangelicals, Protestant, Catholic, etc.), and the second addresses teenagers (conducted by LifeWay research). Let’s begin with the adults.
The article reports, “Less Americans embrace a traditional view of God and Bible reading is becoming less popular, a new study revealed.” The study, conducted in January 2007, breaks down accordingly:
- 66% of Americans believe that God is best described as “the all-powerful, all-knowing perfect Creator of the universe who rules the world today”
- 45% believe that “the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches”
- 37% strongly disagree that Jesus sinned
- 29% have greater reluctance to explain their faith to other people
- 27% have a willingness to reject good works as a means to personal salvation
- 24% strongly reject the idea that Satan is not a real spiritual being
Now I don’t want to provide too much commentary and make this a really long post, but notice that 2/3 of Americans do not disagree that Jesus sinned, and 7 out of 10 believe that good works are essential to personal salvation. That enough should inform us why theology matters in our evangelistic practices! Now let’s look at what the survey said about what they do:
- 83% of Americans identified as Christians
- 49% of them described themselves as absolutely committed to Christianity
- 83% saying they prayed in the last week
- 43% attending a church service
- 20% participating in a small group
- 41% said they read the Bible outside of church worship services in a typical week
Again, while 83% consider themselves Christians, (1) only 49% describe themselves as “absolutely committed to Christianity”, (2) 43% regularly attend a church service, and (3) 41% read their Bible outside of church worship services. Could it be that perhaps the reason that only 41% don’t read their Bible is because 55% don’t believe it is “accurate”? Could it be that the reason why there is a 40% difference between those who call themselves Christians and those who attend church regularly is because that 40% (if not more) are unregenerate?
The conclusion of David Kinnaman who directed the study said:
“While an overwhelming majority the nation’s population claim they are Christian, only half of the adults can name one of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and most Americans do not know the first book in the Bible (Genesis).” . . . “[Christians] lack a consistent and holistic understanding of their faith. Millions of Americans say they are personally committed to Jesus Christ, but they believe he sinned while on earth. Many believers claim to trust what the Bible teaches, but they reject the notion of a real spiritual adversary or they feel that faith-sharing activities are optional. Millions feel personally committed to God, but they are renegotiating the definition of that deity.”
Now let’s look at teenagers. This study took place during January and February 2007 with a sample of 1,000 teenagers (12-19 years old). Like the previous survey, LifeWay begins with what teenagers believe and later addresses what they practice (or not practice).
What teenagers believe:
- 69% of teens believe heaven exists
- 53% Jesus Christ’s death for their sins as the reason they will go to heaven
- 27% trust in their own kindness to others
- 26% trust in their religiosity as their means to get to heaven
Again, like the adults, teenagers who believe they are going to heaven do not understand salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. In the end, they attribute their salvation to something they have done and not resting in the finished work of Christ.
What teenagers practice (in last 30 days):
- 54% have attended a church or religious service
- 20% attended Sunday School
- 39% respondents said they had prayed regularly
- 14% said they had read the Bible
This survey looks even more alarming as less than half who attend church do not attend a Bible study or Sunday School. Even worse, of the 53% who say they are going to heaven because of Jesus dying for them, only 14% have read their Bible in the last month. Where are teenagers getting the idea that their salvation is a product of good works?
LifeWay concludes,
“The central theme of Christianity is the person and work of Jesus Christ -– His death and resurrection,” said Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research, adding, “It is surprising that only about half the teenagers who attended a Christian church in the last month are depending solely on the grace of Jesus Christ to get to heaven.”
If there is one thing we can learn from this is that American Christianity by and large is biblically illiterate, theologically ignorant, and ecclesiologically unfaithful. That is, professing Christianity. I suspect that such nominal Christianity does not exist where your throat is sliced for reading the Bible on Easter Sunday or when your tongue is cut out for speaking the name of Jesus. God help us to bring gravitas to what it means to be Christian in America.
Sources:
Study: Fewer Americans Embrace Traditional View of God
LifeWay Research Examines Teenagers’ Views of Eternity
Now I am confident that you’re not asserting that attending a “church service” makes one a Christian. You know the old adage: “sitting in church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes you a car.”
Actually, Barna points out in his book (Revolution) that there is a huge percentage of born-again, passionate followers of Jesus who have opted out of the institutional church because they have judged it to be an irrelevant hindrance to their spiritual health. In Britain, over 50% of professing believers (a similar number to the figure I’ve heard tossed around in America) do not attend services in an traditional church building on Sunday.
When I was serving as a church planting missionary with NAMB in the Florida Panhandle, only 10% of the population attended an evangelical church and my colleagues throughout the Deep South echoed a similar discovery in the rest of Dixie (the southeastern USA). And we seriously questioned how many of the 10% were truly born again, considering the remnants of “cultural Christianity” in the Deep South. Perhaps 10% of those, so about 1% of the overall population.
All to say this: the need has never been greater in the USA for a spiritual harvest! Perhaps China will begin sending missionaries to us SOON. We need them or someone like them to share Jesus NOW.
Bill,
I am not saying that if a person goes to church that makes them a Christian. I am saying that if you are a Christian, you will go to church. I don’t believe you can be a Christian and not be committed to the local church.
Barna’s book (Revolution) is atrocious. The litany of reviews which came afterward evidence that. Barna’s good for statistics, but that is about it. When he begins to talk theology or church, you need to take it for what it is.
These statistics point to several things in my mind. First, we are in danger of losing the gospel. Not only do unbelievers not know the gospel, professing Christians don’t either. We don’t preach sin and judgment like we ought to. It just isn’t the politically correct, postmodern way. The gospel is reduced to four laws, three steps, and one prayer. That won’t produce gospel-centered Christians. We have to get people to realize that they are really sick and really need the Great Physician to heal them. We need to show them the seriousness of sin and how their greatest enemy is not the devil but God Himself. Having disposed of the God of wrath, judgment, and righteousness, our world is led to believe that there will not be a day of accounting, a day where what is done in darkness will come to light, a day where every knee will bow.