December 9, 2002
EDITORIAL:
Scary mirror: Confronting America's spiritual ignorance
___"The devil made me do it!" drew big laughs for comedian Flip Wilson a generation ago. Today, however, most Americans aren't laughing about Satan. They simply don't think he exists.
___That's one of several discouraging findings from a survey conducted by the Barna Research Group. It shows that "a large share" of American adults who attend Protestant or Catholic congregations hold beliefs that conflict with biblical teachings and the tenets of their churches.
___On the up side, American adults still embrace three key Christian teachings:
___ Seventy-nine percent believe in the Trinity, defined by Barna Research as "God is one being in three separate and equal forms--God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit."
| Half of Americans believe "anyone who is generally good enough or does enough good things for others during their life will earn a place in heaven." |
___ Belief in the immortality of the soul--"every person has a soul that will live forever, either in God's presence or absence"--also is held by 79 percent.
___ And a strong majority, 76 percent, reject the notion that "the Bible can only be correctly interpreted by people who have years of intense training in theology," thus affirming a key tenet of the Protestant Reformation.
___Unfortunately, a majority or significant minority of American adults disregard nine other major biblical teachings:
___ Almost six out of 10 (59 percent) discount the existence of Satan, stating they believe the devil is a symbol of evil, not an actual presence.
___ Similarly, a near-majority (46 percent) deny the notion that "a human being can be under the control or influence of spiritual forces such as demons."
___ A slight majority (51 percent) think "praying to deceased saints can have a positive effect on a person's life." This is a major belief of the Roman Catholic Church, and it is held by 80 percent of Catholics. Surprisingly, however, 41 percent of Protestants also say they believe praying to saints does some good.
___ While not a majority, more than one-third of American adults (35 percent) think humans can "communicate with others after they die."
___ Only half of Americans (50 percent) say Jesus did not sin while on Earth.
___ Half of Americans also believe a person can earn salvation. Fifty percent affirm the idea that "anyone who is generally good enough or does enough good things for others during their life will earn a place in heaven." This is not surprising for Catholics, but the Barna survey learned 40 percent of Protestants think they can be good enough to secure a place in heaven.
___ Almost three-fourths of Americans reject the concept of "original sin." Seventy-four percent agree with the idea that "when people are born, they are neither good nor evil--they make a choice between the two as they mature." The Barna survey discovered that even a slight majority (52 percent) of evangelical Christians also think this way.
___ Americans' muddy theological thinking may stem from their penchant for accepting contradictory theological sources. The survey revealed that the largest group of Americans (44 percent) believe "the Bible, the Koran and the Book of Mormon are all different expressions of the same spiritual truth." Only 38 percent reject that idea.
___ Similarly, 54 percent of Americans believe "truth can be discovered only through logic, human reasoning and personal experience." This notion conflicts with traditional Protestant thinking, which contends the Bible is the source of truth, and Catholicism, which insists the Bible and the pope are authoritative.
___The survey's findings reflect a 20-year slide away from biblical teaching, noted George Barna, president of the research group. "Christians have increasingly beeen adopting spiritual views that come from Islam, Wicca, secular humanism, the Eastern religions and other sources," he said. "Because we remain a largely Bible-illiterate society, few are alarmed or even aware of the slide toward syncretism--a belief system that blindly combines beliefs from many different faith perspectives."
___Unfortunately, the survey does not differentiate the varieties of denominational groups within Christianity. One would hope Baptists, who have emphasized Bible study and discipleship more than most denominations, would fare better than the norm. However, we might be disappointed at the results.
___The findings suggest many implications, but two stand out:
___First, our evangelistic efforts must be relational, not rational. General appeals to biblical authority won't bear up for people who think of the Bible as only "another good book." When we witness, we can cite the Bible to explain what we mean and to provide a framework for understanding salvation. However, individual testimony, the specific story of what a relationship with Jesus Christ has done for us, is the most powerful tool for changing lives. Non-believers may argue with religious texts, but they cannot refute changed and empowered lives.
___The Apostle Paul provided a good role model: "For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me. ... As it is written, 'They who had no news of him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand'" (Romans 15:18, 21).
___Second, we must increase our focus on Bible study and discipleship for believers. Christians must be taught the tenets of Christianity. We might not expect "the world" to affirm basic doctrines, but people who have entered into a saving relationship with Jesus should understand the implications of their faith.
___Only Jesus can breath life into Christianity, but ignorance can infect it with poison.
___
--Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
The Baptist Standard
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