Posted on 01/13/2009 1:07:23 PM PST by Between the Lines
The majority of American adults pick and choose their religious beliefs to create, in essence, a “customized” religion rather than adopting the set of beliefs taught by a particular church, a new study found.
By a three to one margin (71 percent to 26 percent), Americans say they are more likely to personally develop their own set of religious beliefs than accept a comprehensive set of beliefs taught by a church or denomination, a Barna study, released Monday, shows.
Among those who describe themselves as Christians, for instance, nearly half believe that Satan does not exist, one-third say that Jesus sinned when He was on earth, two-fifths say they do not have a responsibility to share the Gospel with others, and one-quarter dismiss the idea that the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings – beliefs that are contrary to most church teachings.
George Barna, founder of The Barna Group, commented on the findings saying that a growing number of people are serving as their own “theologian-in-residence,” resulting in Americans embracing an “unpredictable and contradictory body of beliefs.”
He pointed out that millions of people who consider themselves as Christians who believe the Bible is totally accurate in all its teaching also contend at the same time that Jesus Christ sinned.
Others, the researcher noted, say they believe they will receive eternal salvation because they confessed their sins and accepted Christ as their savior, but they also believe that a person can do enough good works to earn eternal salvation.
Americans today, Barna observed, are “more likely to pit a variety of non-Christian options against various Christian-based views.”
“This has resulted in an abundance of unique worldviews based on personal combinations of theology drawn from a smattering of world religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam as well as secularism,” he said.
Leading the pack of pick and choose your religious beliefs are people under the age of 25. More than four out of five (82 percent) of them say they develop their own combination of beliefs rather than adopt a set offered by a church.
Born-again Christians were among the groups least likely to adopt an a la carte approach to religious beliefs, but even most in this group say they have mixed their set of beliefs (61 percent).
In other words, the Barna survey’s findings show that people no longer look to denominations or churches for a complete set of theological views. Rather, combining beliefs from different denominations, and even religions, is becoming the norm.
Another finding in the survey is that Christianity is no longer viewed as the default religion in America. More than 50 percent of the adult respondents say that Christianity is no longer the faith that Americans automatically accept as their personal faith.
Previously, many assumed that if one was born in America than one would automatically be affiliated with the Christian faith.
Evangelical Christians (64 percent) and Hispanics (60 percent) were the strongest supporters of the idea that Christianity is no longer the automatic religion of Americans. Residents in the Northeast and West were also more likely than those living in the South and Mideast to say that Christianity has lost its place as the first faith option people consider.
A slight majority of political conservatives, however, still believe Christianity remains the natural choice of most Americans.
Despite the changes and shift in religious beliefs, an overwhelming portion of Americans still say religious faith is an important source of personal moral guidance. Nearly three out of four (74 percent) American adults say their faith influences their moral judgments.
A nation goes backwards and loses all sense of its history and that which made it strong. Political correctness meets the ME generation.
Isn't that sort of the whole point of religious freedom?
Most Freepers pick and choose religious beliefs.
So, you have to believe in Satan, or you can’t be a Christian? Does this strike anyone else as being amusing?
bttt
No.
You DO have to believe in Satan in order to be a Christian, don’t you?
Well Christ told us the path was narrow, and wide is the road to Hell. It shows.
Well, you certainly have to believe in Jesus, which includes what He taught, including the existence and activities of Satan and hisminions.
Not really. Historically, people identified as Christian were people who believed what the Bible said. It’s the definition of a Christian. It’s no more weird than saying someone who doesn’t believe in Muhammad probably really isn’t a true Muslim. People tend to use the word Christian as a catch all word for anyone who believes in a God not summed up in some other religion. Christianity is actually a specific religion with a set of beliefs based on the Bible. It’s only recently that people started using it as a generic word and making things up as they went. They used to start new religions. Now they just redefine Christianity and get mad when people point out that their beliefs aren’t really in line with the historical Christian religion. It’s the tolerance thing. Christians are supposed to tolerate themselves into obscurity and non-existence. I think that’s weird.
Precisely my point.
I should have included a countdown in my post.
Most Freepers pick and choose religious beliefs.
They’re going to prove my point ..5...4...3...
Oh, and thank you.
For your post, and more importantly for your service to our country.
Not amusing in the least.
The majority of American adults pick and choose their religious beliefs to create, in essence, a “customized” religion rather than adopting the set of beliefs taught by a particular church, a new study found
Of course. The modern weak and spineless American.
If you are a Christian you either follow the WORD or you are not a Christian. Thats why when a politician says he is a Christian to get one set of votes he turns around and pushes abortion laws to get another set of votes.
The TRUTH is that perosn can not be both things.
I can call my self rich but the fact of my bank account proves that lie.
I can call myself Brad Pitt but the truth of the mirror puts the lie to that statement.
A person can call themselves a Christian but that does not make them one............
There are a LOT of people who PROFESS to be Christian who are not and frankly, don't really know what Christianity is about.
Alright ... let’s not get carried away with this poll. Some of this is emblematic of a group of Christians who’ve been taught feel-good Christianity ... this is certainly a problem.
But, some of it is the blurring of distinctions between Protestant denominations, and the realization that the worship practices of particular denominations is often elective. I think this is actually fine.
SnakeDoc
Most of them think Christian is synonymous with “good person” and they’ve never read a Bible in their lives. They’ll claim to be “christian” while hating everything Jesus and the Apostles taught...not, that they’d know what that is.
“The majority of American adults pick and choose their religious beliefs...”
I don’t believe I pick and choose my beliefs, religious or otherwise. I may believe something, I may not believe something, or I may not know whether or not to believe something.
In short, I believe my belief or disbelief is based either on information and what ability I have to reason or God’s inspiration. Either one can lead me to believe something on faith.
Then of course, I could be wrong.
Good point! Secular polsters would likely include groups like the UU’s that believe primarily in tolerance of everything and anything. It serves their purposes to make Christianity look worse off than it is.
“Of course. The modern weak and spineless American.
If you are a Christian you either follow the WORD or you are not a Christian.”
Do you realize how many positions the Vatican holds that seemingly defy logic? Let’s start with birth control. At this rate there isn’t a more than a handful of true Catholics left in the US who can possibly toe the line on every subject. We all customize to some degree or other.
Many people polled simply list their faith as ‘Christian” because that’s the thing to do.
My neighbors consider themselves “Christian” but they haven’t been to church in 25 years (except a wedding here or there I suppose, or maybe at Christmas.)
They refuse my offers to visit my church, and their kids scoff every time they see me and my family heading off on Sunday or Wednesday.)
Yet I am sure they know the basic Christian doctrine, and thus would give a pollster answers about their ‘beliefs.’
Sounds like there are going to be a helluva’ lot of disappointed people. The Word is the ONLY WORD, and the Rules are the ONLY RULES. There is absolutely NO grey area.
Sounds like there are going to be a helluva’ lot of disappointed people. The Word is the ONLY WORD, and the Rules are the ONLY RULES. There is absolutely NO grey area.
Perhaps this is a reflection of American Christians having differences with doctrine and dogma, more than the message of Jesus.
To me, the real question is ... what are the essential beliefs of Christianity, and what are the non-essential or debatable beliefs of Christianity? As long as you’ve got the essentials ... you’re doing OK ...
- That the Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God;
- That there is one God, revealed in three ways (Father, Son, Holy Spirit);
- That Christ was the Son of God, of virgin birth, sinless life, sacrificial crucifixion for the sins of man, and bodily resurrection;
- That man is saved by God’s grace alone, and that no Earthly acts can earn a man his spot in heaven;
- That Christ will return;
I am sure that there are other essentials ... but those seem to me to be the big 5.
SnakeDoc
I guess it depends on which group you hold up as the standard doesn’t it? There are Christian denominations that don’t compromise on what the Bible teaches at all. God isn’t the author of confusion, so if the Bible confuses you and defies your logic, it’s likely user error. He made it pretty simple to know what’s right and what’s wrong. He gave us the owner’s manual.
If you don’t believe in Satan, who is an integral part of the Bible from beginning to end, then you’re calling God a liar. You would have to believe that Jesus made a bunch of stuff up and lied when he was tempted by Satan before his crucifixion, etc. etc. The Apostles also would have to have lied through their teeth through the entire gospels.
That’s more than a minor difference with the Christian beliefs. I don’t know why anyone who didn’t believe what is taught in the Bible would want to call themselves Christian.
Orthodoxy is related to and in "the nature of God" and "Soteriology;" not on side issues like the color of the carpet.
Is Jesus God?
Is God Triune?
Is the blood of Christ sufficient for salvation?
Is salvation in "Christ alone" or "Christ plus?"
If I want to worship with musical instruments or without them, is of no substantial consequence to God. Salvation does not ride on this issue.
Was Jesus resurrected from the dead, does.
It’s not bashing to state a fact. Unitarians will be the first to admit that they don’t hold to one specific set of beliefs and accept all beliefs as equally valid. That’s not bashing, it’s fact. Christians happen to disagree with that belief system. Disagreeing is also not bashing. Why do people whine so much about religion?
Nope.
So, you have to believe in Satan, or you can’t be a Christian? Does this strike anyone else as being amusing?
No. I am not aware of which denomination has that requirement.
Christ and only Christ makes a person a Christian.
Its not going to church, its not working in soup kitchen.
If you have accepted Christ as your Savior then you would/should be considered a Christian.
I’ve read the Bible. However, at the end of the day (read: life), I feel that being a good, honest, and ethical person is what Christianity is about. That is what I expect from myself. I think some churches are more virtuous than others, but if there is a God, I am pretty convinced he is more interested in how you live you life, not which church you go to.
Since Jesus taught that Satan existed and even said that Satan tempted Him in a personal encounter on one occasion, why would anyone believe in Jesus and Christianity, but not Satan. Satan is mentioned throughout the Bible. I would have to question someone’s acceptance of Christ if they basically call Christ a liar, and believe the book Jesus told us a follow without compromise is full of errors at the same time. Who do you really believe in, if you don’t believe what they said and taught?
So were those who lived before the books of the Bible were selected and widely available not Christian?
I do recognize that Christian belief must agree with what is in the Bible, but the position that to be a Christian one must "believe in the Bible" did not exist prior to the Reformation.
I believe and worship the Lord Jesus Christ, not a book.
Syncretism at its finest.
That’s not what the Bible teaches, though. It says works and how we live don’t matter, because we’re all sinners and can’t live a perfect life. All that matters is that we accept Jesus Christ as our savior and God, and accept his sacrifice as sufficient to cover our sins. Unless you can live a sinless life, you need Jesus to get to heaven. The Bible very clearly teaches that. Dismissing those parts and accepting others is probably not the best way to approach it. It’s all true. Being a “good person” whatever that is to you, won’t get ya there alone. That is in fact what the Bible teaches.
Spend more time reading what Jesus said, and what his Apostles said, as recorded in the Bible, and less time reading the opinions of first and second century Christians and you’ll come to a different conclusion.
I think it is a reflection of American Christians having differences with doctrine and dogma, and not wanting to hear the message of Jesus. According to the Gospels, the first thing Jesus said was “Repent” and most people don’t want to hear that.
I suggest you take a course in logic and stop spouting cliches.
You asked — “So, you have to believe in Satan, or you can’t be a Christian? Does this strike anyone else as being amusing?”
Well, considering that Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, through whom all salvation comes — spoke with Satan, I would say that it’s a logical assumption (or else one probably doesn’t even believe in Jesus and what He did... LOL...).
Jesus also told His disciples that He saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. And, Jesus told the Apostle John, in the book of Revelation (the Revelation of Jesus Christ...) that Satan was cast out of Heaven (Revelation 12:9).
So, it would appear that the Bible “believes in the existence of Satan” without a doubt (many other places reference him, too, than what was given above). And since the Bible is the Word of God, it’s clear that Satan does exist and we should believe that fact...
You asked — “Isn’t that sort of the whole point of religious freedom? “
Well, in terms of the government telling you what religion you should believe in, that part is true.
But, in terms of what the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob says, i.e., our Creator God of the Universe and all that is — no, that’s not true. Or to put it another way, if one wants salvation by way of Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and doesn’t want to end up forever separated from God, in the lake of fire — then no — you better listen to exactly what God said in the Bible, and accept the salvation offered by Jesus the Messiah of Israel, or else, your wrong “choice” is going to end up “killing you”... LOL...
I was kind of wondering about this survey as well. There are many organized denominations of Christianity that have some subtle differences in beliefs. There are some that have some radical differences in beliefs. I can say that most organized denominations have the basics down and details are innocently interpreted differently.
As for the folks they interviewed that have a mix and match set of beliefs, I expect that you would find most who do not practice regularly or did not grow up in a strong religiously sponsored household have adopted a faith they call their own based on a previous loose affiliation with a church. The affiliation might be from childhood or a previous introduction. These are folks that likely did not study their specific faith but have sought consultation in faith from specific individuals.
Then there is the group (which I consider myself a part of) that agrees with my church's (catholic) teachings about our faith on about 90% of issues. They may believe the church's teachings are wrong on issues (capitol punishment, war, poverty, laws, etc.) I have studied the teachings, understand them and swerve in disagreement with some of the church's interpretations of Christ's word.
Now, depending on how a question was asked, the poll could garner some responses that would lump them in with people who have a mixed faith. Do you believe in capitol punishment? Do you believe in contraception? Do you believe in Adam and Eve? When Moses parted the Red Sea, did two walls of water form for the Israelites to pass through?
If asked some of these questions about what I believe and what catholics are suppose to believe, I would be one of the faith mixers noted in the article.
I believe the leadership of the Catholic Church is despicable. Never the less, my relationship and commitment is to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (See how I threw in the trinity, there? :o)
You asked — “You DO have to believe in Satan in order to be a Christian, don’t you?”
Well, it only *make sense* that if Jesus believed in the existence of Satan, that His word is the final and authoritative word on the matter. So, yes, it only makes sense in that way of thinking. Otherwise, Jesus is not who He said He is... (and then certainly not the Savior of the world, either...).
But, technically, salvation is not predicated upon you accepting the existence of Satan — but only Christ as the Messiah of Israel, the promised one that God promised to send for the salvation of people. You believe “in Him” and call upon His name and you are saved — period.
You *should* believe in Satan’s existence, simply on the basis of God’s authoritative Word and Jesus’ authoritative word — but you don’t have to, in order to be saved... There’s nothing in “salvation” that indicates or demands this...
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