America: Not As Bad As We Think?

A recent survey by Baylor University shows that America might not be in as bad of a spiritual shape than is commonly perceived.

In the study, which was conducted by the Gallup Organization, the university’s Institute for Studies on Religion sought to look deeper at what Americans believe than a lot of the current polls and surveys do. Instead of just asking, “Do you believe in God?” Baylor’s study would also ask “What do you believe He is like?”

The results are, in some cases, surprising and encouraging. Here’s some common myths or assumptions the study refuted:

1. Megachurches are shallow and disconnected
The common thought about megachurches (at least among those who don’t attend them), is that they are more of a show than a church, a place where people show up for an hour and a half on Sunday mornings to hear a feel-good message and then leave, never making any relationships.

Baylor’s study showed that megachurch tend to show more commitment to their churches by attending more Bible studies, volunteer and outside activities, and tithing more regularly than do congregants at smaller churches. They also have similar views on theological issues, showing that they’re not as shallow as many might think.

2. Atheism is on the rise
Many have speculated that because of the popularity of books like The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, atheism is on the rise. Baylor’s study shows that the percentage of Americans who are atheists is holding steady at 4 percent. Also, among those who said they have “no religion,” two-thirds believe in a God, more than half pray, and one-third believe in heaven and hell.

3. Christians are fed up with the church and moving on
Many today are saying that Christians are growing dissatisfied with the church and moving on to religious activities not associated with congregations. While it is true that the number of people doing faith-based volunteer work, Bibles studies and prayer groups not associated with a church is large, Baylor’s study found that the vast majority of these people do not see these activities as a substitute for a church home and regularly attend services.

4. Americans no longer believe in hell
In the part of the survey most shocking to me, 73 percent of Americans believe that hell absolutely or probably exists, and a higher percentage believe in heaven. I thought the number would be much lower.

Of course, the results of a single survey are limited and open to interpretation. Just because a high percentage of Americans believe in a God doesn’t mean they have the joy of Christ in their lives. Still, I was encouraged by the results displayed here. It’s so hard to get a good, objective view of the state of Christianity when we see so much of the world through a secular media. But the numbers of people shown here who are dedicated to attending Bible studies, prayer groups and volunteer work shows the Christ still reigns in the hearts of many people across the U.S.

Christianity in the midst of disaster

Why is it that Christianity is at its best when life is at its worst? I’m sure God set it up that way for a reason. When things are down, that’s when we realize that we can’t rely on ourselves and we can’t control our lives, and it’s in those moments that God can really make an impression. He often does this by using His followers to show love to those who are hurting.

That’s true whether it’s a personal tragedy or a disaster that affects millions, as Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Gustav have in the last few weeks, or as the Myanmar cyclone did earlier this summer (see our news piece on the continuing efforts of underground churches there in this issue). These moments are when we as the body of Christ are at our best; when we show our “true religion,” as James 1:27 calls it; and we devote our time and resources to show the love of Christ to others by caring and providing for them.

During these awful events, I love to read the media coverage because it’s one of the few times Christians get written about without any form of criticism or controversy. When we feed the hungry, provide shelter and equipment for the homeless and lend a helping hand or an ear to listen, we show the love of Jesus more than any words can, and no person—no matter how anti-Christian—can say anything bad about it.

Here are four ministries with outstanding reputations that are providing for those hurt by these disasters, both inside and outside the U.S. All of them are in huge need of funds, so I pray that you will give as the Lord leads you and show love as only the body of Christ can.

Convoy of Hope (Assemblies of God):
convoyofhope.org

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief:
namb.net

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association:
billygraham.org/News_Article.asp?ArticleID=372

Samaritan’s Purse:
samaritanspurse.org

Living Like An Alien

The other day my wife and I were talking about all the churches we’ve known that have gone through major transitions or splits, and I realized that almost every one of the problems these churches faced relates back to the age-old conflict of how Christians handle being in the world but not of the world.

So many disagreements among believers come down to this issue. The Bible clearly tells us that as redeemed children of God, we will be different from the rest of humanity—“aliens and strangers in this world,” as 1 Peter 2:11 says. But the question of just how different we become is a gray area for Christians, and gives rise to many disagreements.

Look at church services. Obviously all churches want to draw people to Christ, but the varying answers to the question of how much we want our services to look like our culture has given rise to the huge variety you can now find on Sunday mornings, from extreme fundamentalist churches that resemble a foreign culture to extreme seeker-friendly churches that resemble self-help seminars.

Or take a look at raising children. Christians’ views on being an alien, as Peter describes, will affect what type of school they send their children to, what type of clothes they will allow them to wear, and at what age they will let them watch or listen to certain media. Even the media that we allow for ourselves as adults—whether TV, movies or books—comes down to our views on this issue.

Like a lot of things in our Christian walk, a certain balance is needed. We need to be in touch with our culture on some level to function in this life and to relate to our non-Christian friends. On the other hand, if we are not different at all from our neighbors, then why would anyone be attracted to the gospel? That balance is a tough one to find and will be different for every believer.

The key, I believe, is to show more grace and less legalism to those who deal with being an “alien” differently from the way you or I do. That’s a really hard thing because each of us holds our views and convictions for a reason. We believe the way we are doing it is the right way, especially when we believe the Holy Spirit has guided us to a particular decision. It’s OK to discuss these things and try to persuade others of our view as long as we can walk away from a disagreement as loving Christian brothers.

Of course, when dealing with these gray areas, it’s never that easy. We disagree on which of these “alien” areas are gray to begin with, and there’s always the influence of sin on our decisions. But I feel that a lot of Christian disunity could be dealt with better if we started our conversations in a tone of love and grace, rather than criticism and accusation.