About 60% U.S. Christians don't believe the Holy Spirit or Satan are real beings. Honestly - that's not a big shock for me. Given a general decline both in the number of people attending church and people who identify themselves as Christians, a trend like this isn't unexpected. But, here are a few fascinating points:
I'll let
Christianity Today explain:
Interestingly, the majority of Christians believe a person can be under the influence of spiritual forces, such as demons or evil spirits, even though many of these same people believe Satan is merely a symbol of evil. Two out of three Christians agreed that such forces are real (39 percent agreed strongly, 25 percent agreed somewhat).
So... over half of us Christians don't think Satan is real, but almost the same percentage think people can be under the influences of spiritual forces. What about the Holy Spirit?
Interestingly, about half (49 percent) of those who agreed that the Holy Spirit is only a symbol but not a living entity, agreed that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches. The Bible states that the Holy Spirit is God's power or presence, not just symbolic.
Again, we see that nearly 60% feel the Holy Spirit is only a symbol, but almost half believe the Bible is totally accurate. Here's one more from the
Barna website:
About one-third (33%) of the self-defined Christians who agree that the Bible, Koran and Book of Mormon all teach the same truths simultaneously contend that the Bible is totally accurate in its principles, even though the three sacred books have very different ideas about truth, salvation, and the nature of God.
When I taught Sunday School class to teenagers, I would often tell them "know why you believe what you believe." Judging from these result, there's a strong reason to believe most Christians have no idea what they believe to any depth beyond how they feel about something at the moment they are asked.
Here are a couple of things I've learned about life.
1) What a person spends time and money doing is what is most important to them.
2) People learn quickly and deeply about things that interest or frighten them.
This leads me to a couple of conclusions about most U.S. Christian's faith lives.
1) It's not very important to them.
2) It neither deeply interests nor frightens them.
So here's my question:
Why has Christianity become so irrelevant and uninteresting to most Americans?
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Comments (25)
great question. I think because or wealth and materialism. Many people are more interested in money then anything else.
I think you are correct, most people who call themselves Christians do NOT really have any clue what that means. I doubt any of them who answered the question about the Bible, the book of Mormon and the Koran have actually read all three books.
I think that Christianity has become irrelevant in America b/c we have so many other things to make into our gods. A lot of the Americans who call themselves Christians are Christians by heritage, not by practice. A lot of American Christians put their faith in a box and only bring it out on Sunday so they can put a check mark next to it on the list of things to do and get on with their day.
In other countries where people have nothing, I mean literally nothing, those who come to Christ do so with their entire life on the line. In America we have no idea what it is like to be a Christian and walk around every day wondering if we are going to be brutally murdered for our beliefs.
In America we just don't get it.
i think Christianity has made itself irrelevant. when representatives of the Christian faith spend more time whining about gay marriage and abortion, than about things the average American is actually concerned about... they just look out of touch.
Can't say "most", but atheism is on the rise IMHO, although some of it, to me, is a fashion phase. The fault lies with the pastors who ignore Satan/sin or misuse the Holy Spirit to be some 'Santa Claus clone' or start with some idiotic interpretation of the Bible (like 'all good people will go to heaven' when God clearly says otherwise). Satan does not need the atheists, agnostics, et al., but preys upon the weakness of those who profess Christ crucified with the age old line 'did God really say?'
They don't care because people are constantly being told, "All you have to do is believe Jesus died and saved you, and then you're all set on your cushy, little ride to Heaven." Everyone's like, "Sweet. Now I can forget about God, Satan, and the Holy Spirit and go cheat on my spouse and lie to my boss."
Few people have a strong, constant faith, but if we will “religiously” do the basics, our faith in Christ will always be sufficient for our needs. The basics are talking with Heavenly Father every day, feasting upon the scriptures, and loving God by serving Him and His children.
As to the quote that was mentioned, for myself, the Spirit of God has witnessed to my spirit that the Bible is the word of God, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that some of the teachings in the Qur’an are also inspired of God. Most of the “differences” between the books are based on the philosophies of their teachers. I agree with the writer who said that very few people have read all 3 books. And I would add that even fewer have read them seeking for truth wherever it can be found, as Jesus commanded, for He is the source and the revealer of all truth.
The critical problem with this post is that it bases everything on polls and statistics. As any fool can plainly see, polls and statistics can be completely fabricated. Relgious fanatics and demogogues fabricate lies with polls and statistics all the time. Consequently, this post is foolishness on display.
So let's get back to some intelligent, reasoned discourse on what is causing Christians to be so incoherent with regard to their beliefs.
The Second Vatican Council of the Catholic Church hit it on the head over 35 years ago. Modernity is the phenomenon that has hit mankind like a ton of bricks.
Vatican II teachings reiterate fundamental Christian teachings and cautions against the negative affects of prosperity and modern philosophies.
A person, unaware of the effects of modernity will fall victim to them and find that his faith has been essentially destroyed.
@MissXMorbidx@xanga - Well, the statement of what is necessary for salvation is as you stated, but that is not a license to sin. Freedom in Christ is not tantamount to freedom to sin. A quick study of Scripture shows that. As I posted, the problem is poor teaching.
Because we're rich - most people think life is about building a suburban kingdom to rule over. There's no life in it at all. It's empty living, but it's what the conception of the good life is.
Great post and I think you're right in what you say for the most part!
Anytime you see peoples hearts begin to seek other things (money, sex, entertainment, etc) then you see people begin to think that Christianity is irrelevant.
The heart of most of the world has left the Lord. Unfortunately.
but
We have a day that we know is coming when the Lord will return and every knee will bow- for this we can Praise God.
People don't believe God anymore. They believe themselves, their feelings, and have stopped believing in God and His Word - which is the Bible.
If you believe it, you take it seriously. And you realize that there is something wrong with your perception if you DON'T take what God says seriously -- realizing the danger, power, and salvation is very real and very present and very necessary. God's gate -- Jesus Christ -- is open but entering the gate is only the first step on a long path -- a path to the most amazing, full, overwelming, and challenging life possible to live on earth.
So many American Christians have entered the gate and stopped at the threshold. Then they wonder why their life has stagnated, becomes lackluster, and begins backsliding. So be encouraged, all of you, RUN THE RACE!!! By God's grace, press forward to pass the gate and unto the path, never giving up.
This is life or death. Can you afford anything less?
@StrokeofThought@xanga -
Exactly!
Man's society vs God's society. That's the heart of so many troubles. People get God's values mixed up with man's values. Sometimes out of ignorance. Sometimes because man's values are easier to hold to. Sometime willfully, perfering the riches and empty glory of man's ideals over God enternal rewards.
Either way, it's important for Christians to realize they're literally foriegns to earth. We belong to God kingdom, God's society, and we follow His ways, not the world's way.
In my "opinion"... Christianity is a tool, most importantly for youngsters to learn about morals and discipline. For adults, religion's importance is less relevant to our everyday lives, since we realize everything we succeed in is base on our choices and efforts, only on rare occasions when we have nothing to depend on, we can seek hope in something that we never question thus never betray us to give us a reason to endure the harsh realities of life.
I believe that both Satan and the Holy Spirit are real entities.
@Yume_Shii@xanga - Yes, Jesus said that when the world hates us, it is because it hated Him first... His teachings are not of this world, that's why this world hates Him.
@deepestrecesses - Let the Lord be praised!!!
@gene546@xanga - WOW!!! I want to know more about that experience!!! It's soooo cool~
@lomal@xanga - Well said... I haven't read the Book of Mormon yet, but I have read the other two.
@nowayout001@xanga - Thanks for your comment. If you are interested in a free copy, go to this link - http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/heavenly-father-s-plan-of-salvation/request-a-free-copy-of-the-book-of-mormon?src=tv#tab4
I hope you are as touched by it as I have been.
Jesus believed in a literal Satan and mentioned the Holy Spirit as being a person multiple times. If Christian = follower of Jesus and His teachings, that should be the end of the story. I don't understand the weird poll numbers.
There is an Antichrist, and in this world, he is gathering with devil-people like the new Nazi movements, all over the Northwest. I feel they may like to present the side of humor amongst themselves, concerning times when people who are easily dismayed by Nazi's public embarrassment, which as a victory to their side, adds to the oppression. ...Love, Sandy
@HLPU@xanga - I completely agree.
I wonder if Christians have truly had an encounter with God or simply say they are Christians because they accepted an offer to get out of hell free by saying a prayer.
John 17:3
"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
Eternal life isn't in the future when I die...its now. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, is within reach..Jesus defined eternal life as knowing God...that's going to take my whole lifetime and eternity, eh?
All that to say is that I'd say most Christians don't have a living, active relationship with God. The two-way element of relationship isn't there....There are many who 'know' Him and then there are those that actually follow and learn from Him...