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(I consider the following abbreviated article so pertinent to this time and season here in America that I have included it, with permission from Barna Research, instead of my own editorial this month - Jeff B.)
INTRODUCTION
In most of his recent studies, renowned researcher George Barna noticed a pattern of paradoxes, contradictions and deception in people's attitudes, opinions and beliefs related to their faith. Until these misunderstandings and misperceptions are addressed, he contends, it will be difficult for churches and individuals to focus effectively on faith development.
The Success Paradox
Barna discovered that people's views of success had little to do with their faith but focused more on personal accomplishments, family solidarity and emotional fulfillment. "The Christian faith commends sacrifice, servanthood and sharing as the means to significance," he noted. "How is it possible to have more than 120 million adults attending Christian churches on a regular basis, but only 15 million who grasp the message that success is not about personal accomplishment or material possessions?"
The Commitment Contradiction
Various studies pointed out how a large majority of Americans identified faith as a key factor in their life. Yet, less than 50% who described themselves as Christian, also described themselves as "absolutely committed to the Christian faith." Less than 10% 'tithe' to their church. A majority of teenagers attend a Christian church today, but only one-third is likely to do so once they reach adulthood. The persecution delivered by the terrorist attacks of 9/11 has produced no increase in spiritual practices. Barna suggested that many Americans may have fallen in love with faith rather than the object of their faith. "It's much less demanding to be devoted to the idea of faith than to invest yourself in a true relationship with the living God."
Deceptions Regarding Truth
Almost everyone in the U.S. believes that truth exists. However, a large majority of Christians and non-Christians contend that there is no absolute moral truth. While most of these people describe themselves as followers of Christ and say that the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings, they nevertheless believe that truth is based on feelings, experience or emotion.
"This is one of the great deceptions of our age," Barna pointed out. "Embracing relativism under the guise of Christian faith facilitates comfort with sin. By claiming the authority to determine right from wrong, we crown ourselves the kings of reality, yet we have no such authority, and we constantly pay the price for the arrogance of believing and acting like we are in control of our destiny and experience. What an affront it is to God for us to claim His name and protection but to resist His moral truths on the basis of human feelings."
The Deception of the Worship Wars
While many people believe that churches are paralyzed by infighting over the style of music in worship services, the study found relatively few churches experiencing such angst. The bigger issues were people not understanding what worship is and who it is for - resulting in the failure to connect with God through genuine worship - and the widespread use of 'blended worship,' which winds up hindering rather than helping people's worship. The American Church desperately needs a back-to-basics movement to fill in the cracks in our spiritual understanding.
The Contradictions Regarding Religious Beliefs
More than 80% of Americans claim to be Christian and 40% born again Christians. Most adults read the Bible during the year and a huge majority claim they know all of the basic teachings of the Bible. How, then, can most people say Satan does not exist, that the Holy Spirit is merely a symbol, that eternal peace with God can be earned through good works, and that truth can only be understood through the lens of reason and experience?
"In a sound bite society you get sound bite theology," Barna lamented. "Americans are more likely to buy simple sayings than a system of truth that takes time and concentration to grasp. People are more prone to embrace diversity, tolerance and feeling good than judgment, discernment, righteousness and limitations. People are more focused on temporal security than eternal security and its temporal implications. Hopefully, once Christian leaders comprehend this, we can be more devoted to effectively challenging the superficial spirituality of our nation."
The Paradox of Ineffective Outreach
A survey among Protestant pastors showed that evangelism and outreach ranked as the top priority of churches. More than $50 billion was spent on domestic ministry in 2002. However, Barna says that the proportions of both non-Christian adults and unchurched adults have remained unchanged since 2000. "In fact, because our population has increased, the number of unchurched and non-Christian people in the nation has actually grown. Regardless of its true character and intent, the Christian community is not known for love, nor for a life-transforming faith," explained the researcher. "Outdated means of outreach, inappropriate assumptions about people's faith, and a lack of passion for helping non-believers to receive God's love and acceptance are hindering the Church from fulfilling its mandate. America remains one of the largest mission fields in the world, and the American Church remains the most richly endowed body of believers on the planet. There is no lack of potential."
The Deception of Effective Leadership
A national survey among pastors revealed that a majority feel they are doing an excellent or good job in leading people spiritually. In fact, the larger the church is, the more likely the pastor is to feel pleased with his performance as its leader. Barna confessed confusion over that outcome. "Pastoring is a difficult job," he acknowledged, "and it's important not to become discouraged by the magnitude of the spiritual battle in which we are engaged - after all, we know that we are aligned with the winning camp. However, it's a bit troubling to see pastors feel they're doing a great job when the research reveals that few congregants have a biblical worldview, half the people they minister to are not spiritually secure or developed, kids are fleeing from the church in record numbers, most of the people who attend worship services admit they did not connect with God..."
"Pastors, alone, cannot be held accountable for the spiritual disrepair of America. But it's worrisome when there is a strong correlation between church size and self-satisfaction, because that suggests that attendance and budget figures have become our mark of success. It's troubling when our spiritual leaders cannot articulate where we're headed and how the Church will fulfill its role as the restorative agent of our society. Maybe the comfort afforded by our buildings and other material possessions has seduced us into thinking we're farther down the road than we really are."
Used by permission. For the full article, go to: http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PagePressRelease.asp?PressReleaseID=128&Reference=B
George Barna will be in Trenton, New Jersey, Tuesday, September 23. Details and registration at: http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PageSeminar.asp
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