Change
usually happens slowly in the Church. But a review of the research
conducted by the Barna Group provides a time-lapse portrayal of how
the religious environment in the U.S. is quickly
morphing into something new.
Analyzing insights drawn from more than 5,000 non-proprietary
interviews George Barna indicated that the following six patterns
were evident in the survey findings:
1.
The Christian church is becoming less theologically literate:
What
used to be basic, universally-known truths about Christianity are now
unknown mysteries to a large and growing share of Americans –
especially young adults. For instance, Barna Group studies showed
that while most people regard Easter as a religious holiday, only a
minority of adults associate Easter with the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Other examples include the finding that few adults believe
that their faith is meant to be the focal point of their life or to
be integrated into every aspect of their existence. Further, a
growing majority believe the Holy Spirit is a symbol of God's
presence or power, but not a living entity. As the two younger
generations, Baby Busters (1965-1983) and Mosaics (1984-2002), ascend
to numerical and positional supremacy in churches across the nation,
the data suggest that biblical literacy is likely to decline
significantly. The theological free-for-all that is encroaching in
Protestant churches nationwide suggests the coming decade will be a
time of unparalleled theological diversity and inconsistency. Take
anything you like from anywhere you like, cobble it together and
voilà... your own personal religion!
2.
Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented:
Despite
technological advances that make communications instant and
far-reaching, Christians are becoming more spiritually isolated from
non-Christians than was true a decade ago. Examples of this tendency
include the fact that less than one-third of born again Christians
planned to invite anyone to join them at a church event during the
Easter season; teenagers are less inclined to discuss Christianity
with their friends than was true in the past; most of the people who
become Christians these days do so in response to a personal crisis
or the fear of death (particularly among older Americans); and most
Americans are unimpressed with the contributions Christians and
churches have made to society over the past few years. As young
adults have children, the prospect of them seeking a Christian church
is diminishing--especially given the absence of faith talk in their
conversations with the people they most trust. With atheists becoming
more strategic in championing their godless worldview, as well as the
increased religious plurality driven by education and immigration,
the increasing reticence of Christians to engage in faith-oriented
conversations assumes heightened significance. And
they will know we are Christians by our Love...
silence! That smell is from our smoldering baskets!
3.
Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles
and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for life:
When
asked what matters most, teenagers prioritize education, career
development, friendships, and travel. Faith is significant to them,
but it takes a back seat to life accomplishments and is not
necessarily perceived to affect their ability to achieve their
dreams. Among adults the areas of growing importance are lifestyle
comfort, success, and personal achievements. Those dimensions have
risen at the expense of investment in both faith and family. The
turbo-charged pace of society leaves people with little time for
reflection. The deeper thinking that occurs typically relates to
economic concerns or relational pressures. Private spiritual
practices like scripture study, prayer, worship, meditation,
contemplation, solitude, stillness, etc. are rare. (It is ironic that
more than four out of five adults claim to live a simple life.)
Practical to a fault, Americans consider survival in the present to
be much more significant than eternal security and spiritual
possibilities. Because we continue to separate our spirituality from
other dimensions of life through compartmentalization, a relatively
superficial approach to faith has become a central means of
optimizing our life experience. When
Self is lord, loves less wild consume the heart... and we build
bigger barns.
4.
Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is
escalating:
Largely
driven by the passion and energy of young adults, Christians are more
open to and more involved in community service activities than has
been true in the recent past. While we remain more self-indulgent
than self-sacrificing, the expanded focus on justice and service has
struck a chord with many. However, despite the increased emphasis,
churches run the risk of watching congregants’ engagement wane
unless they embrace a strong spiritual basis for such service. Simply
doing good works because it's the socially esteemed choice of the
moment will not produce much staying power. Social
religiosity is deceptive. Ishmael offerings do not please God whose
sacrificial love is demonstrated in righteous works having Kingdom
purpose.
5.
The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian
church:
Our
biblical illiteracy and lack of spiritual confidence has caused
Americans to avoid making discerning choices for fear of being
labeled judgmental. The result is a Church that has become tolerant
of a vast array of morally and spiritually dubious behaviors and
philosophies. This increased leniency is made possible by the very
limited accountability that occurs within the body of Christ. There
are fewer and fewer issues that Christians believe churches should be
dogmatic about. The idea of love has been redefined to mean the
absence of conflict and confrontation, as if there are no moral
absolutes that are worth fighting for. That may not be surprising in
a Church in which a minority believes there are moral absolutes
dictated by the scriptures. Tolerance
has become the new moral imperative destroying moral absolutes
wherever it is embraced.
6.
The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is
largely invisible:
Contemporary
Americans have no problem identifying the faults of churches and
Christian people, partly due to the nature of today’s media, but
are hard pressed to identify any specific positive cultural value
induced by Christianity. In a period of history where image is
reality, and life-changing decisions are made on the basis of such
images, the Christian Church is in desperate need of a more positive
and accessible image. The primary obstacle is not the substance of
the principles on which Christianity is based, and therefore the
solution is not solely providing an increase in preaching or public
relations. The most influential aspect of Christianity in America is
how believers do--or do not--implement their faith in private and in
public, in the marketplace. Partly due to the nature of today’s
media, American culture is driven by the snap judgments and decisions
that people make amid busy schedules and incomplete information. With
little time or energy available for or devoted to research and
reflection, it is people’s observations of the integration of a
believer’s faith into how he/she responds to life’s opportunities
and challenges that most substantially shape people’s impressions
of and interest in Christianity. Jesus frequently spoke about the
importance of the fruit that emerges from a Christian life; these
days the pace of life and avalanche of competing ideas underscores
the significance of visible spiritual fruit as a source of cultural
influence. Invisible
Christians have invisible fruit... and zero impact on the culture
surrounding them.
BIRTH
OF THE ONE WORLD CHURCH
(Extracted
material significantly modified for this thought)
No comments:
Post a Comment