Articles of Interest
Unbelievers Proliferate in the
Church
Printed in "Pulpit
Helps" Feb 2002
Adapted from "Baptist Press"
"Evangelicals" Scarce in Major Denominations
By Tim Ellsworth
Only 41 percent of adults in America's twelve
largest denominations could be classified as "born again," according
to a recent study released by the Barna Research Group.
As reported by the "Florida Baptist Witness," the study's findings
identify an alarmingly high number of church members whose beliefs fall far
short of orthodox Christianity. For example, only 41 percent of all adults
surveyed believed in the total accuracy of the Bible. Catholics had the
lowest percentage (23 percent) who believed the Bible to be accurate, while 81 percent
of those attending Pentecostal churches held to the same belief. Only 40
percent of those surveyed believed Christ was sinless, while 27 percent believed
Satan to be real.
"The Christian body in America is immersed in a crisis of biblical
illiteracy," said George Barna, president of the California firm that
conducted the research. "How else can you describe matters when most church-going
adults reject the accuracy of the Bible, reject the exitence of Satan, claim
that Jesus sinned, see no need to evangelize, believe that good works are one
of the keys to persuading God to forgive their sins, and describe their
commitment to Christianity as moderate or even less firm?
The two denominations with the highest number of members who hold to orthodox
Christian beliefs were Penecostals and Assemblies of God. Catholics and Episcopalians
had the lowest percentage of members reporting a belief in traditional
Christian teachings. Just 20 percent of
Episcopalians and 17 percent of Catholics believed Satan was real; 33 percent
of Catholics and Episcopalians believed Jesus was sinless; and 26 percent of
Episcopalians and 9 percent of Catholics believed works don't earn salvation.
The numbers were better for Baptists than for the whole sample, but not by
much. Of the Baptist surveyed, 57 percent believed works play a part in salvation,
and 45 percent believed Jesus was not sinless. Only 34 percent of Baptists
thought Satan was a real being, while 51 percent believed Christians have the
responsibility to witness to others. 66 percent of Baptists considered the
Bible to be totally accurate, 81 percent considered their religious faith to be
important and 85 percent believed God is the all-powerful creator of the
universe. (There was no breakdown within the Baptist family of denominations, because,
as Barna explained, many did not know with which group their churches were
affiliated.)
"The report is a striking indictment of
the loss of doctrinal confidence and the erosion of biblical beliefs that marks
American Christianity," said R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary.
"The trends Barna traces have been progressing for several years,"
Mohler said. Americans have been negotiating
away the core doctrines of the Christian faith -- all the while claiming to
remain Christians. But Christianity is
defined by certain definite and non-negotiable doctrines. Without these, there
is no Christianity at all -- just the emptying sanctuaries of declining
churches and denominations.
Barna said the study was not intended to report the official teachings of any
denomination. "The data reflect what the people within those churches believe,"
he said. "If nothing else, this outcome highlights the substantial
theological shift that has been altering the nature of the Episcopal Church, in
particular, as well as other Christian churches, in recent years."
The study determined that evangelicals are scarce. Barna defines "evangelicals" as believers who say their
faith is very important in their lives, believe they have a responsibility to
witness to non-Christians, acknowledge the existence of Satan, contend that
eternal salvation is possible only through God's grace and not good deeds,
believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth, and describe God as
the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect Deity who created the universe and still
rules it today.
Those who fit in such a category include only 8 percent of adults. 14 percent of Baptists qualified as
evangelicals according to this standard, compared to 33 percent from Assemblies
of God churches, 29 percent from nondenominational churches, and 27 percent
from Pentecostal churches. Only 1 percent of Catholics and 1 percent of
Episcopalians could be classified as evangelicals.
"The most disappointing finding of the report is the loss of doctrinal
clarity among evangelicals," Mohler told the "Witness." "We
have come to expect doctrinal compromise in the liberal denominations, but we
now see the same process at work among those who call themselves evangelicals.
The Barna report helpfully defines evangelicals by beliefs, not by denominational
membership, etc. For too many 'evangelicals,' all that remains is emotional fervor
and religious participation -- not the living faith founded upon the truth of the
gospel."
Phil Roberts, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, said one
solution to such biblical illiteracy lies in pastors' diligence in preaching
truth and in their willingness to go house to house, if necessary, to inquire
about each person's spiritual condition. "The church needs to take seriously
its shepherding role," he said.
"The Barna report is a warning of what
is to come, if these trends are not reversed," Mohler added.
The study's results came from telephone interviews with a nationwide random
sample of 6,038 adults.
