The Barta Group published a survey of Americans religious beliefs this week. Among the findings: 71% of Americans are more likely to develop their own religious beliefs and not follow a defined set of beliefs from a particular church. And65% of Americans believe that people of other religions can find eternal life and salvation.
Although the results are unclear whether “other religions” includes other denominations (Roman Catholic, Methodist, etc) or other religions (Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism etc), the trend is for individual Americans to pick, buffet-style, from the long list of religious principals what things to apply to their life. Apparently, to most Americans all religious things are equally true.
Don’t like the Hindu prohibition on eating meat? Just choose another food based rule. Don’t like Christianity’s stand on sex? Pick another one off the table.
Obviously the falsity of this approach is apparent: By their very terms, not all paths can be true. For example, most religions claim to be the one way, whether to heaven, enlightenment or nirvana. If they are all right, then they are all liars too.
But how should Christ’s Church respond to this? We’ve lost credibility with the masses by our hypocrisy on a number of fronts. We point to homosexual marriage as a great abomination to God, but don’t look to cleaning our own houses of worship of other sins such as adultery, divorce, greed, lust or idolatry.
We emphasize God’s love without mentioning God’s righteousness or wrath, thereby convincing people that God will accept them as long as they try to live a good life (however they define “good”).
We try to convert people by making them conform to never-explained rules before they are in love with Jesus. Or we fall to the other extreme and refuse to explain how flouting God’s rules have consequences, actually failing to give aid to help them extract themselves from the bad situation.
We refuse to let people see our struggles with sin, each other, and life by sugarcoating Christianity, then wonder why people drop out of church when the going gets tough.
We don’t treat each other with grace during our disputes on minor points (like color of fellowship hall carpet, time of service, etc.). We become entrenched in the “our way” is best mentality on non-essentials such as worship music style, or the wardrobe of the minister.
We let the world pigeon-hole us into sound bite theology, and don’t explain how Christianity is rational, historical, and most importantly, resonates in our lives.
In short, we avoid applying Paul’s words: “I appeal to you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” 1 Corinthians 1:10
Our meaningless (non-theological) divisions and the confusion that surrounds them lead the non-believer to believe Christianity is just another religion: Not the only way to reconciliation with God.
