The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has recently released a new report on religion in America, and the results are really interesting. The article says that Americans are 'non-dogmatic', which seems almost to be an understatement! We talk a lot about postmodernity here at l'abri, and while I wouldn't want to equate postmodernity and relativism, our culture certainly seems to produce a certain murkiness or uncertainty about how strongly we are able/allowed to hold our beliefs. This survey seems to bear that out - 66% percent of Protestants and 79% of Catholics believe that many religions can lead to eternal life. And it's not just Christians who hold their faith in such a 'true for me' way - over 80% of Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhist respondents believe the same, as well as 56% of Muslims.
It makes me wonder what churches are teaching - not that we can or should take a small view of the power of God to save or even pretend to know exactly what that looks like - the perennial questions of babies and people who haven't heard the gospel, etc. come to mind. I don't know that we have enough information to make an absolute judgment on that, and don't think we have to - I'm fairly content to let God be God on such weighty matters. But on the question of God himself - I'm unclear why, if solid biblical teaching is taking place, 19% of Protestants and 29% of Catholics surveyed (2 and 3% of whom, respectively, say that there is no God at all) believe that there is a God but not a personal one. God as impersonal force. How can even a superficial perusal of the OT (50% of Jews say that God is impersonal, by the way) or the gospel accounts lead to that conclusion? But then, 28% of folks who answered from mainline churches don't believe that the Bible is the word of God, anyway.
I don't know, I hate that writing even a little thing like this makes me cringe, knowing that I will likely be thought judgmental for not having such a total openness. But I think that total openness lacks humility just as much as total closedness. I'm just sad that we've reached the point in many conversations where to make any kind of truth claim is taboo.
Anyway, you should check out the site, there is tons of interesting data on the religious landscape, as well as how it affects politics, which will be interesting to watch as this election year progresses.
2 comments:
I think relativism of this sort is a simple step from our Deistic roots, and as such not a surprise that so many Americans possess such views. What I mean, I think, is that if we consider God to be impersonal, I can't see the point in caring about the specifics of religious doctrine: what God is like; how he acts in the world, if at all; what's our relationship to the Deity... Plus, if God is impersonal and religion is entirely person-relative then we are free, autonomous individuals; free from accountability and free to be our own god.
Nothing you don't already know. Just the thoughts that came as I read.
Thanks for the post.
Human beings are nothing more than a type of ape with an overactive brain.Faith in a higher power is ignorance plain and simple.
Post a Comment