The recent Barna report on evangelical beliefs in mainline churches is almost too excruciating to read. In the report, statistics concerning the 12 largest denominations are tallied. Barna polled 6,038 adults with random telephone interviews nationwide. Tim Ellsworth of the Baptist Press summarized the findings. I have included the pertinent data: The study's findings identify an alarmingly high number of church members whose beliefs fall far short of orthodox Christianity.
For example, 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 numbers were better for Baptists [this included all kinds of Baptists] than for the whole sample, but not by much. Of the Baptists 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. Sixty-six 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 . . . .
The two denominations with the highest number of members who hold to orthodox Christian beliefs were Pentecostals 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 . . . .
I am not posting this to bash Catholics, or even to say that this is what the catholic doctrine is. Is why I am posting it is to show you that this is how even professing catholics UNDERSTAND what the church teaches. This is what I have been trying to say. That catholics don't even understand what catholics teach. I didn't. I will also say that I think the same holds true in ALL faiths. Most people are going to church without even knowing what that church believes. They think just going to church is enough, no matter what it is. That is why there are so many "protestants" fatih out there. There are just as many catholics who don't agree with the catholic doctrine, but they still go by the catholic name.
But when I tried to tell you that these were the beliefs I walked away with after 12 years in catholic schools, you said that I was just being not bright, or not paying attention, or going to a bad school, or that I just wasn't getting it. If that's the case then there are alot of not bright, or not paying attention, or bad catholic schools out there becasue from this survey there are alot of catholic's out there that don't believe the same why you do.
I can hear it now, BAD SURVEY, right:)
Becky
Amen Beckey, since I have been on these threads, I have began to really wonder if the bunch we talk to here are members of the same Catholic Church I have known throughout my lifetime.
I have no idea about the details of this survey ... who they questioned, how they were questioned, how the questions were worded, etc. All I can say is that we all need to pray for the lost in our own churches. Throughout the existence of this neverending thread, we have pointed fingers at the "wrongs" of the opposite side. How sad that we are so quick to point out the "faults" of anothers faith when we can't even see the shortcomings in our own.
So many "Christians" focus their efforts on people of other faiths in efforts to "save" them. Yet we fail to see that the person in the pew next to us on any given Sunday needs that saving grace more than the person we are trying to convert.
Our church leaders (that includes all denominations) need to address this situation seriously and vigorously ... and we need to do the same. No, we more than likely will not be able to reach everyone that doesn't hold to the teachings of Christianity, but we can certainly reach out and try. That starts within the confines of our own families. Families need to pray together, study together and attend regular services together. That's the starting point for turning our congregation around and getting it back on the right track.
May God bless us in this effort to revive His church.
Actually, all of those things were probably true (with the exception of you not being bright enough). More than any of those, however, it is the failure of the Catholic Church (and the other churches listed appearently) to teach sound doctrine in an effective way. We can debate all day WHY this is so, but we all have to agree that we are collectively doing a lousy job in our mission.