The Five Types of Christians in America
Active Christians 19%
*Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ
*Committed churchgoers
*Bible readers
*Accept leadership positions
*Invest in personal faith development through the church
*Feel obligated to share faith; 79% do so.
Professing Christians 20%
*Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ
*Focus on personal relationship with God and Jesus
*Similar beliefs to Active Christians, different actions
*Less involved in church, both attending and serving
*Less commitment to Bible reading or sharing faith
Liturgical Christians 16%
*Predominantly Catholic and Lutheran
*Regular churchgoers
*High level of spiritual activity, mostly expressed by serving in church and/or community
*Recognize authority of the church
Private Christians 24%
*Largest and youngest segment
*Believe in God and doing good things
*Own a Bible, but don't read it
*Spiritual interest, but not within church context
*Only about a third attend church at all
*Almost none are church leaders
Cultural Christians 21%
*Little outward religious behavior or attitudes
*God aware, but little personal involvement with God
*Do not view Jesus as essential to salvation
*Affirm many ways to God
*Favor universality theology
To: Between the Lines
2 posted on
11/10/2007 10:11:36 AM PST by
Alex Murphy
("Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, for it is an evil time." - Amos 5:13)
To: Between the Lines
Professing Christian here.
Christians who do not first and foremost believe in salvation through the acceptance of Christ as the Son of God who lived and died here to save us are simply wrong and conveniently so.
Good works only is like a mold ...destroying the true fabric.
3 posted on
11/10/2007 10:15:23 AM PST by
wardaddy
(This country is being destroyed by folks who could have never created it.)
To: Between the Lines
“5 Kinds of Christians - Understanding the disparity of those who
call themselves Christian”
There are LOTS of “flavors” of Christian practice/observance.
C.S. Lewis described this situation with the “Great Hall” imagery...
the Great Hall to represent the fundamentals that all Christians
agree upon, then the doors of the great hall to represent the huge
constellation of variations in traditions and varying beliefs/concepts.
(I think that was in “Mere Christianity”.)
4 posted on
11/10/2007 10:16:24 AM PST by
VOA
To: jan in Colorado
5 posted on
11/10/2007 10:17:21 AM PST by
jan in Colorado
(“we need to move away from the Kennedy Wing of the Republican Party” -- Duncan Hunter June 5,2007)
To: Between the Lines
6 posted on
11/10/2007 10:19:18 AM PST by
SolidWood
("I knew my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol.")
To: Between the Lines
Nice thread, hope it has a long life.
James...attends Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan < cut>
he does not necessarily believe that his God is any different from the one his Muslim friend worships.
I know he didn't pick up that teaching at Redeemer.
7 posted on
11/10/2007 10:19:36 AM PST by
Gamecock
(Gamecock: Declared anathema by the Council of Trent!)
To: Between the Lines
How could the three groups for which “Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ” is not listed even be considered Christian?
8 posted on
11/10/2007 10:20:03 AM PST by
Joann37
To: Between the Lines
"I don't think that God would be a God who would shut others out of heaven because they don't use the word 'Christian' to describe themselves," he says.I know that God will not force those who want nothing to do with Him to spend eternity with Him.
People "shut themselves" out of Heaven, not God. God has provided man a way into Heaven but will not force Himself on man nor will He force man to spend all eternity with Him if man doesn't want that.
To: Between the Lines
"I don't think that God would be a God who would shut others out of heaven because they don't use the word 'Christian' to describe themselves," he says."
Any statement that starts with the four words this one did should be disregarded immediately. What I or anyone else THINKS God should be is completely irrelevant. He wouldn't be much of a God if I could figure him out.
15 posted on
11/10/2007 11:39:59 AM PST by
joebuck
To: Between the Lines
This list of types is wrong.
Being written by Evangelicals, it exhibits the typical blindness of Evangelicals (I’m a former Evangelical) that makes either/or distinctions without substance when both/and categories are more accurate.
I am a “Liturgical Christian” (Orthodox) who is fully described by their “Active Christian” list.
These folks have made a FALSE distinction which amounts to unintentional bigotry.
To: Between the Lines
The first use of the term Christian was at the church at Antioch.
28 posted on
11/10/2007 4:52:15 PM PST by
RightWhale
(anti-razors are pro-life)
To: Between the Lines
I would venture to say there is only ONE kind of Christian. The others think they are, or wish they were, but aren’t really.
To: Between the Lines
There are many (including some in my own family) who nominally call themselves Christian and if pressed believe it is truth, but have no relationship with Christ or any church whatsoever. It’s just the background of their world view. I would argue that such folk are not Christian, but ripe to become so.
To: Between the Lines
No surprises here:
Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Mat 7:22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
Mat 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
Many consider themselves Christian, profess the name of Christ and do great works in his name. But they practice lawlessness. And lawlessness isn't speeding tickets and other civil crimes. It's violation of God's laws, the ten commandments. All of them.
To: Apple Blossom
48 posted on
11/11/2007 10:23:35 AM PST by
bmwcyle
(BOMB, BOMB, BOMB,.......BOMB, BOMB IRAN)
To: Between the Lines
Really a wacky description of Catholics!
My re-write
Liturgical Christians 16%
*Predominantly Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran
*Believe salvation is a part of the blessing from the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
*Regular churchgoers — Attendance at weekly Mass and on Holy Days of Obligation high on priority list
*Belief in the specialness and blessings given through the Sacraments directly from Jesus Christ
*High level of spiritual activity, mostly expressed by evangelization and serving in church and/or community
*Recognize authority of the church
*Bible students while holding true to Tradition handed down by word of mouth from the Apostles
*Accept leadership positions
*Invest in personal faith development through the church
*Feel obligated to share faith, doing this more and more as they learn about their faith.
Any Catholic is welcome to re-work my description. I just know that the original one is lacking.
60 posted on
11/11/2007 5:06:18 PM PST by
Salvation
(†With God all things are possible.†)
To: Between the Lines
Excellent article.
I have forwarded to several folks.
I am a Christian and have wondered what has changed my whole way of thinking and lack of desire to attend church over the past few years. Several friends share my same thoughts in that we much more prefer small group Bible study and meaningful service in our own communities (or region). We don’t like throwing money into a church fund and hoping it will go help someone in another country.
79 posted on
11/13/2007 8:25:22 AM PST by
a real Sheila
(stop hillary NOW!)
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