Pew Forum study shows many Christians mixing faiths

Even if you only occasionally attended Sunday School growing up, at some point you were exposed to the concept of faith in Jesus as being the only way to God. John 8:12-27 where Jesus is testifying before the Pharisees is a good example. There are many others you could point, and feel free to do so in leaving a comment on the blog.

The fact of the matter is that many Americans who self-identify as Christians examine biblical claims of Jesus’ singular divinity, they simply aren’t buying it.

A new survey released yesterday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life scopes this out in rich detail.

According to the survey done in August, an increasing number of Americans are prone to dine at a theological buffet, taking bits and pieces from Eastern religions and New Age beliefs to sculpt a hybrid tailor-made faith.

The study says, “One-third of Americans (35%) say they regularly (9%) or occasionally (26%) attend religious services at more than one place, and most of these (24% of the public overall) indicate that they sometimes attend religious services of a faith different from their own. Aside from when they are traveling and special events like weddings and funerals, three-in-ten Protestants attend services outside their own denomination, and one-fifth of Catholics say they sometimes attend non-Catholic services.”

On the issue of incorporating other philosophies, 24 percent of the public overall and 22 percent of Christians say they believe in reincarnation. Twenty-five percent of the overall public and 23 percent of Christians indicated that they believe in astrology. About 30 percent of Americans say they have felt in touch with someone who has already died. About 20 percent say they have seen or been in the presence of ghosts, and 15 percent have consulted a fortuneteller or a psychic.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. We have the ability to tailor-make our own entertainment, communication choices and relationships; have you ever heard, “Oh, he’s just a Facebook friend.” ?

Southern Baptist Seminary president Albert Mohler told USA Today as part of its comprehensive coverage of the story, “This is a failure of the pulpit as much as of the pew to be clear about what is and is not compatible with Christianity and belief in salvation only through Christ,” Mohler said.

You may read Mohler’s quote and agree 100 percent. You may have a strong cultural connection to Christianity yet enjoy yoga or meditation. I’m not naïve enough to assume that everyone reading this will fall into the same categories.

What the survey does clearly present is evidence is that God has given us freewill to choose him or not. Our interpretations of that choice are increasingly falling along the lines of what we are comfortable with as opposed to accepting a singular truth, or for that matter, what Jesus told the Pharisees.

My fear is for the younger generations, they have been inundated with sex, immorality on TV, in movies , books, etc. for years; and actually believe it is all okay to choose to live that way; and including continuing to do so after accepting Jesus.

__________________________________________________________ Romans 12:2 (King James Version) Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." __________________________________________________________

It requires prayer and action.

The concept of being transformed by the renewing of your mind, and becoming ever more Christ like through the study of His Word, is ignored or flaunted every where on going.

Their concept of sin is “O everyone is doing it, so it is okay.. That was the old way. Now this is the way. We like the new way.”

The turn to entertaining in most all churches; and little Bible Study, has produced weak Christians, accepting homosexuality, as fine, adultery as fine, divorce as fine,stealing and corruption as acceptable in business, etc.

MO I fear for the lack of comprehension they display.

Do they love Christ and ignore His commands and His Word?

God help us in our day, in Jesus name, amen.

I condensed and slightly edited the wording for better comprehension and comparison, from the full report: http://pewforum.org/newassets/images/reports/multiplefaiths/multiplefaiths.pdf Praise the LORD, and pray!

According to the Pew Forum survey, which was conducted Aug. 11-27 among 4,013 adults; I

72% of Americans stated they attend religious services at least a few times a year, 38% at least once a week and 34% who attend once or twice a month or a few times a year. 27% said they seldom or never attend religious services.
35% of Americans answered that they regularly (9%) or occasionally (26%) attend religious services at more than one place, with 24% of the public overall expressing that they sometimes attend religious services of a faith different from their own.
33% Protestants attend services outside their own denomination, with 40% of black Protestants, 24% of white evangelicals and 22% of white mainline Protestants attending other Protestant denominations. 18 percent of Protestants overall indicated that they attend non-Protestant services, with 19% of black Protestants, 13% of white evangelicals, and 14% of mainline Protestants occasionally attending Catholic Mass.
20% of Catholics answered that attend services of at least one faith outside Catholicism, with 18% of Catholics overall and 16% of white Catholics saying they attend Protestant services. 5% report attending services at Jewish synagogues
Of those who who attend religious services yearly or more,37% said they always attend services at the same place, while 35% said they regularly or occasionally attend religious services at different places, aside from when they are traveling and going to special events.
Among those who attend religious services at least once a week, 39% said they attend at multiple places and 28% go to services outside their own faith.
Eastern or New Age beliefs:
24% of the public overall and 22% of Christians say they believe in reincarnation -- that people will be reborn in this world again and again. And similar numbers (25% of the public overall, 23% of Christians) believe in astrology.
White evangelical Protestants consistently express lower levels than other religious traditions of acceptance of both Eastern beliefs (reincarnation, yoga) and New Age beliefs (spiritual energy in physical things and astrology). Only 10% white evangelicals repoorted they believed in reincarnation, compared with 24% among mainline Protestants, 25% among both white Catholics and those unaffiliated with any religion, and 29% among black Protestants. Similarly, 13% of white evangelicals believe in astrology, compared with roughly one-quarter or more among other religious traditions.
Evangelical and mainline Protestants who attend church weekly express far lower levels of belief in reincarnation, yoga, the existence of spiritual energy in physical things and astrology compared with those who attend religious services less often. In contrast frequency of church attendance by Catholics is linked much less closely with these kinds of beliefs, although those who attend less often do express higher levels of belief in astrology compared with weekly attenders.
These beliefs are more common among Democrats and independents than Republicans, and are more widely held by liberals and moderates than conservatives, especially as concerns belief in yoga as a spiritual practice, with 39% of liberals expressing this belief (39%), in contrast toonly 15% of conservatives. Conservatives and Republicans also report fewer experiences than liberals or Democrats communicating with the dead, seeing ghosts and consulting fortunetellers or psychics.
The least likely to say they have felt in touch with a dead person were Evangelical Protestants at 20%, versus 37% of black Protestants, 35% of white Catholics, along with 31% of the unaffiliated and 29% of white mainline Protestants.
Nearly 30% of Americans reoported that they have felt in touch with someone who had died, 33% of women verus 26% of men). Almost 20% say they have seen or been in the presence of ghosts, while 15% have consulted a fortuneteller or a psychic.
Supernatural occult phenomena:
65% of American adults expressed belief in or reported of having experience with at least one of 8 different manifestations of supernatural phenomena: 1. reincarnation; 2. spiritual energy located in physical things; 3. yoga as spiritual practice; 4. the "evil eye;" 5. astrology; 6; having been in touch with the dead; 7. having consulting a psychic; 8. having experiencing a ghostly encounter. This includes 23% of the general population who reported having only one of these beliefs or experiences, while 43% of the people surveyed answered two or more of these items affirmatively.
50% of black Protestants , 48% of the religiously unaffiliated, 47% of Catholics answered yes to two or more of these items, as do 43% of white mainline Protestants, while 53% of white evangelicals answered no to all eight questions.
Sudden religious insight or awakening:
49% of the public reported that they have had a religious or mystical experience, defined as a "moment of sudden religious insight or awakening."
55% of conservatives and 50% of liberal stated they had such experiences, versus 43% of moderates.
Differences among Protestants are revealing. 70% of white evangelicals and 71% of black Protestants stated they have had religious or mystical experiences, versus 40% of mainline Protestants and 37% of Catholics.
Of the 78% who identifiied themselves as Christian, 34% described themselves as born again, while 40% did not.

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