Posted on 06/23/2008 11:51:24 AM PDT by Sopater
WASHINGTON - America remains a deeply religious nation, but a new survey finds most Americans don't believe their tradition is the only way to eternal life -- even if the denomination's teachings say otherwise. The findings, revealed Monday in a survey of 35,000 adults, can either be taken as a positive sign of growing religious tolerance, or disturbing evidence that Americans dismiss or don't know fundamental teachings of their own faiths.
Among the more startling numbers in the survey, conducted last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life: 57 percent of evangelical church attenders said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life, in conflict with traditional evangelical teaching. In all, 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, and 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion.
"The survey shows religion in America is, indeed, 3,000 miles wide and only three inches deep," said D. Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist of religion. "There's a growing pluralistic impulse toward tolerance and that is having theological consequences," he said.
Earlier data from the Pew Forum's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, released in February, highlighted how often Americans switch religious affiliation. The newly released material looks at religious belief and practice as well as the impact of religion on society, including how faith shapes political views. The report argues that while relatively few people -- 14 percent -- cite religious beliefs as the main influence on their political thinking, religion still plays a powerful indirect role.
The study confirmed some well-known political dynamics, including stark divisions over abortion and same-sex "marriage," with the more religiously committed taking conservative views on the issues. But it also showed support across religious lines for greater governmental aid for the poor, even if it means more debt and stricter environmental laws and regulations.
By many measures, Americans are strongly religious: 92 percent believe in God, 74 percent believe in life after death, and 63 percent say their respective scriptures are the word of God. But deeper investigation found that more than one in four Roman Catholics, mainline Protestants, and Orthodox Christians expressed some doubts about God's existence, as did six in ten Jews. Another finding almost defies explanation: 21 percent of self-identified atheists said they believe in God or a universal spirit, with eight percent "absolutely certain" of it.
"Look, this shows the limits of a survey approach to religion," said Peter Berger, a theology and sociology professor at Boston University. "What do people really mean when they say that many religions lead to eternal life? It might mean they don't believe their particular truth at all. Others might be saying, 'We believe a truth but respect other people, and they are not necessarily going to hell.'" Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum, said that more research is planned to answer those kinds of questions, but that earlier, smaller surveys found similar results.
Nearly across the board, the majority of religious Americans believe many religions can lead to eternal life: mainline Protestants (83 percent), members of historic black Protestant churches (59 percent), Roman Catholics (79 percent), Jews (82 percent) and Muslims (56 percent). By similar margins, people in those faith groups believe in multiple interpretations of their own traditions' teachings. Yet 44 percent of the religiously affiliated also said their religion should preserve its traditional beliefs and practices.
"What most people are saying is, 'Hey, we don't have a hammer-lock on God or salvation, and God's bigger than us and we should respect that and respect other people,'" said the Rev. Tom Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University. "Some people are like butterflies that go from flower to flower, going from religion to religion -- and frankly they don't get that deep into any of them," he said.
Beliefs about eternal life vary greatly, even within a religious tradition. Some Christians hold strongly to Jesus' words as described in John 14:6: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Others emphasize the wideness of God's grace. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the "one church of Christ ... subsists in the Catholic Church" alone and that Protestant churches, while defective, can be "instruments of salvation."
Roger Oldham, a vice president with the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, bristled at using the word "tolerance" in the analysis. "If by tolerance we mean we're willing to engage or embrace a multitude of ways to salvation, that's no longer evangelical belief," he said. "The word 'evangelical' has been stretched so broadly, it's almost an elastic term."
Others welcomed the findings. "It shows increased religious security. People are comfortable with other traditions even if they're different," said the Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance. "It indicates a level of humility about religion that would be of great benefit to everyone."
More than most groups, Catholics break with their church, and not just on issues like abortion and homosexuality. Only six in ten Catholics described God as "a person with whom people can have a relationship" -- which the church teaches -- while three in ten described God as an "impersonal force."
"The statistics show, more than anything else, that many who describe themselves as Catholics do not know or understand the teachings of their church," said Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput. "Being Catholic means believing what the Catholic church teaches. It is a communion of faith, not simply of ancestry and family tradition. It also means that the church ought to work harder at evangelizing its own members."
No. But I do believe that Faith should be grounded in reason, not feelings, and the whole of the book is based upon warm fuzzies.
Do you think a "what we believe" section of a church website is meant to represent every facet of a church's theology?
Of course not. But I do believe it is evidence that Saddleback Church is a distinct branch under the Protestant umbrella.
Do you think there is any reason why there should be a set of basic principles listed by a church before going into church doctrine and deeper theological issues?
It is always a good idea to start at the top, and then go deeper into things. However, when the next step in going deeper into things (such as a book) is based on feelings, then I don't think it is very deep at all.
Maybe you believe that before someone sets foot in a church, they should read the enire Bible, and throw in a couple of commentaries on each passage while you're at it?
Of course not - but I think such scholarly, rational, and philosophical tracts should be available for those who seek them. And they should be based on facts and reason, not feelings. If someone at Warren's church sought serious intellectual treatment of a given topic, he would have to go towards Calvinism, Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Catholicism, Orthodoxy...something with a deep theological reserve.
That Chapter of John is about Jesus’ resurrection not forgiveness of sin.
The Pope is not Jesus or God.
When the Doctrines of Grace were taught to me, I was so relieved that it was not and could not be up to me. Before that, I just knew everyone else on the pew was a Christian and I was not. What a relief to find that He really is in control.
That is good, because any way that is "our way" will not lead to Christ. The only way to Christ is through the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, which occurs BEFORE conversion. That is the ONLY way to Christ, and Christ is the only way to the Father. It is God's way, any way that we call "our way" just drives us further from God, because we in essence try to impose our will on Him, to gain acceptance us on our terms.
What’s so hard about Romans 9?
Christ is the way to the Father, how Christ may introduce himself to us either “by fire or by love” as the scripture states is as individual a path as each of us are individuals.
The arguement I most hear is that Christ was just one of many paths to God and eternal life. The answer I give is that Christ is the only way to God and eternal life. The scriptures allow no other choice! Now, how Christ may introduce himself to a needful soul, that is between that soul and Christ!
In as much as only GOD is capable of purely perfect action, no man's deeds are perfect, and consequently all men's actions are to one degree another flawed, or "in error." With that in mind, I'd have to answer your question, "Yes." GOD is glorified not by the perfection of man, but in man's seeking of perfection...and in that quest, many errors are made.
The introduction may be different, but the WAY is always the same.
I think you take exception without knowing what he meant about the theology. Many Protestants believe that the only information about religion is in the Bible as interpreted by one’s own understanding.
Catholics believe in Tradition from which Scripture was written and the Magisterium which safeguards the Word of God.
As a former Protestant, I think he was right in his assessment but I certainly don’t know all denominations.
Whenever I consider what I believe, and what others believe, my first acknowledgment is that I believe what I believe by FAITH. I cannot prove it. I believe that Christ is the only way to God the Father. That is my faith. However, I recognize that because I believe it doesn’t mean others do, as they may have their own faith. I believe I am right, just as they do. If you don’t believe your own faith is the right one, why believe it?
To get there you have to understand that the Catholic Church is Apostolic. We practice the faith as handed down through the ages from the original Apostles to the priests of today.
Jesus told the Apostles, not the crowd, that those sins that they forgive or bind will be bound or forgiven in Heaven.
Catholics also believe that they can go straight to God to ask for forgiveness and I would say that most have already talked any sin that they realize they have committed with God before they confess it to a priest but if it is a mortal sin you need to confess it to a priest.
I wasn’t Catholic until I was 46, confession is one of the hardest things that I do as a Catholic but I intellectually understand the teaching.
As with all 7 of the sacraments, confession is actually a gift not a chore or a hardship, it is, in layman’s terms, an encounter with the Risen Christ. It is a moment of actual grace.
I agree. My faith is instructed by the Word of God and my own experiences, but it is still faith. At that point I lose the right to deny others their faith. I simply mine is right— just as others do.
>> That is good, because any way that is “our way” will not lead to Christ.
Understood and noted.
I used the term “my way” as a shorthand for the way I believe God has presented to me. It was shorthand for the the Baptist Church — not a way I invented wholesale. Perhaps it was sloppy shorthand ... but it was certainly not intended as a declaration that I determined my own way to God.
H
Agreed.
I suppose I would say my religion, Christianity generally, is the only way to Salvation. I would not say that my denomination, Baptist (or even Protestantism generally), is the only method of being Christian for the purpose of Salvation. I am prepared to say Christ is the only way — I am simply not prepared to define the precise boundaries of what is and is not “Christian” for the purposes of Salvation. Mormons? Jehovah’s Witnesses? I just don’t know.
I can say that most Muslims are probably not — but, there may be a few that understand and know Christ. Buddhists — again, generally, probably not ... but individually, there may be Buddhists whose relationship with Christ is sufficient.
My point is that Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Mormons, Methodists, Baptists, non-denominational Protestants, Scientologists, Branch Davidians, etc. are not judged as a group — they are each judged as individuals. Each religion probably has tenets which are not exactly where they should be — some are weirder than others (dated a Scientologist in High School ... complete wacko, but she was ... top-heavy ... so what did I care?).
But, a true relationship with Christ would mean forgiveness for sins ... even errors in religious doctrine. Salvation cleanses. It can cleanse an errant Scientologist, an errant Baptist, or an errant Catholic. It is Salvation that makes it OK to be unsure about complicated doctrinal intricacies.
H
And therein lies the rub. Original Methodism did not mirror Baptist theology, it was more inclined to Anglican belief but with feeling. It was liturgical, Communion was weekly instead of monthly, the Nicene Creed was said...it more resembled the American Episcopalian services of my youth.
The Methodist Church of my youth changed drastically. In some places it is as Baptist as any Baptist Church and in some places they might as well call it the Human Secularist Church, I call them the Methodist Social Club. I've found very few Methodist Churches in my adulthood that even resemble the Methodist Churches I attended in my youth. My SIL attends one, so I know they are out there but her minister is past retirement age too.
And if you doubt what I'm saying I could dig out my old hymnal that gives the Order of Worship.
In my own Methodist Church, we went from liturgical, to kind of liturgical, to the ministers could just as well have been on Broadway, to Human Secularism.
You know, live a good life, do good, do community service, care about the environment, blah, blah, blah. It is the same thing with those Catholics who preach and teach "Social Justice" that liberal Catholics have grasped with both hands. It takes the focus off of Jesus and puts it on the individual and what they can do.
Ah, yes, in your own personal opinion of Scripture, that could be what that chapter of John is about, but it would be different than what the Apostle’s taught and even what many other Christian denominations teach. I wonder who I will believe on that interpretation?
And, no, the pope is not Jesus or God, he is merely a sinful human being, guided by the Holy Spirit in matters of Faith and Morals.
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