We'll use taxes and the IRS to control the church and we will control the messages from those churches for the next 100 years!
Posted on 03/26/2015 4:46:03 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Barna Group has released its 2015 study on the state of atheism in America, and has revealed that one in four unchurched adults in the country now identify as atheists or agnostics. The study also found that rejection of the Bible and lack of trust in the church are two main reasons why people are turning away from faith.
The study was focused on those who have not attended church within the past six months, and found that the majority of such people identify as non-practicing Christians. One in four, or 25 percent, however, were classed as skeptics, which Barna defines as people who "either do not believe God exists (atheists) or are not sure God exists, but are open to the possibility (agnostics)."
Of that number, nearly one-third said that they have never attended a Christian church service in their lives.
Barna found that the three main reasons people decide not to believe in God stem from rejection of the Bible; lack of trust in the local church; and the "cultural reinforcement of a secular worldview."
"Skeptics dismiss the idea that the Bible is Holy or supernatural in any way. Two-thirds contend that it is simply a book of well-known stories and advice, written by humans and containing the same degree of authority and wisdom as any other self-help book," the report said.
It added that the other one-third believe that the Bible is either a historical document that contains "the unique but not God-inspired accounts of events that happened in the past," or do not really know what to make of the Bible.
David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group, said: "The data show that some cities — and younger generations — are more Gospel-resistant than others. It is increasingly common among millennials to dismiss religion, God, churches, authority and tradition. For years, some observers have claimed colleges and universities are a breeding ground for anti-God sentiment. The data does lend support to the notion that college campuses are comfortable places for young people to abandon God and assume control of their own lives."
The group explained that today's skeptics, much like their counterparts two decades ago, are defined by their denial and doubts about God's existence. Their demographics have been changing considerably, however.
As other studies have also found, younger people are more likely to be skeptics than older people. Barna says that today, 34 percent of all skeptics are younger than 30.
The statistics also showed that half of all skeptics have a college degree, and that many more women today are joining their ranks — only 16 percent of skeptics in 1993 were women, but by 2013 that number grew to 43 percent.
Kinnaman added in his statement: "Figuring out how to effectively engage skeptics is difficult. One of the unexpected results we uncovered is the limited influence of personal relationships on skeptics. They are considerably less relational and less engaged in social activities than the average American. Christians for whom 'ministry is about relationships' may be disappointed when they find that many skeptics are not as enamored of relational bonds as are those who are already a part of church life."
"But in giving his followers the Great Commission, Jesus didn't mention anything about doing what is easy. New levels of courage and clarity will be required to connect beyond the Christianized majority."
Barna reached out to 23,000 churched and unchurched adults for the study, and found that for each survey of 1,000 people, the estimated maximum sampling error was plus or minus 3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
Other polls, such as the 2014 General Social Survey conducted by NORC and the University of Chicago, which was released in March, also found that the number of Americans leaving organized religion is at a record high, at 21 percent.
The survey reported, however, that only 3 percent of the respondents to its poll are atheist, while 5 percent identified as agnostic, which is a notably lower number than Barna's statistics.
> I fall into the category of lack of trust in Churches. The article itself points out that current church practices are a “social service” industry with a focus on fund raising.
While it may seem that way in some churches a lot of the funding is for noble cause such as assisting people by providing food, clothing, homeless shelters and paying their bills when they have shortages due to a job loss or a loss in the family. I’m one of the people involved in that type ministry. When fund raising is for self-enrichment thats when its being done for the wrong reason.
Good point. Most don’t believe in a literal six day creation anymore.
Which begs the question, if one cannot believe in a literal six day creation, why would one believe in a virgin birth?
What’s more fantastic? Fact is I would guess most must believe the majority of the bible to be just a bunch of nonsense when you think about it; giants, world flood, the parting of the Red Sea, Jonah and whale, etc..
I say this with a heavy heart, but while “knowledge” has increased, faith seems lacking, and we, as in our country, are in a downhill slide.
“More consequences for thought and action follow the affirmation or denial of God than from answering any other basic question.”
- Mortimer Adler
And I notice that the “modern knowledge” answer to the God question is just as inadequate among naturalists as it was in the day of Epicurus.
As far as I can remember I’ve never encountered a skeptic who demonstrates an understanding of the very basic logic that if there is a God who created the Universe, then that God would be able to accomplish the other events you mention.
In other words, you’ve got to get your thinking in order. The first premise to accept or reject is the big premise—that of God’s existence.
Denial of any of the other events you mention require first denying the big premise. So I can’t think of a single atheist argument able to escape the death sentence of circular reasoning.
these people pretty much all vote D
That has not been my experience.
We have a duty to help individuals with food, drink & clothing. Interestingly Christ rarely dealt with Social issues and political issues.(I’m aware he told his disciples not to go to the gentiles and said “render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars.” Most of his commandments dealt with interactions between individuals.
Recently it was reported that there was the pastor that wanted each of his “flock” to give him $350 so he could buy a private jet.
> We have a duty to help individuals with food, drink & clothing. Interestingly Christ rarely dealt with Social issues and political issues.(I’m aware he told his disciples not to go to the gentiles and said “render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars.” Most of his commandments dealt with interactions between individuals.
Good thing Caesar’s no longer alive...: )
Me too, but in remembering those days Galileo spent at home-arrest for arguing against scripture ... and Joan of Arc's execution for wearing men's clothing ... facts are now being realized.
I want to weigh my answer so I don’t offend you or others here, but my heavy heart is not due to loss of childhood beliefs in stories from the bible, but rather feeling like the last man standing when acknowledging that I believe God did create the earth in six days.
I don’t place my salvation on it however, nor that of others, but how does a little child reconcile the bible in their heart and trust it’s words if accepted science says the very first story in it is taken out of context or interpreted wrong, as in a six day creation?
To my knowledge it is still taught in Sunday schools, I would think anyway. Maybe...
Tough questions, no easy answers.
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Lack of Trust in Local Churches Cited as a Reason
We'll use taxes and the IRS to control the church and we will control the messages from those churches for the next 100 years!
There is no offense in being open and honest, but one big fact is that scientists now tell us that Earth’s age is about 4.5 billion years. That number is based on moon rocks picked up by astronauts some years ago.
Moon rocks? OK, how about moon dust? How thick should it be at the present accumulation rate if the earth is 4.5 billion years old?
How would those same scientists reconcile that?
There’s hope for agnostics.
I was an agnostic and now I am saved....
In God's world, even atheists have hope. Some of the bets apologetics folks are ex-atheists who set out to prove there was no God. In their researches, they became convinced that He does indeed exist..
Yes, you’re right that for some atheists their “failure to reject the null hypothesis” (that God is) leads them logically to belief in Him.
I guess I’m referring to the in-your-face anti-theists who spend all their energy hating what according to them doesn’t even exist.
We were taught in Catholic school in the 9th grade that “man can prove the existence of God by reason alone”.
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