Another Study Of Americans & Religion

Well, the Pew Foundation came out with another study on American religious views. You can get a snappy graphic here. You can even look at the original Pew Foundation findings here.

Largely because I know how my Tribe views these things, I don't like it when they come out. Mostly they'll go all Chicken Little about the findings. "70% believe there are multiple ways to get to heaven! The majority of churchgoers differ in opinion to official denominational doctrines! 50% of churchgoers believe in the Theory of Evolution! 50% of believers think abortion should be legal! Only 40% of people think that Hollywood's values threaten mine! We're certainly going to hell in a handbasket and only 59% of Americans believe in that hell!!!! Run for the hills!!!"

Slow down folks.

Americans are a funny lot. We live in a world where one in five atheists say they believe in God, and 10% pray every week. The atheists likely won't go all Chicken Little about the 20% that don't know official doctrine.

See?

The bottom line is that most folks don't think. Thinking's hard work. Really.

At the core, we know we should eat less & exercise more. We know we shouldn't talk on mobile phones while we drive or at lunch with friends. We know we should turn off the television. We know we should read more. We know we should blah blah blah. We know we shouldn't blah blah blah.

About that eating less & exercising more thing: When am I supposed to get to the gym? I've got two kids to shuttle and laundry and yardwork.

About that talking on mobile phones: Why can't I use that normally dead time to get a few more things done or talk to my mom? Is it wrong to answer my kid's call when they're home alone and I'm dining with friends?

About that turning off the television thing: Is it so wrong to find something mindless to veg out to after a long day at work and coaching the soccer team? Can't I decompress a little?

About the reading more thing: How can I read if I can't hold my eyes open at the end of the day?

About that religion thing and thinking thing: How am I supposed to become a deep thinker when I have widgets to buy/sell/produce? When do I grab that oh-so-enticing theology book and engage deep thoughts when my child wants to read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-good, Very-bad Day for the 100th time? Do I sacrifice chatting with my wife for a minichurch commitment? When's the yardwork going to get finished? The housework? Ever tried to engage in listening to a sermon on-line while feeding the kids some Mac & Cheese before they're off to piano lessons?

So, Tribe. Slow down on the Chicken Little thing, okay? There are some realities afoot here...

...but it isn't unique to our Tribe. Muslims & Hindu studies find very similar things regarding their views of the afterlife and other important doctrines.

We live in a world where thinking is hard work.

I live in a world where spiritual formation is a slow business.
I live in a world where spiritual formation is God's business.
I live in a world where I make the decision to trust Him and do the next thing.
I live in a world where, if I do that, He transforms hearts and minds over a period of time one life at a time.
I live in a world where correct data isn't the goal. Love, from a pure heart, good conscience & sincere faith is the goal.
I live in a world where those things happen best in the context of relationships, not classrooms.
I live in a world where having the "right" doctrines will be sorted out in the Kingdom, anyway. I'll have hit on some and I feel sure I'll be corrected in others.

So, before I go all Chicken Little on the faults of the Church and what's wrong with how Americans do church and the failings of suburban megachurches and bigger-is-better mentalities and warp speed culture and technological overload and blah blah blah...

...I think I'll just do what God asked me to do today. Love Him. Love my neighbor one life at a time.

And try not to complicate that too much.