OK, so only 75% of Americans describe themselves as "Christian" nowadays.
Additionally, according to the American Religious Identification Survey published by Trinity College on March 9, an increasing number of folk express no religious affiliation at all. Personally, I am an enthusiastic Jesus follower; but these "controversial findings" don't surprise me in the least. Consider the following: Christianity in America has been twisted into irrelevancy by millions of people who still confuse the values of our mainstream western culture with its predominant religion. The message of Jesus has been distorted almost beyond recognition by movements such as the so-called "Religious Right," proponents of the "Prosperity Gospel," and televangelists who make the legendary snake-oil salesmen appear tame by comparison. Jesus said, "People will know that you follow me because of your love ...", yet the mainline church has presented a public face defined by division and acrimony. … Jesus has always voiced a radical message, and the Gospel is no less disturbing to the status quo today. But if you want to kill off a good radical movement, then the best bet is to make it synonymous with mainstream culture. Hey, why not go one better, and begin to insist Christianity is our state religion? The mainstream church is faltering as an institution because it has largely forgotten that its roots, almost 500 years ago, were in the idea of reformation. Today some of the least likely to change churches are those that identify themselves as Reformed. I am fortunate enough to worship with a congregation [First (Church) in Brandon, Fla.] that engages in honest re-evaluation as a defining characteristic of its core values and emergent culture. We are not afraid — well, not too much — to allow the Jesus we follow to actually lead us somewhere. In some respects American Christianity needs to die a little bit — so we can all be re-born. Not reborn in a conservative evangelical sense so much as reborn in terms of living faith. … Derek Maul Tampa, Fla. |
