"Christianity" in America

"Most Americans don't believe they will experience a resurrection of their bodies when they die, putting them at odds with a core teaching of Christianity."

Only 36 percent of the 1,007 adults interviewed a month ago by the Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University said "yes" to the question: "Do you believe that, after you die, your physical body will be resurrected someday?" Fifty-four percent said they do not believe and 10 percent were undecided.

And yet over 60% of Americans claim to be Christians -- in fact, a Barna survey taken in 2002 puts the figure closer to 80%, with 68% describing themselves as "committed Christians." We claim to be Christians, but deny one of the basic beliefs of Christianity -- the eventual resurrection of all men.

We've removed belief from Christianity. We've made it so easy to call yourself a Christian that anyone can do it, regardless of what they believe. We need to start defining Christianity the way it is defined Biblically -- people who believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, trust Him alone for their salvation, and believe (and live) according to His teachings. Anything else may be a really cool way to believe, but it isn't Christianity, and we need to stop fooling ourselves.

Christians are proud of the "fact" that our nation is 60%+ Christian -- I'd rather rejoice in the 20-30% who actually know what that means, and live it anyway.

Posted by Warren Kelly at April 14, 2006 10:16 AM | TrackBack