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    57% of EVANGELICALS Believe that Many Religions Can Lead to Eternal Life

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    You can read the whole article here...

    I wonder… if you polled YOUR congregation, how many people would admit that they think that many religions can lead to eternal life?

    According to a Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey of 35,000 adults, 57% of evangelical church attenders say they believe many religions can lead to eternal life.

    According to a recent AP article "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.

    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.

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    1. Jud on Tue, June 24, 2008

      The headlines now read like a Bible Prophecy Checklist….


      57% of Evangelicals and 82% of mainline protestants are now Universalists? Hmmm, Let’s see….


      “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being assembled to meet him ... Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion [in the original greek: apostasy - ‘great falling away’] comes first, and the lawless [one] is revealed, the son of perdition…”  2Thess 2:1,3


      Todd Bentley and the Lakeland “Revivals” Hmmmm, let’s see….


      “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils…”  1Timothy 4:1


      Felt needs and Social Justice are the top priority of the Church? Hmmm, lets see…..


      “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord…”  Amos 8:11


      People Get ready !!!!

    2. Peter Hamm on Tue, June 24, 2008

      I saw this in the Boston Globe this morning, and was hoping you’d comment on it.


      I honestly don’t think it’s anything new. I think people with little commitment to their faith have always harbored universalist tendencies. We just seem to becoming more honest about it.


      I would like to guess that our numbers are lower than the national average, but I wonder by how much. Not that we don’t preach it right, but what people receive or hear or “own” is not entirely up to us.


      Truth is, as Christ followers we know that NO religion leads to God. Only Jesus does!

    3. Paul J. on Tue, June 24, 2008

      Wow.


      I’m not sure I’d WANT to poll my congregation on this. I’d be scared to find out what the results are. But I would guess we’d be right on track with that average.


      Maybe I’ll wait a few weeks and let our new pastor tackle it. http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/wink.gif

    4. Jim on Tue, June 24, 2008

      It’s not surprising, but it is worrisome.  Unfortunately, I believe that this is an outgrowth of a lot of factors, probably to many to name.   Yet, the weak theological training many ministers receive, if any training, and specifically the eagerness of the clergy to abandon exegetical preaching for the crowd pleasing prosperity message are major factors.  Plus, the church is far too eager to embrace “Christian” celebrities, regardless of their lifestyles.  I it infuriates me to see some of the most sexually immoral, crude, rude, and who blatantly oppose Scriptural morality being embraced, and given the pulpits on television and radio.  People who come to mind include the Ophra Winfrey’s, Tyra Banks, just to name two, even though there are many others.  When did the church give up its gift of discernment? 


      I certainly understand that taking on moral issues from a Biblical perspective, especially calling a congregation to Biblical obedience has cost many a clergy his position, and if not his position, a great deal of hostile criticism.  Some of the best trained, qualified, and spiritually mature Pastors I know have nearly been destroyed by the “tares” that out numbered the “wheat” within a congregation.  It’s getting to the place where a truly Biblical teacher is going be very much like the Prophets of old-hated and reviled.  Persecution isn’t coming, it’s already been here for a long time, but it will grow worse.

    5. Glen Davis on Tue, June 24, 2008

      Check GetReligion for a helpful perspective on this. The results are still intriguing, but they probably don’t mean what our first reaction tells us.

    6. Daniel on Tue, June 24, 2008

      Yes, people are confused. And yeah, that’s nothing new.


      Conflating ‘eternal life’ with ‘life after death’ is, however, a disservice to Scripture and a disservice to the Gospel.

    7. DanielR on Wed, June 25, 2008

      First of all, it’s a survey.  If you ask the questions a certain way you can greatly influence the answers you get.   “57% of EVANGELICALS Believe that Many Religions Can Lead to Eternal Life” is an interpretation of the survey results?


      When you have Catholics and Protestants listed as different religions, rather than listing them both as Christian, I’m not sure how I would answer either.  Do I agree with the Catholic Church? No, that’s why I’m not Catholic.  But do I believe that God does not consider them Christians and that God cannot/will not extend His grace to them? 


      “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.”  If Catholics believe I’m wrong but can still be an instrument of salvation why shouldn’t I believe they can still be an instrument of salvation?


      For me to declare that the way I believe is the only way to heaven, even though scripture tells me it is, seems tantamount to me telling God what He is allowed to do.  I know, the difference may be too subtle for some to grasp, but to me there is a difference between saying “Scripture tells me… Jesus is the only way to heaven” and saying “Jesus is the only way to heaven and God will not extend His grace to anyone who doesn’t believe in Jesus”.


      Also, only 57% of evangelicals said that other religions could lead to eternal life while 83% of those affiliated with Mainline churches said the same, so at least Evangelicals are still more dogmatic than the Mainline churches.  http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/grin.gif


      Is it coincidence that the two groups with a majority opinion that their way is the only way to eternal life, Mormons (57%) and Jehovah’s Witnesses (80%), are the two groups many Christians would say are brain-washed cults?

    8. Ryan on Wed, June 25, 2008

      This just empowers me to proclaim, proclaim, proclaim.  Questioning a congregation on these issues would be no worse than asking…


      What is a Psalter?  It goes with Pepper.


      What was the Diet of Worms? A fear factor episode.


      What is regenerate?  It’s green power from the utility company.


      What was the Canon of Dort.  An old Belgian wheat beer.


      What is propitiation?  It’s the funny waves out the back of a submarine.


      The responsiblity lies with the teacher and the student. 


      Teacher - provide the syllibus and teach


      Student- pick up the material and study.


      I think that Phillipians 1: 15-19 has it’s limits.


      Lastly, one should not be surprised that Absolute Truth has been replaced by subjective moral relativism.  We need to keep fighting for The Truth.

    9. Peter Hamm on Wed, June 25, 2008

      ryan,


      I always thought that maybe Martin Luther had all the stomach problems he had because he maintained that diet of worms. too much psalter, maybe, too…


      And… do ya know I always understood that the reason he allegedly said “Here I stand, I can do no other” was simple. Nobody offered him a seat, and all the pews were full!


      Pity that history is so misunderstood… (I really liked the definition of propitiation.)

    10. Mark on Thu, June 26, 2008

      >“Truth is, as Christ followers we know


      > that NO religion leads to God. Only


      > Jesus does!”


      Actually….  A “true” christian knows that Jesus has not empowered them to judge others.  This includes sitting around and guessing and gossiping as to whether the beliefs of “that guy over there” is going to get him to heaven or not.  Its simply not your business.  If you think it is your business then you simply are not a christian.


      In fact, Matthew 7:21 clearly shows that if you are sitting around judging others then you yourself won’t be going to heaven. 


      There will be great sorrow and gnashing of teeth on the judgement day but It won’t be atheists or homosexuals.  It will be christians who perverted Jesus’ message in order to stroke their own egos or gather political and economic power for themselves here on earth.

    11. Peter Hamm on Thu, June 26, 2008

      Mark,


      Judgmentalism can be very very bad indeed, you are right. But you are totally off base, imho, with your interpretation of Matthew 7.  In context, or by itself, Matthew 7:21 is not saying that “if you are sitting around judging others then you yourself won’t be going to heaven.”

    12. Mark on Thu, June 26, 2008

      Peter Hamm wrote:


      “...In context, or by itself, Matthew 7:21


      > is not saying that “if you are sitting


      > around judging others then you


      > yourself won’t be going to heaven.”


      Matthew 7:21 outlines the consequences.  Matthew 1:1 points out the sin.  How can you be missing that??


      Its totally obvious to even the casual observer.  Peter, your refusal to acknowledge the words right there in front of you on the printed page is rather breathtaking. 


      If you are trying to claim there is some other “context”  to Matthew 7 that you prefer to believe instead of what’s plainly written there in black and white then I’m afraid you will have to explain your thinking in detail.

    13. Peter Hamm on Thu, June 26, 2008

      Oops, I remember you Mark.


      I didn’t mean to engage you in any fashion whatsoever. SO sorry… (I think you’re the one who told me that I was going to… well… not to heaven at any rate…)


      Forget it…

    14. Mark on Thu, June 26, 2008

      I previously said to Peter:


      >”...If you are trying to claim there is


      >some other “context” to Matthew 7


      >that you prefer to believe instead


      >of what’s plainly written there in


      >black and white then I’m afraid


      >you will have to explain your


      >thinking in detail.”


      Then Peter replied: “Oops, I remember


      >you Mark. I didn’t mean to engage


      >you in any fashion whatsoever.


      >SO sorry… Forget it….”


      Its amazing to me how many christians eagerly jump into a conversation and throw their opinions down on the table and then when asked to explain the basis for their vague claims, they simply turn tail and run away.

    15. DanielR on Fri, June 27, 2008

      Mark, if you were really interested in discussing anything I’d think you’d put in you real e-mail address instead of making up a phony one to try and hide.


      You’re out of line.  You’re just plain wrong and you’re rude about it.


      Matthew 1:1 begins the list of Jesus’ ancestors; it doesn’t say anything about sin.


      Maybe you meant Matthew 7:1 - Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.  For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.


      So, yes, we should not presume to judge to whom God’s grace will be granted, but we are called to be discerning and to correct our brothers in Christ when they are wrong, so we do have to judge when they are wrong in order to know when to provide correction.


      So what is the context of Matthew 7?  What type of judging is he talking about?  Not the type you’re reading into it.


      And Matthew 7:21 does NOT clearly show “ if you are sitting around judging others then you yourself won’t be going to heaven”.  This passage doesn’t mention judging at all, it has to do with being true disciples.


      And, by the way, Peter stated his humble opinion and noted that it was his humble opinion by the letters (imho).  You might want to investigate the humble part of that; study some scripture, search your heart, do a little praying, and let God speak to you in this area.  Because imho this is a sin you are guilty of and it is evidenced by the lack of humility and grace in your comments.


      Doh! There I go being judgmental again.

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