72% Say Churches Are Full of Hypocrites
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Wed, January 30, 2008
- Viewed 164
- (20) comments so far
The survey results were published last week by LifeWay Research, the research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. The organization surveyed 1,402 ‘unchurched’ adults last spring and summer. The margin of error is 2.5 percentage points.
The survey defines unchurched as those who had not attended a religious service in a church, synagogue or mosque at any time in the past six months.
More than 1 in 5 Americans say they never go to church, the General Social Survey found in 2006. The survey is conducted every two years by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
Other researchers have found similar negative opinions about church.
Researchers at Barna Group, a Christian survey organization, have found that young adults in particular are rejecting the institution — and Christianity in general — because it is perceived to be anti-gay, too political and hypocritical.
The implications, the researchers from both studies said, are seen when churches try to evangelize to and reach the unchurched. But the research also speaks to the way churches have communicated their messages, said Jerry Wilkins, director of the Tuscaloosa Baptist Association, the local Southern Baptist organization.
‘We’re just still struggling,’ Wilkins said. ‘I think the answer for this dilemma is for the church to better communicate that we are a hospital for sick people. We need to be helping [non Christians] understand what the church is. My feeling is we’ve done a poor job communicating that church is not for people who have arrived, but for people who are on a journey.’
The Barna findings were the basis for the book ‘unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity…and Why it Matters,’ released in October 2007.
‘There are a lot of different factors for it,’ said David Kinnaman, president of The Barna Group and one of the authors of ‘unChristian.’
‘The reasons people come to negative conclusions about Christianity, churches or Christians is as diverse as the people you ask. But I think the media-saturated, fault-finding, skeptical society we live in is part of it. You see the mistakes of prominent [Christian] leaders broadcast and printed on pages, and that solidifies people’s perspectives about Christians as hypocrites or living hypocritical lifestyles.’
The recent headline-making stories of disgraced church leaders accused of lying, cheating and philandering have had their impact, but Kinnaman said people’s personal relationships also influence their perception of church, such as the neighbor who is heavily involved in his church, but also heavily involved with a mistress.
Some high-profile Christian leaders have also come under fire for alleged misdeeds, with their stories played out prominently in the media. Richard Roberts, son of evangelist Oral Roberts, resigned last week as president of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa amid allegations he misspent school money to support a lavish lifestyle. And six popular televangelists are under federal investigation for financial misdeeds.
In November U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking member of the committee on finance, requested financial information from the six ministries: Kenneth and Gloria Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Creflo and Taffi Dollar of World Changers Church International, Benny Hinn of Benny Hinn Ministries, Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Joyce and David Meyer of Joyce Meyer Ministries, and Randy and Paula White of the multiracial Without Walls International Church and Paula White Ministries.
Evangelical leaders have also come under fire for other personal sins that are contrary to the Christian message.
Ted Haggard, the former leader of the National Association of Evangelicals, resigned his post as pastor of the church he founded after allegations surfaced of a homosexual affair and methamphetamine use. And just this week, Georgia megachurch leader Archbishop Earl Paulk pleaded guilty to lying under oath about several sexual affairs and was sentenced to 10 years probation.
QUESTION: Aren’t ALL churches full of hypocrites? I’m surprised the number was only 72%… What do you think?
A recent U.S. survey of adults who don’t attend church, not even on holidays, found that 72 percent thought the church ‘is full of hypocrites,’ but that 78 percent would ‘be willing to listen’ to someone who wanted to share their beliefs about Christianity. At the same time, 72 percent of respondents also said they believe God exists.
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Jerry on Fri, February 01, 2008
In the article, it was written the church needs “to better communicate that we are a hospital for sick people.” That is right, but that’s hard to do if they don’t realize they’re sick. We need to get them in the doors so they can hear the message, or go and meet them right where they are and live out the message.
If we live like we’re Christians and our every day lives communicate the gospel, maybe that will spark enough curiousity to make them want to check out our church. As Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
We have a responsibility to our Lord, as ambassadors of His love and grace, to extend that grace to those around us, especially within the church. My gosh, if we can’t treat each other right, why would an unchurched person ever consider going to church? There is more acceptance for that person at the local tavern.
If we preach the love and grace of Jesus and then don’t live it or give it, that’s hypocritical.
Camey on Fri, February 01, 2008
Amen, Jerry.
deaubry on Sat, February 02, 2008
if we do not love the brethern whom we have seen, how can we love god whom we have not seen, we have got to make our minds up to love no matter what anyone else do. and the good part is god will help us, because its not easy to love some people all the time.
Jan on Sat, February 02, 2008
I guess I have a different take. My first was yup there certainly are!
But I wasn’t thinking of the transparent individuals that are believers that I know and love, who are truly seeking a relationship with the Savior and living life walking in the Spirit most of the time.
I was thinking of how many wounded individuals we have had come through our doors, due to a bad church experience.
Don’t you all find that to be true in your ministries? I mean severely wounded who barely slink through the door, desperate to find true community in Christ, but also desperately afraid that another hurtful experience will happen. We have a gripload of those.
And I think it is a serious problem in churches today. I think sadly, that we’ve earned that reputation. And I think we’ve grieved the Holy Spirit by our behavior and treatment of each other.
If the church in America would wake up and get down on our faces in humble repentance, and truly seek to LOVE each other and those outside our walls, we would see the world changed for Christ. And we have a lot to answer for as a church, because we have been unwilling to offer the grace we ourselves have received.
Instead, we’re worried about who sitting in my favorite pew, whether or not the pastor is making me feel good and important, what my title is, the church decorations, and what is acceptable dress during services. (just to name a few I’ve encountered, there’s a host more)
Yeah, I think there are a lot of Christian hyporcrites.
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