Life is so interesting….. During youth group the other evening we were watching a segment of the Rob Bell DVD: Sunday, where he talks about the reasons we worship. He asks if we worship out of obligation or because we have that desire to do so. Do you consider yourself religious or spiritual or both?
Then home I went to find the October 4, 2009 edition of Parade. The cover pointed me to an article by Christine Wicker entitled “How Spiritual Are We?” Why did Parade conduct this poll? Since we are seen as one of the most religious nations in the Western world – as a people who believe in God, pray often and teach our children to do the same – the question is: Has that changed?
The answer is no, but it’s complicated. According to the Parade poll, 69% of Americans believe in God, 77% pray outside of religious services and 75% believe it’s a parent’s responsibility to give children a religious upbringing. But even though 45% of respondents called themselves religious, 50% said they rarely or never attended worship services. More than a quarter (27%) of respondents said they don’t practice any kind of religion. But only 7% weren’t sure about the existence of God and 12% didn’t believe in an afterlife. Interesting……
Wicker writes: “What Americans are doing today is separating spirituality from religion, with many people disavowing organized practice altogether while privately maintaining some form of worship. The old terms – ‘atheist’ and ‘agnostic’ – are no longer catch-alls for everyone outside traditional belief. In fact, 24% of respondents put themselves into a whole new category: ‘spiritual but not religious’.”
What is “Spiritual but not Religious”?
Spiritual but not religious means different things to different people. Wicker writes, “Some may be members of traditional religions but want to signal that they aren’t legalistic or rigid. At the other end of the spectrum, ‘spiritual but not religious’ can apply to someone who has combined diverse beliefs and practices into a personal faith that fits no standard definition.
Religion's Purpose
40% say it holds the truth
22% say that religion has no place in their lives
19% say it helps teach morals and ethics to children
Reasons We Pray
72% pray for the well-being of others
60% pray for forgiveness
21% pray for material things
Our New Beliefs
82% would marry someone of a different faith
59% say that all religions are valid
24% say they are spiritual but not religious
What does this mean for Presbyterians?
This is an interesting and wonderful time to be alive. We are living in a time where many have not been raised in a religious community or in many different religious communities. Many take pieces from various faith communities and quilt them together into a completely new belief system.
We have children who have not heard the message of Jesus Christ coming into the world to save us, to heal us, and to bind up the broken-hearted. They have not been shown the hope that can only come through Jesus Christ. We are called to transcend the name Presbyterian and own the name disciple or follower of Christ.
There is more to being Presbyterian then following the Book of Order and proclaiming what is written in the Book of Confessions. Being Presbyterian means that we care about more than ourselves. We care about sharing the love of Christ with the world. We have signed on to continually profess Jesus the Christ as our Savior, Lord and example of how to live a whole and healthy life. When we claim the name Presbyterian we claim a missional faith that reaches past this particular place and into the world. We are a people of service, of action, of reconciliation.
Therefore, when we see these statistics, let us remember that these numbers represent our neighbors and us. Let us demonstrate the love of Christ for those who never pass through the threshold of our church building but interact with the Church as we live and work in the world.
What a great calling we have – to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world. And as we own that calling, let us hold those in our communities up in prayer as they also seek more for their lives as well.
