I was browsing some of the blogs that I like and one of them caught my eye. As I started to read I was somewhat amazed and a bit disappointed by what I read.
Basically USA Today took a poll using 35,000 Americans and asked them a set of questions regarding their beliefs. Some of the results were surprising to me. Below are some of the questions and results that , at least for me, stood out the most.
1. Do hollywood and the entertainment industry threaten your values?
Mormon - 67% yes
Jehova's Witness - 54% yes
Evangelical churches - 53%
Catholic - 43%
2. Do you believe there is a clear and absolute standards for what is right and wrong?
Jehova's Witness - 55%
Evangelical churches - 51%
Mormon - 46%
Catholic - 38%
3. When it comes to questions of right and wrong, do you use your beliefs for guidance.
Jehova's Witness - 73%
Mormon - 58%
Evangelical churches - 52%
Catholic - 22%
4. Do you think there is a heaven where people who have led good lives are eternally rewarded?
Mormon - 95%
Evangelical churches - 86%
Catholic - 82%
Jehova's Witness - 46%
5. Do you think there is a hell, where people who have led bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished?
Evangelical churches - 82%
Catholic - 60%
Mormon - 59%
Jehova's Witness - 9%
6. Which of these 2 statements come closer to your own views?
A. Only my religion leads to eternal life | - B. Many religions lead to eternal life.
Jehova's Witness - 80% | - 16%
Mormon - 57% | - 39%
Evangelical churches - 36% | - 57%
Catholic - 16% | - 79%
As you can see some of the results are a bit alarming... at least to me.
When only 86% of evangelicals believe that there is a heaven and only 82% believe there is a hell, there is something getting lost in our Sunday Bible classes. When only 36% percent say that Christianity is the only way to eternal life, it makes me wonder about the other 57% and how they see John 14:6 where Jesus said
"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father but through me."
I know that as a Sunday School teacher. a Youth Leader. and elder of the church and as a communicator of the word of God I will uphold the teachings of the Bible and try my best to communicate clearly the foundational beliefs that make us followers of Christ.
Here is the link if you would like to view more results from other questions used in this survey.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/graphics/2008_pew_religion/flash.htm
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