Religious Americans: My faith isn't the only way

Religious Americans: My faith isn't the only way

America remains a deeply religious nation, but a new survey finds most Americans don't believe their tradition is the only way to eternal life - even if the denomination's teachings say otherwise.

The findings, revealed Monday in a survey of 35,000 adults, can either be taken as a positive sign of growing religious tolerance, or disturbing evidence that Americans dismiss or don't know fundamental teachings of their own faiths.

Among the more startling numbers in the survey, conducted last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life: 57 percent of evangelical church attenders said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life, in conflict with traditional evangelical teaching.

In all, 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, and 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion.

"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.

Earlier data from the Pew Forum's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, released in February, highlighted how often Americans switch religious affiliation. The newly released material looks at religious belief and practice as well as the impact of religion on society, including how faith shapes political views.

The report argues that while relatively few people - 14 percent - cite religious beliefs as the main influence on their political thinking, religion still plays a powerful indirect role.

The study confirmed some well-known political dynamics, including stark divisions over abortion and gay marriage, with the more religiously committed taking conservative views on the issues.

But it also showed support across religious lines for greater governmental aid for the poor, even if it means more debt and stricter environmental laws and regulations.

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 8 percent "absolutely certain" of it.

"Look, this shows the limits of a survey approach to religion," said Peter Berger, a theology and sociology professor at Boston University. "What do people really mean when they say that many religions lead to eternal life? It might mean they don't believe their particular truth at all. Others might be saying, 'We believe a truth but respect other people, and they are not necessarily going to hell.'"

Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum, said that more research is planned to answer those kinds of questions, but that earlier, smaller surveys found similar results.

Nearly across the board, the majority of religious Americans believe many religions can lead to eternal life: mainline Protestants (83 percent), members of historic black Protestant churches (59 percent), Roman Catholics (79 percent), Jews (82 percent) and Muslims (56 percent).

By similar margins, people in those faith groups believe in multiple interpretations of their own traditions' teachings. Yet 44 percent of the religiously affiliated also said their religion should preserve its traditional beliefs and practices.

"What most people are saying is, 'Hey, we don't have a hammer-lock on God or salvation, and God's bigger than us and we should respect that and respect other people,'" said the Rev. Tom Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University.

"Some people are like butterflies that go from flower to flower, going from religion to religion - and frankly they don't get that deep into any of them," he said.

Beliefs about eternal life vary greatly, even within a religious tradition.

Some Christians hold strongly to Jesus' words as described in John 14:6: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Others emphasize the wideness of God's grace.

The 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."

Roger Oldham, a vice president with the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, bristled at using the word "tolerance" in the analysis.

"If by tolerance we mean we're willing to engage or embrace a multitude of ways to salvation, that's no longer evangelical belief," he said. "The word 'evangelical' has been stretched so broadly, it's almost an elastic term."

Others welcomed the findings.

"It shows increased religious security. People are comfortable with other traditions even if they're different," said the Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance. "It indicates a level of humility about religion that would be of great benefit to everyone."

More than most groups, Catholics break with their church, and not just on issues like abortion and homosexuality. Only six in 10 Catholics described God as "a person with whom people can have a relationship" - which the church teaches - while three in 10 described God as an "impersonal force."

"The statistics show, more than anything else, that many who describe themselves as Catholics do not know or understand the teachings of their church," said Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput. "Being Catholic means believing what the Catholic church teaches. It is a communion of faith, not simply of ancestry and family tradition. It also means that the church ought to work harder at evangelizing its own members." source

 

It strongly suggests that people don't really believe what they claim to believe.

 

Stox, you simply don't get it.

I am an Independant Fundamental Christian. This term has been so kidnapped by "Conservative Christians" ie: Southern Baptists, who haven't, for the most part, a clue of what the Bible teaches, or "International Corporations" such as the Roman Catholic Church, who have so absolutely destroyed the message of Christ that it's not hard to understand your confusion. But as a Fundamental Christian, one who actually studies the Bible, and without anyone else yapping in my ear what I'm supposed to think, I can tell you that this marvelous book neither guarantees "Christians" salvation, nor denies anyone else it. In my understanding of the Book - any muslem, hindu, whatever, can attain this. And, yes, maybe even a Christian or two - despite the fact that most of them seem to have cornered the market on goofy hypocracies. Where do I get this?

Here's one example:

Rom 2:11 - 15 For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law [are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another

So, don't tell me it's because I don't really believe what I claim to believe. It's what I believe.

 

It is amazing how people don't like to put their spirituality in a little easy to wrap box these days isn't it.

 

earthfaze... whatever do you mean? Something like a book, that most cherished commodity of mankind, should be suddenly frowned upon when the argument suits you, or when you dont like it's contents? What an ugly silly little world this would be without books. How much would we lose withiout them? Have you never grieved over the loss of Alexandria?

 

Jesus was a liar then was he Dead Corn? He was wrong when he said no one gets to the father except through him? Because, according to the survey, 57% of christians think jesus talking complete crap when he came out with this gem. As apparently do you.

Of course, The only other option is that christians selectively read the bible and take out bits they agree with, bits that support their already formed world view and ignore the rest. But that couldn't possibly be the case, could it... I mean, They have never done that sort of ting before.

 

Hehe, I have indeed. You missed my point though. Stox does not like the little boxes people put their religion in BECAUSE the spirituality does not fit in the box too. How can he tell us all we are stupid because we believe X, when he can never be sure exactly what X means to us? He can argue with every Christian in the world over what the Bible says, but he can't argue over what it MEANS because, of course, it means nothing to him.

 

You must be a lot of fun at parties. Live and let live. Laissez-faire.

 

Books only carry the value of thier reader. Is mien kempf a cherished commodity?
one could read it and vangaurd against its ideology or one could read it and agree with it.

now I would not fight for the presevation mien kempf,the bible,torah or the quran as i dont cherish any of them and find them all to be equally dangerous.

 

Of course not, stox. We know, as Christians, that Jesus alone saves, but we don't know that He can't save whoever in heck He wants to. There is simply nothing in the Bible that tells us what His intentions are for others, other than the scripture I just quoted you. IN the Scripture I just quoted you it says even those without the Law, who do, naturally, what the Law says, don't murder, don't steal, etc... they don;t need the Bible to be saved, they don;t need anything but what is in their hearts. That's what will be their deciding factor.

 

Oh, and stox, thank you for clarifying what you were saying.

 

Live and let live. Is there is better philosophy?

 

Or a better party, for that matter, within reason, of course

 

Actually, he can. All authority has been given to him by God. Therefore, he has full authority to decide who makes it and who doesn't. However, Jesus has been taught for eons of time by God. Hence, he has the same qualities as God as he is the "image of God", yes?

There are many scriptures that discuss the role of Jesus and also God's promises. It is wise to contemplate all of these things before declaring certain Bible teachings as so. Of course, as you mentioned, you study the Bible, as do I. I am not trying to trip you up or deny your knowledge. Just putting my two cents into the equation so others can get some balance into the reasoning.

 

It's very clear what his intentions are for others "no one gets to the father except through me".. If you can read this and still think that people who don't believe in jesus can still get to heaven (according to the bible) then you are relying on contrived interpretations.

You wouldn't be selectively reading your supposed holy texts, would you?

 

Exactly. But who is to say that NO ONE BUT CHRISTIANS get their Day of Judgement? And as a Christian do we not believe that He shall be the Judge? Does the Bible not tell us that "every knee shall bow." It also tells us that even the demons know who He is - and tremble. Everyone shall have their moment before Him. You are going to tell Him who He can and cannot save? And how do you interpret Romans 2:12 - 15 then?

 

It also says "no one gets to the father except through me". Something which you continuously ignore in favour of passages that support your preconceived world view a little better.

So either jesus is a liar, Or anyone who says non-christians get to heaven is wrong.

 

Actually, even going through the Father does not mean getting to heaven either. Revelation 14:1 says there are a limited number. For everyone else making it through...it just means making it through the judging at Armageddon..meaning they will still live on the Earth to help bring it back to a paradise like how it used to be in the garden of Eden. Revelation 5:10 states what this limited number's (those with a heavenly destination) role is when that time comes.

 

Again, I have no argument with the emboldened premise of your statement. I fully believe it. It's what you say after that I feel is completely awry. Yes, everyone will be admitted or not based upon His acceptance, ie: through Him, as well. At the Day of Judgement where Romans 2:12 - 15 tells us all will be judged according to the contents of their hearts, whether they have the Law or not.

How do you understand Romans 2:12 -15?

 

A belief in jesus isn't a guarantee that you will get in, But a disbelief in him is a guarantee that you wont.

Like a night club. Having a ticket isn't a guarantee that you will get in (if you break the dress code), But not having a ticket is a guarantee that you wont get in.