As fewer Americans identify themselves with Christianity, research indicates that those who remain Christian are redefining what "Christian" means.
Younger generations are not bound by traditional parameters of the Christian faith and instead are embracing values that are not necessarily based on biblical foundations, according to a recent analysis by The Barna Group.
Although faith is an acceptable attribute and pursuit among most young people, their notions of faith do not align with conventional religious perspectives or behavior, the research group reported on Monday.
Young Americans have adopted values such as goodness, kindness and tolerance, but they remain skeptical of the Bible, church traditions, and rules or behaviors based upon religious teaching.
They are also reformulating the popular notion of what the Christian life means. Traditional activity such as integrating discipline and regimen in personal faith development is becoming less popular; repeating the same weekly routines in religious events is increasingly deemed anachronistic, stifling and irrelevant; and rigidity of belief, including the notion that there are absolute moral and spiritual truths, is perceived by many young people as evidence of closed-mindedness.
Concluding from an earlier Barna study in May, David Kinnaman, president of The Barna Group, had noted that most Americans do not have strong and clear beliefs largely because they do not possess a coherent biblical worldview. The study found that fewer Americans were embracing a traditional view of God and the Bible.
"They lack a consistent and holistic understanding of their faith," he said.
New faith practices that are now in vogue include pursuing spiritual diversity in conversations and relationships; embracing racial diversity and tolerance; valuing interpersonal connections above spiritual education; blending all forms of the arts and novel forms of instruction into religious events; and accepting divergent forms of spiritual community.
"The result is a nouveau form and structure for the Christian faith that will have broad-based consequences on the practice of Christianity for years to come," the latest report stated.
The image of the Christian faith has also taken a beating.
Media criticism, "unchristian" behavior by church people, bad personal experiences with churches, ineffective Christian leadership amid social crises and the like have given rise to this "battered" image, according to the report.
A September study had found that young Americans outside Christianity have more negative perceptions than positive of the Christian faith. A majority say that Christianity is judgmental, anti-homosexual, hypocritical, old-fashioned and too involved in politics.
At the same time, 91 percent of evangelicals believe that Americans are becoming more hostile and negative toward Christianity.
Analysis of interviews conducted over the past year identified several other patterns significantly affecting the development of American culture, including Americans' unconditional self-love and parenting trends.
Americans have a high opinion of themselves, Barna studies underscored. Most describe themselves as loyal, reliable, an independent thinker, supportive of traditional family values, clear about the meaning and purpose of their life, making a positive difference in the world, and well-informed about current events. A majority also say they are open to new ideas and easily adapt to change. Continue >>
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this is absolute apostasy! A christian, a true Christian, knows that God never changes according to his word. Jesus Christ the same today, yesterday, and forever more. the world may change but His word will remain the same. those who love him will abide in his word. those that do not suffer the second death for their longing for a life of hedanism.
Hesadansa & all- I should have wriitten this as part of my response: "The NT Jesus said there are false messiahs & prophets (Matt 24:24), so that comes into play, as well. Does this definition include beliving that Jesus opened a new covenant in his blood on the cross (Matt 26:28, Rom 5:6-11 ff, Col 1:20-22a)-not starting in Gethsemene (Mormonism), and not in 'hell'? "
Hesadanza- where do you get your definition from? If Christian is to be defined, and it should be, then it should be according to the Bible's New Testament. Which Jesus and gospel do you refer to? Paul says there is a different Jesus/gospel/spirit & those that have these are servants of Satan ( 2 Cor 11:3-4,13-15). This relates to the words of the NT Jesus on being born again as esential to eternal life, and without which it says later, one is "condemned already" (Jn 3:3-8,16-18,36). The NT Jesus said there are false messiahs & prophets, so that comes into play, as well. Does this definition include beliving that Jesus opened a new covenant in his blood (Matt 26:28, Rom 5, Col 1)-not starting in Gethsemene (Mormonism), and not in 'hell'? Does it include the physical bodily resurrection of the NT Jesus (Jesus in Jn 2:19-21,Matt 28:63,Rom 10:9-10, 1 Cor 15:1-8, 12-15,20)? That's an essential part of the Christian gospel message. Your opinion, and misapplying 'Occam's Razor' is not more than your personal desires and opinions. Opinions do not equal truth. The NT Jesus, Paul, etc., in the Bible give more than what you would like, but they are a much better source to know what is a Christian, how to become one, etc. Please share what you think about these things. All are welcome to share as well, of course.
1 Sam 15:22-23
Samuel said: “Had has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
no, just a sense of "deviating" from the norm, dullness, of ordinary everyday course of things.
amazing people, even soem christian friends.
Heck, DeviantART is a true melting pot of people.
Hmmm ... does "Deviant" indicate the meaning behind the art?
i just wish my artist friends on DeviantART would hold true to your statements too, they too seem a bit convoluted.
Cultural Christianity is affected, influenced, and defined by the culture surrounding it.
Biblical Christianity is defined, affected, and influenced by the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit enabling His children to grow in grace.
This is why Paul urged believers: "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12
This chart contrasts Biblical Christianity with Cultural Christianity. Unfortunately, many Americans have bought into the "have it your way" mindset, which is fine when ordering hamburgers, but destructive when creating a "do it yourself" Christianity, which really isn't Christianity at all.
http://www.crossroad.to/charts/cultural-Christianity.html
Hesadanza
no, the catholics monopolize that word and use it to murder and contort the very fabric of who God truly is for their own gain.
How about defining a Christian simply as one who believes in Jesus Christ and His teachings?
Some think that they can monopolize the word and make conditions around who a Christian is based on their particular set of beliefs. Ockham was right; the simplest definition is the often best. The values, beliefs, doctrines, principles, and history of specific religious systems are matters that are beside the point of what the word Christian means. Those things are always going to be subjective. No two religious denominations are alike.
The basic definition is the best.
Maranatha,
armor of God has the sound of an amazing premise, funny that i've followed that basis in my art for a long time.
In due time, i will be able to present my "armor of God"
as a concept artist, each character depending on their stance in the light or darkness has an armor that takes direct characteristics of both personality and faith, a dark lord is apparently evil as you cannot exactly see his armor because the darkness absorbs light, hence the blood red radiating light one could see around it.
while a shining light lord will have a light base armor that tends to shine, especially when in combat.
I think my stories i will be writing and animating in the future could put a WHOLE new meaning on what it means to be fighting spiritual wars, but in my world, the darkness has IMMENSE technological power, and must be combatted on a physical level as well.
I'm typing up the prologues for the first volume of my story.
Beloved, some people worship this way, and some that way. God doesn't necessarily look at how people worship, but why. What is their motivation? Are they worshipping, or simply fulfilling a weekly duty?
There is however one requirement that must, without any hesitation, be completed to be considered true worship: Staying true to The Word of God.
This one requirement, has been misconstrued over the years to include this, disallow that. However, in each case, we can see where the stray from the Word of God was allowed.
Matthew 19:17
"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
Matthew 5:19
Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
As far as some churches being more ritualistic than others. Does not the Bible say: To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
As has been said many times on this website, the church is not going to save us from Hell, but only the builder of the Church instead, Jesus Himself. One can go to church all their lives, but if they don't follow Jesus (The Way, Truth and Life), then it is all purely academic.
Even demons believe.
Young or old, believers ought be wary of "making their own faith". This can easily happen when believers don't read their bibles and/or when pastors/churches don't preach/teach the Word of God. Believers can mix their shallow understanding of biblical truths together with worldly values and ideas and voila, a "spiritual" life that "comfortable to me" faith, but far from true biblical faith.
Christianity has changed a ton over the last 2000 years. It used to be very liturgical and full of rituals which now mostly seem to be gone. In my lifetime I've seen the rise of megachurches (which seem to have some historical roots in tent revivals, etc). Which have lots of worship but little liturgy. Lots of sermon but few rituals.
The church I go to is more like Little House on the Prairie (both in size, location and liturgy). One isn't necessarily better than another. There are more than 1000 (that's all I could count on Wikipaedia) Christian denominations - everyone hase a different way they hear the message. One isn't better than the other they're just different.
The results of this study are hardly surprizing. What we are seeing is the product of what are "churches" have been over the past several years. Filled with "pastors" that have an MDiv and no real sense of calling. Preaching a social gospel as opposed to the gospel of the Bible. Unfortunately, I believe the "church" has created it's own problem. It remains that true "bible believing churches" have the mess to clean up afterwards. Until "churches" value message over money, adherance to scripture over attendance and purity over power, the slide into this social christianity will continue.