Somewhat misleading headline. No surprise from this publication.

Read the following quoted directly from above: “a huge majority of adults pick and choose what they believe rather than adopt a church or denomination’s slate of beliefs.”

That is not a repudiation of Christianity in favor of other religions, it is more a repudiation of religion in favor of self-indulgence.

For me, I find it inspiring. Moving away from assumptions and automatic ways is powerful. It is the act of faith to be aware, intentional, and in a ongoing conversation with God.

Also, that Christians are choosing faith and not dogma is another breath of fresh air. It is the acts of the faithful that generate our leadership, and leadershsip has been sorely missing.

I struggle with much of the language used in the post, but the itent is clear. One I can not let go is the oxymoron “default faith.” I hope it is not a shift. but a letting go of any automatic way. Faith is first a clear and present choice.

What is the point of this Anthony? I survey on what people THINK other people choose from or choose first for their faith? This may go down as one of the biggest wastes of polling effort in the history of the free world.

Although the study “discovered” that “people’s views have changed”, they offer no information as to what this study was compared to in order to make these determinations.

America is still a solidly Christian nation according to the census, which tracks actual categories of faith and not people’s opinion of how their neighbor prays.

I would comment further on this blog and Another’s post, but since this whole “study” appears invalid in meaning and design I guess there’s no real point. Shame on you Anthony, I expect better of you than a misleading headline and garbage story.

Perception is reality!

It is highly valuable to hear what people believe about others. It is the only source of how we are occurring in the world to others. Otherwise, we get lost in our heads. The challenge is to trust them and our listening while remaining within our commitments.

This is huge - “By a three to one margin (71% to 26%) adults noted that they are personally more likely to develop their own set of religious beliefs than to accept a comprehensive set of beliefs taught by a particular church.” - and a powerful shift. Read it for its possibility, freedom from dogma.

We follow Jesus, not each other.

I personally have belonged to a variety of churches in my life, not a wide variety, but enough to acknowledge my faith, my relationship to God, and my listening to the Bible and fellow Christians are my responsibility in guiding the church rather than the other way around.

It was not long ago when church leadership considered translating and printing the Bible for others to read a dangerous thing. Leadership without fear is hard to come by. There is nothing to fear in freedom.

If the unpleasant message here is Christianity is losing ground, I for one am open to hearing it, and consider it a sign that maybe some of us have lost our way.

Not to long ago a religous leader declared on this site that those who do not have a “saving knowledge” of Jesus will go to hell. Sharing the word in this way, whether “true” or not does not work.

If people are turning away from that message as an example: of being a Christian or being a member of a church that professes such condemnation, who is responsible for that?

The bad news, if it is bad news, is good news for those wanting to be born again. The saving grace, “Still, most people say their faith is becoming increasingly important as a source of personal moral guidance.”

People are listening to themselves and in there is God!

Our challenge is to speak authentically and directly, to share possibility and love, not condmenation.

Maybe I am a Polly Anna, but I am listening for a shift.

I’m sure that the media in general, and the SLPD in particular are looking forward to the day when Christianity is no longer dominate in the U.S. But that day is not yet here. This is just the headline writer spewing out their dream and hoping that people won’t read beyond the large print. America is a Christian nation. No matter how much that upsets the liberals, it’s a fact. Get over it and move on. Or just move.

Perception is not reality. Your personal view of what everyone else is doing as no affect on them. Garbage published studies can be a different story unfortunately.

Another, you believe this study. How do you know that there hasn’t always been a 3 to 1 margain of people more likely to mold their religious beliefs to fit their lifestyle/comfort zone/political beliefs (and that by the way is what we are really talking about here, not some sort of religious freedom). Since we don’t have anything to compare it to you can’t.

80% of Americans identify themselves as Christians. You giddiness over this study is very entertaining. Obviously you are more comfortable for whatever reason being outside of an “organized” faith group, and that is your right. But you are like the people who look for UFOs in the sky because someone else said they are there. You don’t bother checking the validity of the information you have received. Listen for your shift, but remember when you don’t hear anything it is not because your ears aren’t working…

Tim,

You may be correct that it doesn’t represent a shift.

“people more likely to mold their religious beliefs to fit their lifestyle/comfort zone/political beliefs”

I did not read these words in the study. I will agree with you if the study makes that point. I didn’t hear it.

I will argue that perception is reality.

What is real for a person is what they experience. All else is hidden from them.

Truth is another matter.

Tim,

After sleeping on it, what I am resisting is the idea that there is one “true church”, and if I do not belong to that denomination, that “church,” I am condemned.

I believe that Jesus is my path, and anybody else that places themsevles between me and God is up to something else.

I will always honor my relationship with God above others, and if “my” church leaders suggest another path I will follow the one path provided by Jesus.

This “independence” is the foundation of my faith. History is full of modern day abuses by the “church.”

The picking and choosing of doctrine can mean weakness and self indulgence. Yet choice is the only path to glorifing God.

The pretense of churches to save is just that. Jesus does the saving.

Please do not confuse my freedom of choice with freedom to sin. There is no freedom in sin. The idea that there is choice in sin is a temptation itself.

Another, that phrase about people molding their belief was something I added, and I apologize if I made it appear that it came from the study. But I do think that it is pretty accurate. In fact, I think physcology would say it is impossible for all those things not to be interwined somehow. But I digress.

I don’t disagree that there are multiple paths to God, whether it be an organized approach or something less so. Your freedom to choose your path is not a sin as long as that path is to God.

My basic problem, to be blunt, is that this study and it’s conclusions are crap. There is no comparison given (and none that I could find), and therefore no way to verify the claims made. I speak out not because it matters to me how people follow the Word, but because they might take this study at face value. My math and science background was the part that was particularly bothered by this blog by Anthony. If the population really is diversifying in the way we find God then so be it, but don’t go around claiming it unless you can prove it.