Dumbing Down Christianity

Guest Post by Phil Robertson

Did you know that 10% of churchgoers in America believe that Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife?

That really should not surprise us. Less than 20% of churchgoers will attend Sunday school this week. A lack of biblical knowledge in our churches is a major sign of the times.

The Commitment Gap

Popular Christian researcher George Barna claims people are soft when it comes to committing to God. He explains:

“Americans are willing to expend some energy in religious activities such as attending church and reading the Bible, and they are willing to throw some money in the offering basket. Because of such activities, they convince themselves that they are people of genuine faith. But when it comes time to truly establishing their priorities and making a tangible commitment to knowing and loving God, and to allowing Him to change their character and lifestyle, most people stop short. We want to be ‘spiritual’ and we want to have God’s favor, but we’re not sure we want Him taking control of our lives and messing with the image and outcomes we’ve worked so hard to produce.” (www.barna.org - April 18, 2006)

We often want God’s blessings, but we struggle to surrender control of our lives to Him.

Entertainment vs. Education

This is frustrating for church leaders. But we must ask ourselves: Are we seeking ways to reverse this trend, or are we contributing to the problem?

It seems many churches have resorted to entertaining the masses instead of educating them. When you go to church, you might be more likely to see a drama or musical show than to hear a solid Bible class or sermon. In fact, a local news station recently ran a story on a church that replaced all preaching with plays.

Jesus faced a similar dilemma during His ministry. He knew people were not following Him for the right reasons. When they came only for physical food, He challenged their motives:

“Most assuredly I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for food which perishes, but for food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you” (John 6:26-27)

Returning to Our Roots

Instead of trying to copy theaters and concert halls, churches should focus on their true purpose. In its infancy, Christianity was grounded in teaching and preaching the gospel of Christ.

Young evangelists (preachers of the gospel) were urged to focus on the Word:

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (1 Timothy 4:2)

Why was there such an emphasis on education? It is because the gospel “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

The Truth About Grace

The most disturbing statistic is this: about one-third of Americans who describe themselves as “born again” believe that a good person can earn a place in heaven.

This shows a deep misunderstanding of grace (God’s unmerited, undeserved favor). No one will ever be “good enough” to earn heaven. (Ephesians 2:4-9).

The gospel is “good news” for this exact reason:

• Jesus died in our place and rose from the dead (2 Timothy 2:8).
• We are saved by His blood, not our own goodness (Romans 6:3-10).

However, if we do not preach the gospel, people will not learn it. Biblical faith begins with the word of God (Romans 10:17).

This is why the apostle Peter gave this warning:

“Beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:17-18)

(All statistics are from www.barna.org)