What Americans know about religion
As a young Mormon missionary in the 1980s, I was not altogether surprised that most people really don’t know much about their own religions. Sectarian Christian denominations don’t tend to teach their doctrines or their distinctive tenets. They seem to teach moral lessons or stress salvation through Christ, without going into the details. As a result, most members of sectarian Christian denominations don’t really understand what makes their church different than another denomination. Baptists and Presbyterians often know nothing about such doctrines as predestination. Protestants couldn’t explain why there was a Reformation. Many evangelicals simply believed that God dictated the Bible or revealed it in its entirety and had almost no knowledge of how the Bible came to be. French Catholics didn’t know that the Ten Commandments in their missals had been changed, omitting the commandment to not worship graven images or pray to them.
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Although I agree with most said. I think almost every religion makes the mistake of not teaching Prophecy vs. Mystery. Then they also mix Isreal with the Body of Christ! There will ALWAYS be division when they fail to see these two IMPORTANT distinctions.All The Bible is written to us, but not all is about us!
-Lita PattersonWell, what does the average American expect while allowing the government to slowly and insidously remove religious teachings (especially Christian) out of schools, public arenas and open discussion? Political correctness has all but silenced Christianity, while allowing Islam and aetheism to florish. Why? Because the average citizen allowed it. Because parents of schoolchildren didn't demand school boards fight to keep at least some religious teachings in the schools. Because city governments bowed to the whining and moaning of aetheists and agnostics and did away with traditional Christmas (yes, CHRISTMAS–derived from Christ's Mass, a CHRISTIAN religious observation) decorations in public areas. WE LET THEM DO THIS TO US. 'Silence gives assent." Now its going to be an uphill battle to regain even a foothold in the public forum of opinion.
-JoyAs a teacher for 40 years in public and private schools I had the opportunity to council many young people who were struggling in school and in their private lives. One of the first questions i would ask is did they believe in God and if they did what faith did they follow. 90% believed in God and said they were christians. So i would ask if they had talked to God about their problems. Most of them said no and they didn't know how to. So I would get my Bible out and show them the Lord's prayer. Most of them were amazed to see it in the Bible. They thought it was something their minister or priest had made up. It was sad how little they knew about the Bible or the teachings of their own faith. So the results of the poll were not surprising. We as parents, family members and believing Christians need to take every opportunity to share our convictions and knowledge with our young and old family members. We are losing our young people because we do not share the Good News with same conviction and joy as when our favorite sports team has a win.
-David White@DavidWhite: You should have been fired for that… if it's true.
-joe agnostDavid W. I am glad to know that you were faithful to share with the students. I hope all who had you as a teacher were able to come to faith in Jesus Christ as a result. The kids need to learn that they must study the Bible on a daily basis, and that it can be done easily enough by askihng the questions of the passages and verses that they are able to read, and God will answer them, in that passage. The need there, is to know what questions to ask, and to trust that God will lead them in their questions. My own children have come to faith in Jesus and I do know that the are able to answer those questions that pertain to what they believe, at least to some extent. One went to a Bible college, and should be able to answer those questions. The other two are on different paths but both know the Lord, and are doing their best to walk with Him. The students are not always taught on how to study the Bible, and need to learn how to do that in the home structure, if not at church. Too much of the time they are only told what to read, and not have a real discussion on the subjects, i.e. no one likes to have 'homework' as they already have enough School homework to do . But that is the best way to learn how to grow in ones faith, and to participate in the classes that are available. Bible Study Fellowship is an organization that offers classes to all ages, it is a free ministry in that you don't have to pay a lot to participate. They have classes for women during the day, and classes at night for working women, as well as for men, and children. Those who have toddlers, and younger also have the opportunity to learn about God in classes that meet at the same time as the women's studies. This group is international meeting in 38 different countries, and also the lessons are being translated into Spanish, and Chinese as well, so they can have the lessons printed and read, in their own language. That's just for starters, there is also Precept Bible Studies, which I have also done, and they have it for women, and for children, as well. But it runs differently as they don't have it for the toddler ages. But it is more intense, and a deeper study that is good for real thinking through the Bible, and gives you a step by step process to study it inductively. I don't know if you are aware of these programs that are available through the churches that offer them. But they are available, all one has to do is ask around and keep asking until they are able to find one in their area. They do have websites too : bsf.international.org is one, and I think the other is : preceptbiblestudy.org. Try them and see what you come up with. Hope that is helpful to you, and any others who are interested.
-Mrs. James Clemonsjoe agnost says:
@DavidWhite: You should have been fired for that… if it’s true.
Why? Because he wasn't pressuring the student to learn the State-mandated Religion of Humanism? Teaching the Religion of Humanism should be a felony.
-lizReally liz? You don't know why? Are you taking a page from the Christine O'Donnell book of constitutional law? Are you also unaware of the first amendment to the constitution?
I'm not at all surprised…
-joe agnost