USA Today reports: A new survey of U.S. adults who don't go to church, even on holidays, finds 72% say "God, a higher or supreme being, actually exists." But just as many (72%) also say the church is "full of hypocrites."
Indeed, 44% agree with the statement "Christians get on my nerves."
LifeWay Research, the research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, based in Nashville, conducted the survey of 1,402 "unchurched" adults last spring and summer. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
This is an interesting little survey for a number of reasons. First of all, I find it disheartening that so many non-chrchgoers still "believe" that god exists... well, god or a higher power, so perhaps there is some wiggle room there depending on what that higher power is.
I think that Christians might be doing themselves a favor if they took this survey's results to heart. (Oh, don't get me wrong, I hope they don't... I'm not in favor of recruiting more churchgoing christians.) What I mean is this: it would seem that if they could be less annoying and less hypocritical that they might be able to attract some of these god-believers to their services.
Monday, January 14, 2008
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14 comments:
I have a brother who is a VP with Lifeway. I see that someone from TN posts on this site. Lifeway is considered one of top companies in TN to work for in benefits, pay and atmosphere..
However, Christians as a group do not bother me any more than any other group of people. Politicians are the biggest thorn in the side and if Ron Paul calls my house just one more time I will immediately add his organization to my do not call list.
al,
Actually, if I am correct, political campaigns do not fall under the rules of do-not-call. Just like charities. One more way politicians have powers others do not.
If that is true, it shouldn't be. Why should a politician not have to follow the same rules as a tele-marketer? After all, they are just trying to sell something, in this case, themself!
But I can't imagine the law changing, because it is the elected officials, who will want to call us again next election cycle, who would have to change the law, right?
csm,
Here is something else to check out.
http://www.juancole.com
Check out today's post concerning Huckabee. This man must be stopped. The Framers did not want a state religion and they certainly didn't want it codified into the Constitution. Being pious is one thing, force-feeding to the rest of us is unconscionable.
BTW, I like this site for a different view of current the Middle East in particular.
So our choice comes to force feeding us socialist dictums or scripture in the Constitution? The great news is that neither Huck nor Clinton either one could perform any of these on their own merit.
But Bawdyscot, Ayatollah Huckabee? It is exaggerations such as these that halt real discussions. Like every other politician he gives his audience what they desire to hear.
Thanks for that link Bawdy, I will post it in another thread because I think it needs to be read by everyone here.
I'm sure I'm not the only one here who remembers the heyday of the so-called 'Jesus Freaks'. Well, I have an anecdote (third hand from me, supposedly this happened to a friend of a friend)
Allegedly this fellow had discovered a particular Bible verse that proved handy in getting Jesus Freaks to go away. I wish I could recall which verse, but the gist of it is "Take not thy faith into the marketplace" or something similar.
Well, this particular anecdote has to do with the fellow being on a city bus, rather crowded, and a JF gets on and begins a typical harangue. As he nears the fellow in question, he looks up and simply quotes chapter and verse (matthew 14-3 or whatever it really is). The preachifier pauses, looking a bit confused as if not familiar with the citation. But he looks it up, eyes go big as skin pales. Then he stands quietly by the door and gets off at the next stop, followed by seemingly unanimous applause from the rest of the passengers.
Interesting anecdote, but I doubt its veracity. Usually those who will be so bold as to annoy people on city buses will not go away with such simple prodding... but I could be mistaken.
I wish it would work with Huckabee. Let's try. Hey Huck! "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." (from Matthew 22:21)
Yeah, well, as I said, it's an anecdote, not a verified happening. If you check out the article I gave a link to in the Huckabee thread, you might understand why that verse might not work on him.
Al, the above statements is idiotic. Please show me one source where Hillary Clinton is talking about changing the Constitution.
Good point there heathen. So, Al, you say "So our choice comes to force feeding us socialist dictums or scripture in the Constitution? The great news is that neither Huck nor Clinton either one could perform any of these on their own merit."
You must be fucking insane. OK, I get it, you don't like Hillary. Fine. But when has she advocated changing the constitution to allow, in your own words, "socialist dictums?" Good gawd man, get a grip!
I don't like Hillary? Where do you get such ideas? I have no doubt she cares for this nation and wants the best for the country.
But yes you are correct, Hillary wouldn't need to change the constitution for social dictums nor was I implying she needed to which is why I used the OR connector.
http://wordpress.com/tag/hillary-clinton-socialist/
Will you be posting this CSM?
and do we know which form of evolution she supports?
Nope, Al, I won't be posting that link. Anyone with masochistic inclinations can cut and paste it themselves.
Oh, so even her contingent is playing the chauvinistic card when she is being rightfully criticized? Another great means for halting the dialogue. I still have not made the connection from socialist tendencies to being masochistic for expressing so? I expected better.
That is one card only she can play.
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