I Stand Appalled

 New Survey Raises Concerns

(Taken from The Pastor's Weekly Briefing; A publication of Focus on the Family Ministries)

 

If ever there was a need to return to the ministry of discipleship, this report shows it is now.  We cannot allow another week to go by without educating believers in what the Bible teaches.

 

"According to a study released last month by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons are among the highest-scoring groups on a new survey of general religious knowledge, outperforming evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants and Catholics on questions about the core teachings, history and leading figures of major world religions.

Of the 32 religious knowledge questions, the average number of correct answers was 16. Atheists and agnostics averaged 20.9 correct answers, Jews averaged 20.5 correct answers and Mormons averaged 20.3 correct answers. Catholics answered an average of 14.7 questions correctly and Protestants, as a whole, gave an average of 16 correct answers. Of the 12 questions dealing with Christianity, Mormons answered an average of 7.9 correctly and evangelical Christians answered an average of 7.3 correctly.

The survey also dealt with perceptions relating to the separation of church and state, and found some confusion over the line between teaching and preaching in public schools. Among the questions most often answered incorrectly is whether public school teachers are permitted to read from the Bible as an example of literature. Two-thirds of those surveyed (67%) said "no" to this question, even though the Supreme Court has stated that the Bible may be taught for its "literary and historic" qualities, as long as it is part of a secular curriculum. The single question that respondents most frequently got right is whether U.S. Supreme Court rulings allow teachers to lead public school classes in prayer. Nine-in-ten (89%) correctly said this is not allowed. (The results of the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey were based on interviews with 3,412 randomly sampled adults from May 19 through June 6, 2010. For the complete report go to The Pew Forum.)"

 

Could it be that as more and more churches have done away with the Sunday morning Discipleship hour (i.e. Sunday School), they have set the stage for the "dumbing-down" of Christians?  Let us return - NOW -  to teaching the Bible, and away from many of the fads that have prevailed in many churches these past several decades that have set this stage.  If you are in a church that does not offer a Discipleship Training hour or small group, ask you Pastor to begin one.  If you are a Pastor who has opted out of Discipleship hours for the conveneince of compacted service times, or some other reason, reconsider what you are doing.  We cannot do in 30-45 minutes in the pulpit what needs to be done in training and making disciples.  I call you to return to the making of disciples through diligent systematic studies of the Bible, that is Sunday School or its equivalent..

This Is A Critical Hour

I don't often use my role as a pastor to address political issues, but I sense our nation is facing a critical hour politically.  The direction our nation has been going the last fifty years or so has set us on a course where "we are no longer a Christian nation".  Our nation may have been founded on Christian principles, but we have strayed far from them.  I remember so vividly reading my "Weekly Reader" as I left school as a child.  I remember when prayer was offered in our schools, and then how it turned to a moment of silence, and now is completely absent from our schools.  I remember when we offered the Pledge of Allegiance with passion, and when someone chose not to stand to pledge allegiance to our flag it was frowned upon.  Not anymore.  Within me there is a certain sadness and disbelief that we have come so far.  Also within me is a raging plea to return to our roots, back to a Christian nation, back where God is lifted up, and a banner of righteousness is proclaimed and promoted.

I offer two ways for this to happen.  One, is for every believer to exercise his or her right to vote.  The elections are just around the corner, and probably before you receive our next newsletter you will have had the opportunity to vote.  Do it.  Vote.  Secondly, pray for our nation, it's leaders, and for godly men and women to get into office.  Our battle will never be won on the picket lines.  It will be won on our knees, crying out to God to raise up a standard of holiness and righteousness.  The Bible says, "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (individual) avails much."

Enough of criticizing our government and those in governmental leadership positions.  Now is not the time for criticism - it is time to pray and vote.  Let's do it.  Let's take our petitions before God, on our knees, and let's let our convictions be heard as we go to the voting polls.

"Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven…"