A New Shock Poll lays it out; Evangelicals For the Most Part Don’t Exist.

In summing up a new poll by the Barna Group all we can add is to say whither US evangelicalism.

The figures speak for themselves.

Why is this different to the usual run-of-the-mill stuff; well this was not based on whether one self-identifies as an Evangelical; but whether one adheres to certain criteria?

First of all the standards were put into place with the survey then built around it. Thus it was not open-ended in any way. Or fluid as some would have it.

There two things to remember. Christianity has collapsed in America; and what passes for it now is a secular religion that assumes the name. Media are the new evangelicals as they push their faith onto one and all. It is a point I have made time and again; now the Barna group says it.

Not only are there fewer evangelicals than reports claim that there are. For those who manage to make the grade; most are far less biblical in their thinking.

What is more the last group tend to vote in far fewer numbers than expected.
And why should this not be? It makes sense when you realize their values enmeshes with that of the spirit of the age.

Where there is no difference between them and non-believers.

Barna says his research shows that only ten percent of adults meet the theological criteria of what they call an evangelical; which is closer to maybe 25 million people. Now compare this with data from other sources that says 40 percent or 100 million Americans could be evangelical.

Now that is a big difference up ward would you not agree?

And within the lowered figure many more than we think have a type of Sunday school 101 grasp of theology which does not help. It can and does get rather murky from here. This makes them vulnerable to the catchy slogans put out there by the culture. It seems as if they stuck in a time warp of arrested development; from a theological standpoint at least.

They missed out on this part; when I was a child I thought as a child…. then I became a man.

Another word for these rhymes of the culture is jingles; think of the catch phrases advertisers come up with to sell a product.

Like Barna says; the nature and application of moral truth, the definition of what the gospel is, and the deeper theological questions that shape our passions and behaviours are things that don’t get talked about quite as much in our churches. And these are the kinds of issues that relate not just to our lives; but also to the political issues of the day.

Barna lays the state evangelicalism finds itself in at the doors of the Church. Things have changed over the past forty years he says. Oh and the stories that evangelicals bug non- believers; or try and push their beliefs is a myth.

Research shows they are more likely to not engage with them and talk more among themselves.

There is another group that Barna found called SAGE cons. It stands for spiritually active governance engaged conservatives

They are more likely to vote and promote their faith in all aspects of life.

Now here is what is interesting; they number just half of the total number of evangelicals.

If the media have lied about the polls what else do they lie about?

That would be things like Christian nationalism, an imminent theocracy, MAGA, the right-wing threat and more……..much more.

In fact it is all they do.

Lie I mean!