This article points out what seems abundantly clear to me. Many people are picking and choosing what religious values to follow.
  Changing world alters faith By HELEN T. GRAY July 21, 2007 - 12:23AM American spirituality is a mile wide but an inch deep.
“America is awash in faith,” said D.G. Hart, a church history scholar, but people often are not clear in what their religion teaches.
David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, reached a similar conclusion after directing a recent study on Americans’ beliefs and behavior.
“Most Americans do not have strong and clear beliefs,” he said, mainly because “they lack a consistent and holistic understanding of their faith.”
Results from the study by the Christian research company tell some of the story:
Sixty-six percent of Americans believe God is best described as the all-powerful, allknowing perfect creator of the universe who rules the world today. This is down from 71 percent a year ago and represents the lowest percentage in more than 20 years.
Eighty-three percent identified themselves as Christians, yet only 49 percent of them said they were absolutely committed to Christianity.
One-third strongly disagreed that Jesus sinned. Twothirds either said Jesus sinned or weren’t sure.
One-quarter endorse the belief that Satan is a real spiritual being. Two-thirds said he is not or weren’t sure.
Within the week of the survey, 83 percent of those responding said they had prayed; 43 percent had attended a religious service; 41 percent had read the Bible outside of church; 22 percent had volunteered free time to help a congregation or other nonprofit organization; and 20 percent had attended Sunday school. Fifty percent had donated to a congregation in the last year. These changed little from the previous year.
“Most Americans have one foot in the biblical camp and one foot outside it,” Kinnaman said. “They say they are committed, but to what? They are spiritually active, but to what end?”
**PICKING AND CHOOSING **
The statistic that 83 percent claim Christianity but only 49 percent are committed to it has several explanations, said David Roozen, religion and society professor at Hartford Seminary.
One is the trend toward “religion a la carte,” people putting together their own religion, he said.
“They may be into some Christian belief but do Buddhist meditation,” said Roozen, who is director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. “And some of it may also be, ‘Yes, I’m Christian, but I don’t think Christianity is the only path.’”
The effects of pluralism and diversity may be showing up in a greater reluctance of people willing to share their faith.
The Barna study revealed that 29 percent strongly believe it is important for them to share their religious beliefs in 2007, down from 39 percent a year ago.
Also evident is how increasingly eclectic Americans are about their faith, picking and choosing beliefs according to their needs and preferences, said Hart.
**EVANGELICAL SLIPPAGE **
Hart said a declining commitment among evangelicals helps to explain the survey figures. He sees a weakening of biblical and doctrinal knowledge among evangelicals that is affecting religious practices and morality.
“They are considered to be the more conservative group, so you would expect them to hold on to biblical truths more than others,” said Hart.
Evangelicals often are regarded as having “the highest degree of commitment, and if they are becoming shallow — and I believe they are — what does that mean for the future of evangelicalism? It may not be rosy,” Hart said.
However, among bornagain Christians, 61 percent who took the survey said they had personally explained their faith to someone else in the last year with the hope that the person would accept Jesus Christ as savior.
This rate was comparable to previous years.
Kinnaman’s concern is that as beliefs wane, behaviors like attending church also will wane.
“For young people, no one enjoys participating in things they believe are just for show or just for the ritual of it,” he said. “If beliefs don’t matter, then the actions don’t matter. This generation is a no-nonsense generation.”
Roozen said the emphasis on pluralism and interfaith relations will further strengthen picking and-choosing faith.
“If all religions are true, then why bother?” he said.
“This puts the ball in the consumer’s court. So if your congregation wants to be vital, you have to be as attuned to the consumer as to your historical faith.”
Many mega churches are doing this, he said, and this is where the pockets of vitality can be found.