Gaps between Faith, Knowledge, & Practice

by   Mark Wingleld, HMB writer                                                                                                                         Vol. IV, No. 5, July 1991

George Gallup, the well-known pollster, was a keynote speaker at an urban ministries conference sponsored by the Home Missions Board. On the surface the levels of religious belief and practice of Americans are impressive, especially compared to other regions of the world, he said. "But when you start to probe a little bit deeper, you become less impressed." In America religion does not change people's lives to the degree one would expect," he added.

"There is a tendency to assume we know much more about the Bible than we do, to believe that we pray in a powerful, meaningful, and effective way, to believe that we are capable of sharing our faith," he said. "I doubt if more than 5 to 10 percent of Christians are prepared to defend their faith. Many do not know what it means to be a Christian.

"The Sunday School and religious education system in this country is not working," he said. "The lack of biblical knowledge in this country is tragic. We say we believe the 10 Commandments are valid rules for living, but we can't name them. We revere the Bible, but we don't read it. Many people don't know the significance of Easter.

"It's really a very frightening situation because not being grounded in one's faith, we're open for anything that comes along. That's why the New Age movement has tremendous power to grab people. New age is just as strong among traditionally religious people as among those who are not traditionally religious."

Regarding ethics, he noted, "We want the fruits of faith but not the obligations. Religion is important to Americans, but it doesn't have primacy." In a survey of 19 social values, following God's will ranked "far down the list among the public's choices, behind happiness and satisfaction." In another survey of eight important traits, teenagers rated religious faith as least important, behind attributes such as patience and hard work. Further, although church members are more likely to give to charitable organizations, the churched "are just as likely as the unchurched to engage in unethical behavior." A significant difference is found only at the level of deep commitment, he added.

Gallup said Americans believe in God, "but this God is often only an affirming one, not a demanding one. He does not command total allegiance.

On the other hand, Gallup stated that about 6 to 10 percent of Americans fall into the category he describes as "high spiritual faith." "These people are a breed apart. They are more tolerant of people of diverse backgrounds. They are more involved in charitable activities. They are more involved in practical Christianity. They are absolutely committed to prayer." In addition, he said, they are "far, far happier than the rest of the population. These are the quiet saints in our society who have a disproportionate, powerful impact on our communities."

Gallup noted that, "The clergy often make assumptions about the depth of religious commitment of members of their churches." Clergy assume their parishioners have more fully developed prayer lives and higher levels of knowledge about the faith and traditions of their denomination than in fact they do. Therefore clergy often promote programs and causes only to be faced by "a laity that is spiritually listless and uninformed."