“American evangelical leaders recognize changes in the cultural wind andanticipate a backlashagainst themselves and other followers of Christ,” said Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).
What do Americans really know about evangelical Christians?
The better Americans know evangelical Christians, the less they like them, according to a recent study from the Pew Research Center. The wide-ranging What Americans Know About Religion study found that, in general, people who are more familiar with a religion other than their own tend to express more favorable views toward members of that faith.
Do evangelicals live up to their calling?
We must live up to our calling as evangelicals: to proclaim Jesus Christ to the world, rather than betray Him to sustain worldly power. No one likes to admit they were fooled. It’s tough to admit we were wrong. Now, many evangelicals are seeing President Donald Trump for who he is, but more need to see what he has done to us.
Are evangelicals being forced into the closet?
The reluctance of evangelicals to speak out against homosexuality is often cited as proof they are being forced into the closet. Joe Carter, editor for The Gospel Coalition, an online evangelical magazine, wrote a blog post entitled “Debatable: Is the Christian Church a ‘Hate Group’?
Is it time for an evangelical reckoning with Trump?
Now, many evangelicals are seeing President Donald Trump for who he is, but more need to see what he has done to us. It’s time for an evangelical reckoning.
What are the most popular religions in the US?
Overall Americans rate Jews (63), Catholics and mainline Protestants (both 60) at the warmer end of the feelings scale and Mormons (51) , atheists and Muslims (both 49) at the cooler end. Buddhists (57), evangelical Christians (56) and Hindus (55) rate in between.
What do Americans know about religion?
The wide-ranging What Americans Know About Religion study found that, in general, people who are more familiar with a religion other than their own tend to express more favorable views toward members of that faith. People who are not atheists themselves but personally know someone who is, for example, rate atheists more warmly than people who do …
What is the average temperature of evangelicals?
Asked to rate groups on a “feeling thermometer” ranging from zero (coldest and most negative) to 100 (warmest and most positive), respondents who could answer at least 25 of 32 questions designed to measure the public’s knowledge about religion in general gave evangelicals an average temperature of 43 degrees. Those who correctly answered eight or less viewed evangelicals more warmly, at 53 degrees.
How many questions are there in the Religious Knowledge section?
The religious knowledge section consisted of 32 questions in total, including 14 about the Bible and Christianity, 13 about other world religions (four about Judaism, three about the religious composition of particular countries, two each about Islam and Hinduism, and one each about Buddhism and Sikhism), two about atheism and agnosticism, two about the size of religious minorities in the U.S. adult population, and one about religion in the U.S. Constitution.
Do people who are not atheists know someone who is not an atheist?
People who are not atheists themselves but personally know someone who is, for example, rate atheists more warmly than people who do not know an atheist.
What should we do if the evangelical movement is to flourish in the coming generations?
If the evangelical movement is to flourish in the coming generations, we must face (and even embrace) this reckoning. As leaders and members, we must acknowledge our failings but also understand the habits and idols that drew us to Trump in the first place.
What did Martin Luther say about those who have been misled?
In listening and praying, I’ve found myself coming back to Martin Luther’s words: “Toward those who have been misled, we are to show ourselves parentally affectionate, so that they may perceive that we seek not their destruction but their salvation.”
Is everyone who voted for Trump fooled?
I don’t believe that everyone who voted for Trump was fooled or foolish. And Trump voters are not Trump. They are not responsible for all of his actions over the past four years, but they are responsible for the ways they responded and for their own hearts.
Who is Ed Stetzer?
We have reached a reckoning. What comes next will reveal where our trust truly lies. Ed Stetzer is a dean and professor at Wheaton College, where he also leads the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. Follow him on Twitter: @edstetzer.
Is it surprising that we have failed and been fooled?
That we have failed and been fooled is disheartening but not surprising. The true test will be how we respond when our idols are revealed.
Who said "one of my jobs was to work with special interest groups, including religious leaders"?
Watergate figure, and later evangelical leader, Chuck Colson once said: "When I served under President Nixon, one of my jobs was to work with special-interest groups, including religious leaders. We would invite them to the White House, wine and dine them, take them on cruises aboard the presidential yacht. ….
Do Americans have the right to ask hard questions?
Americans (and the world) have the right to ask us some hard questions. Some of us were vocal, often and early, about the dangers of Trumpism. It was costly. As we sort through the coming months and years, we must be clear on three reasons why we have arrived at this point: