Numbers count: 71
is the precentage of 1,004 U.S. adults polled who say they are more likely to develop their own set of religious beliefs than to accept a comprehensive set of beliefs taught by a particular church.
Once again illustrating that those of us who are confessional anything are now a major religious minority. I knew it in principle, but the numbers are striking.
More on Sheilaism.
More on being confessional.
and we who are "confessional" are not allowed to simply shrug off those who seek to develop their own religion. rather we are called to engage them and learn from them what God is doing in the world. it is time to redefine faithfulness (dare I say confessionalism) as being open to what God is about in the world and not simply trying to hold on to what God is doing in the church.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. I'm all for open, missional confessionalism as well as ecumenical, part of the body Sheilaism. :)
ReplyDelete71%? Wow.
ReplyDeleteI wonder about what that means though -- I used to think that accepting my (mainline Protestant) church's beliefs meant that I had to believe in literalism. It wasn't until I did a lot more bible study and reading that I realized you could be confessional without being a literalist.
-- another anonymous
Good point. It was a question asked by the Barna group.
ReplyDelete