By SharperIron on
Society & Culture
Statistics
Religious Trends
Heaven
Hell

“Two thirds (67 percent) of Americans believe heaven is a real place, according to the survey….Just under half of Americans (45 percent) say there are many ways to heaven… Catholics (67 percent) and Mainline Protestants (55 percent) are most likely to say heaven’s gates are wide open, with many ways in. Evangelicals (19 percent) and Black Protestants (33 percent) are more skeptical.” Survey: heaven, hell & a bit of heresy

Discussion

Wed, 10/29/14

It strikes me that evangelical belief in the basics is higher than I would have guessed from the talking of certain superstars in the evangelical world. That said, fleshing it out is still a challenge, and there are all too many who don’t say “wait a minute” when various evangelical superstars do bizaare things. The church I am attending now (Calvary Baptist of Rochester) has a “Foundations” class that is very helpful in this regard—what do we actually believe, why, etc.. Quite frankly, I think more churches ought to do it more often in a larger setting—go through the Fundamentals, the Solas, the Apostle’s Creed, the Trinity, etc.. It might help put the kibosh on a lot of Joel Osteens and such before it’s too late for the people they mislead.

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.