Posted by
peripheral on Monday, June 08, 2009 9:16:57 AM
From My Perspective - - -
Polls and Surveys have become a way of life in our nation, as well as
having an influence in areas of politics, religion, trends, etc. For
years, we have grown accustomed to the Gallup Poll; Rasmussen Polls;
Zogby Poll - in the primary area of politics. We have the Nielsen
Ratings for Television Programming Preferences; and the Barna Report
for religious trends and direction. Regrettably, the Polls can vary
greatly depending on (a) the Sample Group used, and (b) the manner in
which the Poll Question was framed.
The Polls Published today demonstrate the variance. On Presidential
Approval, Rasmussen has the Approval at 53%, whereas Gallup is 62% and
Associated Press is 64%. In terms of Congressional Approval, The
Associated Press is at 38% and Fox News is at 41%. In terms of the
Direction of the Country, the Real Clear Politics Average shows 45%
think it is heading in the Right Direction, whereas 48.7% believe it is
moving in the wrong direction. When we get into the area of Religion,
people have so many differing affiliations and preferences, that
Sampling is extremely difficult. The size of the Sample Group is also
significant: Gallup uses 1547, Associated Press 1000, Barna 1004.
Barna begins with the premise, AMERICANS ARE EXPLORING NEW WAYS OF EXPERIENCING GOD
and summarizes: Americans are in a new age of exploration, deploying
new approaches to marriage, communications, sexuality, education, and
more. According the results from a new nationwide survey, the “and
more” includes how people pursue their faith and how they choose to
relate to God and other people of faith. Barna concludes and shares his
findings: 88% of American adults say that “my religious faith is very
important in my life…”; 75% say they sense that “God is motivating
people to stay connected with Him, but in different ways and through
different types of experiences than in the past.” There is a growing
sense of release from traditional religious practices in this country.
People are suggesting that they want more of God and less of the stuff
that gets between them and their relationship with God. This mindset is
equally common among Catholics and Protestants; 45% say they are
“willing to try a new church.” Almost half of the nation’s 230 million
adults – are open to changing their church home…; 64% say they are
“completely open to carrying out and pursuing your faith in an
environment or structure that differs from that of a typical church.” ;
50% say “a growing number of people I know are tired of the usual type
of church experience.” Half of all adults said they are aware of such a
willingness to experiment on the part of people they know because those
individuals are tired of the common church experience. This awareness
was especially acute among blacks (59%) and Hispanics (58%); 71% say
they are “more likely to develop my religious beliefs on my own, rather
than to accept an entire set of beliefs that a particular church
teaches.” Across the board, the research showed that women are driving
these changes…”
The organized Church has allowed itself to become a political entity. A
small group of “insiders” have gained and maintain control. Any
newcomer has difficulty “fitting in” to the internal “power structure”!
A tiny minority tends to dominate all church activities, and some
people just move on to something different or to nothing at all. The
Church knows the teaching of I Corinthians 12:18-26,
“God has arranged the parts in the body…just as he wanted them to
be…The eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you! And the head
cannot say to the feet, I don't need you! On the contrary, those parts
of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts
that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor…God has
combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the
parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body,
but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one
part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every
part rejoices with it.” In Romans 15:7
we are told: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in
order to bring praise to God.” There is always “lip service” given to
these things but people have a way of claiming ownership of the local
church and continue to run “their Church their way”! Other people
(newer attendees) tend to move on to other things, and the people in
“their church” don’t have a clue. They just never get around to looking
in a mirror!