Parshall Partners

Dwindling Beliefs

         The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Most Christians recognize the triune nature of God and Who makes up the trinity.  But knowing and believing can be two very different things.

         Dr. George Barna, director and founder of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, has discovered that most Americans, including churchgoers reject the trinity.

         His report reveals that only 11% of American adults and 16% of self-proclaimed Christians believe in the trinity.  The report shows that the majority of Americans have a difficult time understanding the basics of biblical truth. For example:

“…only 40% believe that the supreme deity portrayed in the Bible (i.e., God or Yahweh) exists and affects people’s lives. About six out of 10 (59%) believe in the existence and influence of Jesus Christ. Only half as many (29%) believe in the living presence and power of the Holy Spirit. When put together, a mere one out of every 10 adults (11%) believe in the existence and influence of all three persons of the trinity—whether they call the triumvirate God by that name or not”.

         The report also found that nearly two-thirds of those who have a biblical worldview (62%) believe in the trinity.  Yet, they are the only group identified for “which more than 40% believe in the existence and influence of all three persons of the trinity”.

         What someone believes as biblical truth corresponds to their understanding of how the trinity works.  The report identified:

                 “…one-third of Americans who believe that God is involved in every moment of their life (33%) also accept the trinitarian perspective. Similarly, one-third who contend that the God of the Bible provides them with power (34%) or guidance (33%) embrace the trinity. Slightly more of those who claim to have an intimate or close spiritual relationship with the God of the Bible (35%) also believe in the existence and influence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”

         The work of Dr. Barna and the Cultural Research Center is essential in arousing a sleepy Church.  Dr. Barna asks:

“Who is devoted to obsessively building a solid theological foundation for the masses? Who is committed to ensuring that people grasp the basic theological building blocks of a biblical worldview? Where is the concern or anguish over the near universal rejection of numerous central biblical teachings? Is the Church of God devoted to know Him and making Him know, or has it been seduced by the distractions and distortions of our culture? ...We know from our national worldview tracking studies that most Americans are uninformed about the many essential biblical teachings, ranging from the Ten Commandments and the trinity, to matters related to repentance, salvation, the chief purpose of life, and divine measures of success.”

         Now, more than ever, it’s essential that churches remember that the Word is God-breathed; useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. Without it, we are utterly lost.

         Those are my thoughts.  I’m Janet Parshall