I Don’t Feel Rich

Being rich is a relative sort of thing. If I live in Small Town, USA, make $35,000 a year, but can buy a decent house in a decent neighborhood for $60,000 I may have as much discretionary income left-over as someone living in Big City, USA making $100,000 a year, but limited to expensive housing options (or a very long, expensive commute).

At least, that’s my reaction when I hear people say that living in the States automatically identifies us as rich compared to the rest of the world.

A New American Christianity

Would you agree that Christianity is slipping in the United States? The Barna Group is a research organization that surveys the United States religious scene on a regular basis. They reported in 2006 that the population of what they call “born again Christians” has increased in the United States since the early eighties. However, the very next year, the results of their surveys showed that although the spiritual activities of Americans remained relatively stable, our belief in Biblical views was slipping. These views include foundational biblical doctrines (such as the sinlessness of Jesus, and the view of God as the “all-powerful, all-knowing perfect creator of the universe who rules the world today”).

Why are numbers of Christian “adherents” seemingly growing in America while authentic Christianity wanes? I believe a major contributor is lack of commitment and sacrifice.