Each year Gallup releases a “Confidence in Institutions” survey. This year it reveals that only 44% of Americans have a “great deal or quite a lot of confidence in ‘the church or organized religion.'”
Organized religion has ranked at the top of the list from 1973-1985, but now it is tied with the medical system. Bean counters will quickly point out that religion still ranks fourth out of sixteen institutions tested, but that can hardly be viewed as a prize. Bronze medal? Sorry church, you missed it by that much.
After I let the survey results simmer, my thoughts went to people who have been hurt, wounded, and injured by the church. When I hear stories of people searching for a different church home it is always for a reason. Too often families leave a congregation because of strife, bitterness, and conflict. They leave due to splits and infighting. They leave because of hurtful comments and negative attitudes. Unfortunately, the pain can be so intense that many won’t even bother to look for a new church home. Many stop looking or worse yet, stop going. When that is the legacy, why would people express confidence?
I like it when people describe the church as a hospital for sinners. It is the emergency room where we find comfort and peace through Jesus Christ. But this spiritual hospital will have people who are coughing, fever-ridden, and sick. There are varying levels of sickness due to sin. Cross-bearing is a requirement for ministry to occur in this setting. There will be unpleasant people in every congregation, but then again what emergency room doesn’t have someone in need of a physician?
If you are looking for a church home or stopped looking for a solid body of believers, remember that Jesus died for you and all who suffer from the pain of sin. He died for everybody. Congregations are made up of imperfect people who are in need of the Great Physician. Place your confidence in the Son of God and you will never be disappointed.
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God Squad 
Church Confidence Hits an All-Time Low
Posted in News & Commentary, tagged 2012 church confidence, 2012 confidence in religion, 2012 Gallup poll, 2012 Gallup survey, American confidence in organized religion, American confidence in the church, Bible, chaplain, Christ, christian, Christianity, church as a hospital for sinners, Church confidence, church split, confidence in institutions, confidence in the church at low, current events, faith, families, Gallup poll, Gallup survey, god, god squad, Great Physician, hospital for sinners, Jesus, Jesus Christ, looking for a church, looking for a church home, low church confidence, national guard, news, organized religion, poll, record low attitudes on religion, religion, religious, Son of God, spiritual, spiritual hospital, spirituality, survey, why do people leave the church, Why I hate religion and love Jesus, why I hate the church, why people leave the church on July 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Each year Gallup releases a “Confidence in Institutions” survey. This year it reveals that only 44% of Americans have a “great deal or quite a lot of confidence in ‘the church or organized religion.'”
Organized religion has ranked at the top of the list from 1973-1985, but now it is tied with the medical system. Bean counters will quickly point out that religion still ranks fourth out of sixteen institutions tested, but that can hardly be viewed as a prize. Bronze medal? Sorry church, you missed it by that much.
After I let the survey results simmer, my thoughts went to people who have been hurt, wounded, and injured by the church. When I hear stories of people searching for a different church home it is always for a reason. Too often families leave a congregation because of strife, bitterness, and conflict. They leave due to splits and infighting. They leave because of hurtful comments and negative attitudes. Unfortunately, the pain can be so intense that many won’t even bother to look for a new church home. Many stop looking or worse yet, stop going. When that is the legacy, why would people express confidence?
I like it when people describe the church as a hospital for sinners. It is the emergency room where we find comfort and peace through Jesus Christ. But this spiritual hospital will have people who are coughing, fever-ridden, and sick. There are varying levels of sickness due to sin. Cross-bearing is a requirement for ministry to occur in this setting. There will be unpleasant people in every congregation, but then again what emergency room doesn’t have someone in need of a physician?
If you are looking for a church home or stopped looking for a solid body of believers, remember that Jesus died for you and all who suffer from the pain of sin. He died for everybody. Congregations are made up of imperfect people who are in need of the Great Physician. Place your confidence in the Son of God and you will never be disappointed.
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