A follow-up on the Pew survey posts: Albert Mohler wrote a commentary article on the beliefs of self-proclaimed Christians, many of whom reject core Christian theology:

This survey cannot easily be dismissed. The specificity of the responses and the quality of the research sample indicate that we face a serious decline in confidence in the Gospel. When 34% of white evangelicals reject the truth that Jesus is the only Savior, we are witnessing a virtual collapse of evangelical theology.

There is also additional cause for concern. As Cathy Lynn Grossman reports, "Pew's new survey also found that many Christians (29%) say they are saved by their good actions; 30% say salvation is through belief in Jesus, God or a higher power alone, which is the core teaching of evangelical Protestantism; and 10% say salvation is found through a combination of behavior and belief, a view closer to Catholic teachings."

So next time someone responds to your witnessing efforts by saying "I am a Christian," probe a little deeper. Rather than asking theological questions like "do you believe Christ is the only way to be saved," I often use questions like "what does it mean to be a Christian" or "do you consider yourself to be a good person?" The answers will reveal much about their attitude toward God, which is more telling, but often in agreement with, the theology they profess or can recite.

Labels: theology