There are plenty of paradoxes and contradictions in my journey of faith. Usually I really want to do what is right, but
sometimes I just don’t do it.

George Barna of the Barna Research Group in Ventura, CA, says I’m in good company.  Looking back at the
surveys his organization conducted in 2002, he sees a pattern of paradoxes, contradictions and deception in
people’s attitudes, opinions and beliefs related to their faith.

Look at how people view success, for example.  One national study Barna conducted discovered that people’s
view of success had little to do with their faith and spiritual vitality.  People said success came when they focused on
personal accomplishments and emotional fulfillment instead.

Only 7 percent identified spirituality as the factor that will produce a successful life.  Apparently, regular fasting still
is not on the list of favorite Christian disciplines.  And rising at 4 a.m. to pray doesn’t seem to be gathering much of
a crowd either.  The church fathers consistently said the Christian faith commends sacrifice and servanthood.  The
journey of faith is not about personal accomplishment or material possessions.

Consider the commitment to their faith that Americans espouse.  Barna’s research here shows that huge majorities
of American say their religion is crucial to their well being.  They call themselves deeply spiritual.  But those same
studies reveal that fewer than half of those who call themselves Christian also describe themselves as “absolutely
committed to the Christian faith.”

Take a look inside the wallets of regular church attendees.  Less than one out of 10 give a tithe (10 percent or more
of their income) to their church.  Church giving actually decreased last year.  It makes one wonder if people have
fallen in love with faith rather than the object of their faith.

Almost everyone in the U.S. believes that truth exists, according to surveys.  But are American Christians deceived
here as well?  Barna’s work shows that two out of three adults and more than four out of five teenagers argue that
truth always is relative to the individual and the circumstances.  Most who believe the Bible is accurate in all of its
teaching nevertheless think that truth is based on feelings, experiences and emotions.

How can people embrace relativism under the guise of Christian faith?  “What an affront it is to God for us to claim
His name and protection but to resist His moral truths on the basis of human feelings,” Barna says in a December
article in Barna Research Online.

When it comes to what people actually believe, contradictions abound.  Four out of five Americans claim to be
Christian.  Half of those want to be classified as born again.  Huge numbers say they know the basic teachings of
the Bible.  But most say Satan does not exist.  They believe the Holy Spirit merely is a symbol.  A plurality thinks
Jesus committed sins and that the Bible, the Koran and the Book of Mormon essentially teach the same truths.

Take a look at what Protestant pastors say about outreach and you’ll discover another apparent paradox.
Evangelism and outreach ranked as the top priority of churches in one Barna survey.  American churches raised and
spent more than $50 billion on domestic ministry in 2002.  Pastors continued to say that the 9/11 attacks created a
new spiritual awareness among non-Christians.  That’s not what the research shows.  The proportions of both
non-Christian adults and unchurched adults have remained unchanged since 2000.  With the increasing population,
the number of nonChristian and unchurched people actually has grown.

The most subtle deception may be in the arena of effective leadership among pastors.  In 12 out of 13 areas of
performance, pastors said they are doing a good job in leading people spiritually.  The bigger the church, the more
likely is the pastor to be pleased with his or her performance as a leader.

Pastoring is a difficult job, to be sure.  But it’s troubling to hear pastors say they are doing well when the research
shows that kids are fleeing from the church in record numbers, a majority of the people who attend worship
services say they did not connect with God, the divorce rate among Christians is the same with that of nonChristians
and only two percent of pastors can tell you the vision for their ministry they are trying to lead.

Can we at least agree that a tender conscience, godly demeanor, humility and trustworthiness will go a long way in
helping us overcome our inconsistencies and contradictions in 2003?

Don Follis is an Urbana minister.  Reprinted with permission from the
Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, copyright 2003.