How to Reach America’s Religious ‘Nones’ With the Gospel
By Movieguide® Contributor
While the mainstream media can sometimes make it feel like America is no longer a Christian country, a new study from Pew reveals that the future of Christianity is not as dire as it seems.
The study comprised Americans who identify as non-religious, agnostic or atheist and looked at what they believe and why. Currently, 28% of American adults fall into this category, called “nones,” up from 16% in 2007.
Though the percentage of non-religious Americans has starkly risen in the past 15+ years, the data reveals hope for the future.
Of the group of Americans who are non-religious, only 26% don’t believe in God at all. Unfortunately, the other 68% who believe in God or some higher power shun religion largely because they dislike religious institutions or had a bad experience with a religious person.
As Christians, we are called to be ambassadors for Christ, and to many non-believers in America, this appears to be an area where we have failed. However, the blame does not lie solely on our shoulders, as 60% of non-religious people also have doubts about a lot of religious teachings. This means they either don’t have enough clarity about what the Bible says, or they know what the Bible says but do not agree with it.
Many of Christ’s teachings go against our natural, sinful desires. While a few are cherrypicked by culture as positive messages, his harder teachings—about topics like sex, money and success—are misunderstood by non-Christians. However, these teachings that go against our sinful desires make sense within the context of the entire Bible.
Therefore, many of the questions surrounding the authority of scripture’s teachings come from a misunderstanding of who God is. While Christians can testify to His love, goodness and life-changing power, it is impossible to make someone a believer – they ultimately have to make that decision.
With a misunderstanding of what the Bible says and why it says it, combined with a barrage of messaging from secular society that demonizes God and maybe a poor experience with a Christian in the past, it is no wonder that so many Americans chose to have no faith despite a belief in the existence of God. However, the door is still open.
A study from last spring found that nearly 80% of Americans pray – meaning that even those who are not religious turn to God for help in their struggles. Furthermore, interest in Christianity among the younger generation is on the rise, with the majority of Gen Z interested in the Bible and roughly 50% saying the Bible has changed their lives.
The significance of this interest was certainly felt last year as multiple mini-revivals broke out across the country, including the Asbury revival, which attracted tens of thousands of people – both Christians and non-Christians. The release of JESUS REVOLUTION saw a similar response, with multiple examples of spontaneous acts of faith taking place.
While Christianity remains locked in a battle with the devil over control of the country’s morals and future, God is not done with America and continues to move. As for us, we must continue to pray for our country, be ambassadors for Christ in our communities and fight for the Christian morals that America was founded upon.
Movieguide® previously reported:
The 2023 State of the Bible report shows that Gen Z is still interested in learning about faith, though the number of those willing to do so is declining.
“The majority (56%) of younger Gen Z adults (ages 18-21) reported being curious about Jesus and/or the Bible, whereas only 34% of older Gen Z adults (22-26) said so,” the report revealed. “These percentages are down from 2022 when around 77% of all Gen Z adults showed curiosity in Scripture.”
While the interest in faith is trending negative, the data shows that Gen Z is more interested in the Bible than the general population may think.
Nearly half of Gen Z says that the Bible has transformed their lives. Forty-nine percent of those aged 18-21 report this to be true, while 52% of those aged 22-26 say the same.
Despite the impact of the Bible, Gen Z still struggles to find a true foundation in God.
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +1