How Americans Think, Feel, & Act - Part 3

The Barna Research Group recently released the results of a recent survey of the self-oriented behavior of Americans. According to Barna, the data suggests that “millions of Americans engage in routines that benefit themselves, often flouting moral boundaries to do so.” See for yourself. Here is what American report of their behaviors – all of these occurring in the past month:

Relationships

• 33% of adults say they have used profanity in public in the last month.
• 28% have said mean things to others about someone else when that person was not present.
• 13% have told someone something they knew was not true
• 10% have gotten even for something someone did to hurt or offend them
• 2% admit to fighting or abusing someone else

Sexuality

• 28% of adults have read a magazine or watched a movie or video that contained explicit sexual images in the past month (35% of men and 19% of women)
• 10% have visited a website that showed explicit or uncensored sexual content in the last month (14% of men and 2% of women).
• 14% have had an intimate sexual encounter during with someone to whom they were not married

Property and Finances

• 31% have purchased a lottery ticket in the past month
• 18% have placed a bet or gambled in the last month
• 6% have inappropriately traded or downloaded music

Substance Abuse

• 16% of adults have consumed enough alcohol to be intoxicated or considered legally drunk at least once in the last month
• 3% admit to recent use of illegal, non-prescription drugs

Spirituality

• 5% have consulted a psychic or medium for spiritual guidance in the last month
  

And these are not just the behaviors of lost people. According to Barna, “…born again Christians are statistically indistinguishable from non-born again adults on most of the behaviors studied.” What a sad commentary on the lives of Christians. We are “statistically indistinguishable” from non-Christians.

So, to wrap up the three-part series of postings:
(1) Americans are IGNORANT in their beliefs
(2) Americans are INSECURE in their emotions
(3) Americans are INDULGENT in their behaviors

My pastor would be proud of my alliteration.

This description is an oversimplification, to be sure. But it is accurate enough from where I sit. What is most troubling to me is the fact that Christians aren't much different from non-Christians in their ignorance, insecurities, and indulgences.

I don’t want to leave these postings with just a lament of our current state of affairs. Let’s now be constructive. How do we fix these problems? As Christians, how do we tackle issues of ignorance, insecurity, and indulgence? What can our schools do? What can our churches do? What can we do as individuals? The more practical your solutions, the better.