Dr. Albert Mohler on "post" American culture.

Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the speaker at FPC's upcoming Mid-South Men's Rally (Jan. 27, 2006) recently said, "The most basic contours of American culture have been radically altered. The so-called Judeo-Christian consensus of the last millennium has given way to a postmodern, post-Christian, post-western cultural crisis, which threatens the very heart of our culture."

Mohler's concerns are reinforced by Barna and Gallup research:

85% of Americans represent themselves as "Christians" (90% in 1996).
72% have formal membership in churches, synagogues, or temples
40% attend regularly (almost weekly), 31% in 1996.
Regular Sunday school attendance dropped from 23% in 1991 to 19% in 1998 (17% in 1996).
67% reject belief that absolute truth exists.
68% believe that all religions are equally valid and that their faithful adherents will make it to heaven or its equivalent.
60% believe that people in all religions pray to the same God.
30% believe in reincarnation, up from 25% in 1992.
36% read horoscopes regularly and 26% believe that they are scientifically accurate.
20% identify themselves as New Age practitioners.
34% believe in a New Age form of God.
Adult atheist = male 5%, female 2%, teenagers 7%.
70 % of Americans have a high view of the Bible.
11% claim to be conscious atheists or agnostics (cf.8% in 1992).
31% are unchurched (@60 million), cf. 27% in 1997; 20% in the South, 1:5 ratio.
39% of Baby Busters are unchurched (cf. 31% in 1997).
40% of those 18-29 are unchurched.
Born Again Christians
40% of Americans make this claim.
Yet 37% of them reject the infallibility of the Bible.
41% believe in pluralism (cf. 68% of population).
53% reject the belief in holding absolute truth (cf. 67% nationally).
58% said they definitely would not attend a weekly Bible study.
28% believe that Jesus sinned.
35% deny Jesus raised from the dead (cf. 39% general population).
7% are solid evangelicals (1998), down from 8% (1996), and 12% in 1992.
27% have been divorced.
23% buy a lottery ticket in a typical week.
6% define success in relation to spirituality.
Only 66% say they are "absolutely committed to the Christian faith.
32% said that they have never experienced God’s presence.
50% believe Satan is only a symbol of evil rather than a real being (cf. 62% national).
55% believe the Holy Spirit is only a symbol of God’s presence and not a living being (cf. 61% nationally).