More Americans Now Believe Their Faith Is Not ‘The Only Way’

By 316Networks.com

Published: June 23, 2008

A new survey released by The Pew Forum On Religion and Public Life concludes that while many believe America is still a deeply religious nation, more Americans no longer believe their tradition is the only way to eternal life; even if the teachings of their respective denominations say otherwise.

The new survey, which consisted of 35,000 adults, unveils some disturbing evidence that many Americans are dismissing or don't know the fundamental teachings of their own faiths.

Among the more startling numbers in the survey, 57 percent of evangelical church attenders said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life, in conflict with traditional evangelical teaching.

In all, 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, while 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion.

Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist of religion, says, "The survey shows religion in America is, indeed, 3,000 miles wide and only three inches deep."

"There's a growing pluralistic impulse toward tolerance and that is having theological consequences," he said.

According to the survey, Americans continue to classify themselves as strongly religious: 92 percent believe in God, 74 percent believe in life after death, and 63 percent say their respective scriptures are the 'word of God.'

But further investigation found that more than one in four Roman Catholics, mainline Protestants and Orthodox Christians have expressed some doubts about God's existence. The same for six out of ten Jews polled.

Across the board, the majority of Americans believe many religions can lead to eternal life: mainline Protestants (83 percent), members of historic black Protestant churches (59 percent), Roman Catholics (79 percent), Jews (82 percent) and Muslims (56 percent).

Within those faith groups, a large number of Americans polled believe in multiple interpretations of their own traditions' teachings. While only 44 percent of the religiously affiliated also said their religion should preserve its traditional beliefs and practices.

"What most people are saying," says Rev. Tom Reese, " is 'Hey, we don't have a hammer-lock on God or salvation, and God's bigger than us and we should respect that and respect other people. Rev. Reese is a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University.

"Some people are like butterflies that go from flower to flower, going from religion to religion," Reese adds. "Frankly, they don't get that deep into any of them."

The belief in eternal life vary greatly according to the survey, even within a particular religious tradition.

Some Christians continue to hold strongly to Jesus' words as described in John 14:6: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." While others now emphasize the wideness of God's grace.

Many theologians are concluding that the newly released survey illustrates America's growing level of religious tolerance.

"It shows increased religious security. People are comfortable with other traditions even if they're different," said the Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance. "It indicates a level of humility about religion that would be of great benefit to everyone."

However, Roger Oldham, vice president with the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, is one of many who believe "tolerance" is a term that need further defining.

"If by tolerance we mean we're willing to engage or embrace a multitude of ways to salvation," says Oldham, "that's no longer evangelical belief. The word 'evangelical' has been stretched so broadly, it's almost an elastic term."

More than most groups polled, Catholics continue to break away from their church's stance on a variety of issues, including abortion, homosexuality, and the character of God.

"The statistics show, more than anything else, that many who describe themselves as Catholics do not know or understand the teachings of their church," said Denver Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput.

"It also means that the church ought to work harder at evangelizing its own members."

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