Sunday, October 28, 2007

Another scandal of the evangelical conscience

The following is from a CBS NEWS POLL: "White Evangelicals, the Issues and the 2008 Election" October 12-16, 2007.

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/CBSNews_poll_evan_101807.pdf


My response is that I believe that these answers represent a scandal in the evangelical conscience. I do not believe that the moral problems shown in the answers evangelicals have to these answers do not say anything about whether you should be an evangelical-- one who believes in a literal or authoritative word revealed in scripture, and seeks a personal relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior. In this regard, there's nothing wrong with being an evangelical; but these poll results point to something wrong with being an evangelical.

Quotes from the poll below this line:




WAS GOING TO WAR WITH IRAQ THE RIGHT THING TO DO?

White Evangelicals
All Americans
Right thing 62%
45%
Stayed out
32
51

Evangelicals have consistently been strong backers of U.S. military action in Iraq.

WHITE EVANGELICALS: WAS GOING TO WAR WITH IRAQ THE RIGHT THING TO DO?

Now
1/2007
10/2006
10/2005
Right thing
62%
58%
61%
63%
Stayed out
32
35
31
34

In addition, white evangelicals think the U.S. troop surge in Iraq is working. 54% say the surge is making things better, compared to 33% of Americans nationwide who say this.

IMMIGRATION

In the long run, do you think the people who are immigrating to the United States today will make American society better, will make American society worse, or do you think today's immigrants won't affect American society one way or the other?


Total
White Evangelicals
Better
26
19
Worse
39
53
Won't affect society
22
15
DK/NA
13
13


2 comments:

Real Live Preacher said...

Interesting piece. I see evangelicals as falling into a couple of categories on an important issue. At issue is how tied your theology is to government and politics and the Republican party (usually). Those who see them as being close I would expect to have results like these.

But there are MANY evangelicals who don't see America as God's nation and politics as a good tool for social and spiritual change. I count myself among them.

Greg M. Johnson said...

I did not mean to say there's anything wrong with being someone who believes in a high or literalistic view of scripture and seeks to spread the good news of a personal relationship of Jesus. This is what OUGHT to be the definition of evangelical. Today it's become more something else.