No surprises in Pew's new religious study

The Pew Research Center released its U.S. Religious Landscape Study yesterday. It shows Americans are becoming less religious—not exactly earth-shattering news. What’s interesting is there’s been “no discernible drop” in level of commitment among people who say they are religious.

The study found that as older people die, they’re replaced with younger people who show less attachment to organized religion. However, Americans are becoming more “spiritual,” but that’s often an empty label without Christ. Another unsurprising bit of news is almost all major religious groups have caved in some way to affirming homosexuality, driven by younger people:

“Changing attitudes about homosexuality are linked to the same generational forces helping to reshape religious identity and practice in the United States, with Millennials expressing far more acceptance of homosexuality than older adults do. Fully half of Millennials who identify as evangelical Protestants, for instance, now say homosexuality should be accepted by society.”

I doubt those same evangelical millennials have similar attitudes toward adulterers, liars, and thieves. Why is that? It’s now considered intolerant to oppose this particular sin. We know why secularists are so easily swayed by the homosexual lobby and the government to affirm homosexuality. But what is it about this sin that causes even the one who professes Christ to accept it?

Pew’s religious study reveals the continued weakening of the influence of Christianity on Western civilization. Honest people will admit this doesn’t bode well for liberty and freedom. Adherents to the religion of secularism are in for a rude awakening.

The Apostle Paul exhorts us to “testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”

Human beings are made to worship. If the object isn’t the Creator, it’s something or someone else. Political correctness and “diversity” are bad enough, but much darker idols are coming. If the people don’t have the truth, they will believe the lie. Christians are in a position of strength, even as belief in Christ wanes. What is a better test of faith than persecution? It’s wheat-from- chaff time. Many are called, but few are chosen.