Hypocrisy or Apathy?

We claim a mandate to change
the world ... but it has proven easier to change ourselves.

The problem is well-documented.

We talk about the importance of giving back to God. But only 3 percent of Christian households tithe. We preach against the evils of the broken home. But divorce rates among “born-again” Christians (33 percent) are almost identical to those among non-Christians (34 percent). We speak of the importance of ministry to the poor. But it seems that they may not be welcome to worship with us. Only 25 percent of churched households earn less than $30,000 each year as compared to 29 percent of the general population.

We claim a mandate to change the world by our example. But it has proven easier to change ourselves, conforming to a commercial culture.

And here is the central issue. People live by what they believe. They can’t help it. If I believe in the power of gravity, I will be cautious of cliffs. If I believe in the irresistibility of mass and momentum, I will refrain from taking walks along the interstate. And I won’t be sticking my head in front of a gun.

So here is my question: do we really believe? Because the only other option is that we have decided not to care.

Statistics are taken from studies performed by The Barna Group.

Read the full article and more like it at Barclay Press.