Attendance at houses of worship appears to have returned to
normal levels after a short surge following September 11 events, researchers
say.
In the process, the church has lost a chance to impact people
spiritually, a leading Christian researcher asserted.
Attendance at houses of worship appears to have returned to
normal levels after a short surge following September 11 events, researchers
say.
In the process, the church has lost a chance to impact people
spiritually, a leading Christian researcher asserted.
A Gallup poll reported that 47 percent of adults surveyed Sept.
21-22 said they had attended church or synagogue in the previous week. That
number was the highest percentage since the 1950s.
However, by Nov. 8-11, 42 percent of persons said they had
attended worship in the previous week, almost equal to the 41 percent recorded
in May.
Meanwhile, the Barna Research Group reported that 48 percent
of adults surveyed recently said they had attended a church service in the past
week, compared to 42 percent polled in July and August. However, when compared
to last years figures, the numbers simply seem to reflect the usual seasonal
increase, reported George Barna, president of the research group.
Other measures of religious behavior – such as Bible reading
– also appear unchanged by the recent terrorist attacks.
Using 21 indicators of the nations spiritual climate,
a recent Barna study gives a comprehensive look at how Americas faith
has changed following the terrorist attacks.
A finding that was not surprising is that people have an increased
concern about the future. In August, 73 percent of adults surveyed said they
were concerned about the future. That figure was 82 percent last month.
However, a startling shift was that moral truth got muddier
among Americans after the attacks, Barna said. Prior to the attacks, 38 percent
of adults agreed there were absolute moral truths that fit into any circumstance.
After the attacks, only 22 percent held to the existence of such truths.
Barna also found that the most common source of moral guidance
among Americans is their feelings (25 percent), followed by the lessons and
values they learned from their parents (14 percent). Only 13 percent adults
say they look to the Bible when they make moral and ethical decisions.
For the most part, the commitment level of Christians, church
volunteerism and prayer levels all remain the same after the attacks as it was
before, Barna reported.
However, research does show fewer people now believe in an
all-knowing God and in Satan as a real person. After the attacks, they see satan
as a symbol of evil.
All in all, Barna said he believes churches failed to help
post-attack newcomers deepen their faith. “Our assessment is that churches
… failed at motivating the vast majority of spiritual explorers to connect
with Christ in a more intimate or intense manner,” he said.
“After the attack, millions of nominally churched or generally
irreligious Americans were desperately seeking something that would restore
stability and a sense of meaning to life,” Barna said. “Fortunately,
many of them turned to the church. Unfortunately, few of them experienced anything
that was sufficiently life-changing to capture their attention and their allegiance.
…
“The Sept. 11 tragedy was another amazing opportunity
(for churches) to be the healing and transforming presence of God in peoples
lives, but that, too, has now come and gone, with little to show for it.”
the Christian researcher concluded.
(This article includes information from Baptist Press and Religion News Service
releases)