Interesting poll results

A new poll from Parade magazine has some interesting findings regarding the spirituality of America.

In some ways the news is good. About 70 percent of Americans believe in God, nearly 80 percent pray, and 3/4 believe parents need to give their children a religious upbringing. In addition, only five percent don't believe in God.

But as far as I'm concerned, much of it is bad news. About half say they rarely or never attend worship services, and over one-fourth say they don't practice any kind of religion at all. Many put themselves in a new category -- "spiritual but not religious." This is pretty fuzzy thinking, which is echoed in other findings of the poll. For example, only 12 percent say their own religion is the only true faith while 59 percent said all religions are valid. How is that possible? For example, one says Jesus is the Messiah while another says he is not. Both of them cannot be correct. Only 40 percent said the reason they picked their faith is because it is the source of truth. Why are the rest selecting thier faith--it "feels" right? it's convenient? it requires very little commitment? Nearly 60 percent said religion and politics should not mix at all.

What does all this suggest? People have bought into relativism big time. Truth is not as important as it was at one time. Instead, people are selecting their religious beliefs for fuzzy, emotional reasons. It bothers me that a majority believe religion and politics should not be mixed. Tell that to the Founding Fathers, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the thousands of other political leaders who have invoked the name of God while working in the political arena. A worldview will follow an individual into politics; there's no way to separate the two. Either a religious outlook on life or a secular outlook on life will inform the political leader, and from what I've seen of secular leaders (Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Lenin, to name a few), I'll take my chances with an individual whose religion plays an important role in his/her life.