Please tick the box that applies to you…

22/02/2012 by idavidsonblog.

Do you have to know the name of the first book of the Bible’s New Testament in order to qualify as a Christian?  In a recent survey on behalf of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (UK) only 35% of those who had identified themselves as Christians by ticking the relevant box in the 2001 National Census were able to give the correct answer.  On the other hand, when invited during a subsequent Radio Four discussion to give the full title of Charles Darwin’s book, Origin of the Species, Dawkins, a prominent, public atheist and scientist, previously specialising in evolutionary biology, floundered spectacularly; and you wouldn’t want to argue on that basis that he does not believe in the theory of evolution!

Entertaining though it may be to hear Richard Dawkins tie himself in knots in a public setting we would be unwise to ignore the content and findings of this survey.  Granted, a lot of people self-identified as Christian for the purpose of National Census but how much does this say about their beliefs or practices?  The answer to that question seems to be ‘not a lot’.  Of those who self-identified as Christian, just 30% say they hold strong religious beliefs.  Only 10% draw upon religious beliefs and teachings when making moral decisions, whilst 50% rely on inner moral sense.  More than half of ‘Census Christians’ have not read any of the Bible by choice during the previous year.  When asked why they ticked the ‘Christian’ box 28% may attribute this decision to belief in Christian teachings but a much greater percentage did so because they had been ‘christened’ or because their parents were Christians (whatever that had meant for them).

Now, there is no need for British Christians to panic.  Much of this information is actually old news, having been uncovered by previous surveys. Any preacher in a British Church has known for some time, courtesy of the Bible Society, or could have guessed anyway, that the majority of the congregation have not heard or read anything from the Bible since they were last in Church.  Like most ministers I might wish things were otherwise and would encourage everyone to read or listen to the Bible frequently but I am not going to make it an entry requirement for attendance at worship or show the red card to anyone, as far as Church membership is concerned, because they have not perused their Bible this week.  I am much more interested in which direction a person’s faith is taking rather than where they are at this moment in time: is it cooling or warming, growing or declining?

Nor do we need to panic concerning the position of the Church in our society, as long as we are not addicted to being close to or in positions of power and prestige.  Jesus had some sharp comments to make about those amongst his followers who were tempted by that: “You know that among the Gentiles the recognised rulers lord it over their subjects and the great make their authority felt.  It shall not be so with you; among you whoever wants to be great must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.” (Mark 10: 42-43 i.e. from the second book in the New Testament)  As far as I can see, Richard Dawkins’ survey did not ask an explicit question about how we treat others and expect to be treated by them, though it would be good if more of us treated others on the basis of what we know Jesus said, because we read it in the Bible.

Trevor

p.s.      To hear Richard Dawkins attempt to remember that the title of Darwin’s book was On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (yes, I had to look this up), go to

            www.news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9696000/9696135.stm

p.p.s.   The first book in the New Testament is The Gospel According to Matthew (and I did not have to look this up, but you already knew the answer, didn’t you?…)

Posted in Uncategorised | Print | No Comments »