According to Gallup and the Coexist Foundation Americans are more likely than Europeans to be classified as "integrated," meaning that respondents seek to know more about and learn from other religions. The integrated believe that most faiths make a valuable cultural contribution, respect differing perspectives and feel that they are respected themselves.
According to the study 33% of Americans are integrated, with only 20% of British, and 13% of German participants fall into the this category. It also reveals that 35% of British and 38% German respondents are considered "isolated." Those considered isolated tend to not be associated with a particular faith group and are not interested in learning about other religions. Only 15% of Americans are "isolated." In between these groups are the "Tolerant" who have a live-and-let-live attitude toward people of other faiths, and believe in mutual respect. This group makes up the biggest percentage for all groups surveyed.
There is much more to the study that is worth discussing (so go and check it out here), but do the numbers surprise you? What does this mean for the church? What challenges and/or opportunities does this reality create for us in America?
Posted on May 7, 2009 at 8:25 PM ~ 2 Comments
Tagged with: church, culture, dialog, openness, tolerance
Subscribe via RSS or Follow us on Twitter
Share This Post
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." - So saith Mark Twain
It is my sincere and honest belief that tolerance merely demonstrates a myth in today's culture. One can best understand this hypothesis placed in context with the "7 Faith Tribes" which Barna identified in recent research. These "7 Faith Tribes" hold strong and varying worldviews. These belief systems largely divide these Tribes by their individual core values.
Furthermore, these Tribes do not even represent other samples of the U.S. population whose belief systems, or lack thereof,identify vast chasms, even in comparison to the "7 Faith Tribes."
Therefore, I presuppose that as long as differing belief systems exist, no matter what the differentials, tolerance remains only a myth.
BTW - Congrats on losing 110 lbs! That's outstanding! Since September 2005, I too, have lost and maintained 110 lbs.
Keep up you great work and self-discipline!