Disengaging from the Bible

Research released recently by Barna indicates that approximately one-half of American adults (48%) are “Bible disengaged.”  I.e. such people interact with the Bible infrequently, if at all.  It has minimal impact upon their lives.   Furthermore, more than one-third (35%) never use the Bible in 2019.  On the other end of the spectrum, only 5% (down from 9% last year) are “Bible centered,” meaning they frequently interact with the Bible so that its truth concretely shapes their relationships and choices.

These numbers are more than merely academic.  The lifestyles of many reflect the real consequences of ignoring the revelation of their Creator.  The breakdown of families, the scourge of drug addition, the proliferation of pornography, the plague of gender-dysphoria, and the unending violence are all the fruit of a society that has turned its back upon God. 

It is easy to complain about the nature of the politicians that represent us locally and nationally.   The lack of character and the absence of wisdom and integrity are endemic among the political class.  Many espouse certain perspectives on the campaign trail that seem to evaporate when established in office.  But the reality is that the paucity of honor and moral strength among our politicians is ultimately merely a reflection of the populace that elected them.

Consider from where we have fallen.  American statesman Daniel Webster (1850-1852) captured the essence of the Pilgrims’ worldview: “Finally, let us not forget the religious character of our origin. Our fathers were brought hither by their high veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by its light, and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate its principles with the elements of their society, and to diffuse its influence through all their institutions, civil, political, or literary. Let us cherish these sentiments, and extend this influence still more widely; in the full conviction, that that is the happiest society which partakes in the highest degree of the mild and peaceful spirit of Christianity.”

If there is hope for America it will be found in emulating the spirit of our Pilgrim forefathers.  In our homes, our schools, our governments, and our churches, we must recapture a love for the Word of God and make it the supreme arbiter of moral and spiritual truth.   

Unless the core values of our nation change, we will continue on the fast track to societal and national disintegration.  As Christians, we must pursue the truth of God’s Word as our greatest passion in life.  And that truth will govern how we spend our time, how we vote, how we train our children, how we worship, and what our expectations are of the future.