The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life just released the second installment of the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey.
This is my third installment as it relates to Arizona residents and their faith beliefs.
This particular question, from the Pew Survey, asked Arizona respondents regarding their religion being the "one true faith".
Here is how the question was worded:
Question wording: [IF RESPONDENT HAS A RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION, ASK:] Now, as I read a pair of statements, tell me whether the FIRST statement or the SECOND statement comes closer to your own views even if neither is exactly right. First/next: My religion is the one, true faith leading to eternal life, OR: many religions can lead to eternal life.
Here is how 452 residents of Arizona responded:
- Their religion is the one, true faith leading to eternal life.
- Arizona - 28%
- National - 24%
- Many religions can lead to eternal life.
- Arizona - 64%
- National - 70%
- Neither/both equally
- Arizona - 3%
- National - 3%
- Don't know/refused
- Arizona - 4%
- National - 4%
I suppose this small sampling might raise a question, but as we can see, it is not far from the national responses. Post-modern America and Post-modern Arizonans, as a rule, do not believe that there is one true faith that leads to heaven.
This question was obviously a challenge to 18th century America as well. I am about to start a group blogger reading of the Christian Classic "A Treatise concerning Religious Affections". Here is Jonathan Edwards in the very first paragraph of his famous text:
Perhaps there is...nothing new under the sun."There is no question whatsoever, that is of greater importance to mankind, and what is more concerns every individual person to be well resolved in, than this: What are the distinguishing qualifications of those that are in favor with God, and entitled to his eternal rewards? Or, which comes to the same thing, What is the nature of true religion? And wherein do lie the distinguishing notes of that virtue and holiness that is acceptable in the sight of God? But though it be of such importance, and though we have clear and abundant light in the word of God to direct us in this matter, yet there is no one point, wherein professing Christians do more differ one from another. It would be endless to reckon up the variety of opinions in this point, that divide the Christian world; making manifest the truth of that declaration of our Savior, "Strait is the gate and narrow is the way, that leads to life, and few there be that find it."