A new study of unchurched U.S. residents conducted by LifeWay Research reveals a majority of Americans are turned off by the institutional church and don’t have a biblical understanding about God and
Jesus. Yet the same group tends to believe Jesus makes a positive difference in a person’s life and would enjoy an honest discussion with a friend about spiritual matters. The results of the study, which polled 1,402 adults who had not attended a religious service at a church, synagogue or mosque in the previous six months, have important implications for Christian churches and individuals who want to reach unchurched people with the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ, said Ed Stetzer, LifeWay’s research director. “A full 72 percent of the people interviewed said they think the church ‘is full of hypocrites,’” Stetzer said. “At the same time, 71 percent of the respondents said they believe Jesus ‘makes a positive difference in a person’s life,’ and 78 percent said they would be ‘willing to listen’ to someone who wanted to share what they believed about Christianity.” Non-churchgoers “lean to a generic god that fits into every imaginable religious system, even when (systems) contradict one another,” he added.
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