Americans strongly equate religion with personal ethics and behavior, considering it an antidote to the moral decline they perceive in our nation today," reports a recent study. Public Agenda's pollsters found that Americans say that social evils like crime, greed, uncaring parents and materialism "would be mitigated if people were more religious."
Most Americans say it doesn't matter which religion is involved.
Many respondents would like political figures to be more religious, but 58% say it is wrong to vote according to church affiliation. Jewish and non religious Americans strongly rejected mixing religion and politics. Eighty percent of Jews said they still had to face anti-Semitism. Two-thirds of evangelical Christians said say there's "a lot of prejudice" against them.
The study, "For Goodness' Sake," was sponsored by The Pew Charitable Trusts intending to better understand what Americans think about religion, its role in government and how it intersects with public life.
Most Americans want the benefits of religion without any religious obligations or commitment. The good news is that they know that government, schools and families are worse off because religion has been marginalized or abandoned. America is waking up to the fact that something is missing but still isn't sure what it is.
If you are a Christian health professional, you have a great opportunity to point people to the answer that can meet their desire for meaning and peace. As you practice today, I challenge you to raise faith flags, tell faith stories and point people to Christ. Don't just treat the symptoms of your patient's unregenerate heart condition. Like the Great Physician, offer healing for the real pathology.