Some Stats comparing Christian behavior with Non-Christian behavior
By Dan Barker [of Freedom From Religion Foundation]:
> >--------------
> >This comes up sometimes in debates: morally and practically, are
> >Christians better off than non-Christians?
> >
> >I just read George Barna's book, The Second Coming Of The Church (Word
> >Publishing, 1998). Barna is a born-again Christian, sociologist, founder
> >and president of Barna Research Group, which releases many meaningful
> >survey results.
> >
> >Although 90% of Barna's book is just a sermon to Christian ministers on
> >how the church should regain its lost status, he does report some frank
> >statistics showing how the present church has "failed" in its mission.
> >The numbers are based on his own studies, and other national studies.
> >
> >On page 6 he gives a table: "Examples of the Similarity of Behavior
> >Between Christians and Non-Christians." The 25 items on this list
> >include:
> >
> >"Have been divorced (among those who have been married)"
> > Born Again Christians - 27%; Non-Christians - 23%
> >
> >"Gave money to a homeless person or poor person, in past year"
> > Born Again Christians - 24%; Non-Christians - 34%
> >
> >"Took drugs or medication prescribed for depression, in past year"
> > Born Again Christians - 7%; Non-Christians - 8%
> >
> >"Watched an X-rated movie in the past 3 months"
> > Born Again Christians - 9%; Non-Christians - 16%
> >
> >"Read all or part of a book for pleasure, in the past week"
> > Born Again Christians - 50%; Non-Christians - 57%
> >
> >"Donated any money to a nonprofit organization, in past month"
> > Born Again Christians - 47%; Non-Christians - 48%
> >
> >"Bought a lottery ticket, in the past week"
> > Born Again Christians - 23%; Non-Christians - 27%
> >
> >"Attended a community meeting on local issue, in past year"
> > Born Again Christians - 37%; Non-Christians - 42%
> >
> >And so on . . .
> >
> >On page 121, he gives another table, "Examples of the Similarity of
> >Attitudes Between Christians and non-Christians"
> >
> >"Feel completely or very successful in life"
> > Born Again Christians - 58%; Non-Christians - 49%
> >
> >"It is impossible to get ahead because of your financial debt"
> > Born Again Christians - 33%; Non-Christians - 39%
> >
> >"You are still trying to figure out the purpose of your life"
> > Born Again Christians - 36%; Non-Christians - 47%
> >
> >"Satisfied with your life these days"
> > Born Again Christians - 69%; Non-Christians - 68%
> >
> >"Your personal financial situation is getting better"
> > Born Again Christians - 27%; Non-Christians - 28%
> >
> >Barna concludes: "We think and behave no differently from anyone else."
> >[p. 7]
> >
> >He also sheds some light on the definition of "God" that most Americans
> >claim to believe in:
> >
> >"Since more than nine out of ten Americans own at least one Bible, and
> >86 percent call themselves Christian, you might expect people to pay
> >homage to the deity described and followed by the Christian Church. In
> >July 1997, we asked a nationwide sample of 1,012 adults to describe the
> >God they believe in. Two out of three adults (67 percent) said they
> >believe that God is the all-knowing, all-powerful Creator of the
> >universe who rules the world today. The remaining one-third described
> >their god as 'the total realization of personal, human potential'; or 'a
> >state of higher consciousness that a person may reach'; or said,
> >'Everyone is God'; 'There are many gods, each with different power and
> >authority'; or 'There is no such thing as God.' The remaining 5 percent
> >said they did not know." [Page 25-26]
> >
> >So, according to Barna, one American out of three does not really
> >believe in "God" at all.
> >
> >Dan Barker