this is distressing to say the least. but it definitely explains the lack of understanding by the laity of even the most basic tenets of faith. it seriously makes me wonder what the future of mainline christianity is. i don’t worry for the true church as it will always remain; even as the smallest of remnants, the church will be militant until the return of christ. but, wow. no wonder when i speak the truth of god and his word in apologies i get blank stares.

The concern you raise is valid and indeed distressing. I would raise a related concern that many Christians are convinced that the goal of salvation is heaven, as your post title might seem to indicate. We should do better than this. God’s promise in Christ to us is bodily resurrection and bodily eternal life with God on the new earth. Christ himself speaks not of going to heaven but of “this age and the next.” The Revelation of St. John speaks of this resurrected life on earth in no uncertain terms. As we continue to allow heaven to be the end of Christian hope, we become functional Gnostics and allow the resurrection to be relegated to the status of a nice sentiment–a tack-on idea. Let’s talk “resurrection,” not merely “heaven.”

@Jason Dart
Jason,
It’s true that we need to talk more about the resurrection of the body being our real hope and goal of faith in Jesus Christ. But still, the “intermediate state,” that is, being in Paradise with Jesus together with all the souls of the blessed dead who have died in faith is *part* of our hope. Paul says, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better,” and again: “We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (Php. 1:18; 2 Cor. 5:8; see also Rev. 14:13). Unless Christ returns before you or I die, going through that intermediate state is the route we will take to our final hope of resurrection. We shouldn’t make that state all that we hope for, true, but we certainly shouldn’t disparage it either and call it “merely heaven.” And getting back to the topic of the post, if one doesn’t believe in Christ, then that person will experience neither heaven nor the resurrection to life. (He or she will be resurrected, of course, but to eternal damnation, not to blessedness and glory with Christ.)

We agree. “Merely” was admittedly a poor word choice. Heaven as the be all end all of salvation is simply not biblical. And, to the original post, yes, it’s tragic that any Christian clergy would not have faith in Christ for salvation. I’m sure these numbers get worse as answers from Europe are included.

There are several questions on this survey that are very similar to the survey distributed to, among others, LCMS clergy last February by the Henry Institute. A lot more of the questions on the Public Religion survey focused on GLBT agenda, but things like how often you write letters to the editor, which candidate you voted for in the election, etc., were phrased almost identically.

Any word on when that survey of more conservative church bodies will be coming out?

Jason, Sadly you’re quite right. In the church of England it is thought that it is only perhaps 60-70% of the clergy who even believe God exists. I must admit, I had always imagined such when I’d heard talk about the American mainline.

Also, best of luck finding Confessional Lutherans over here…

It is incredible to me the work that the Devil has done to destroy our seminaries over the course of the last 150 years. Causing men in our seminaries (and men choosing to be manipulated)to loosen their hold of God’s precious Word is partly responsible for our current situation. The older I get and the more I see my fellow workers struggle because they have no moorings for life now or eternal hope makes my thankfulness for God’s grip on me, my wholehearted return squeeze on my Bible, and my thankfulness for my church and God’s under-shepherd for her preeminent in my life.