19-Most-Americans-do-not-know-or-act-their-Faith    (TO READ IN BOOK FORMAT, OR TO PRINT THIS ARTICLE)

“Most Americans who say they are Christians don’t know the basic teachings of the faith and don’t act significantly different than non-Christians in their daily lives, according pollster George Gallup.

“The researcher, an Episcopalian layman, discussed the gap between what professing Christians say they believe and what they practice in an address at an urban ministries conference in Newark, N.J., sponsored by the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board.

“’I doubt if more than 5 to 10 per cent of Christians are prepared to defend their faith’, Gallup said.  ‘Many don’t know what it means to be a Christian’.

“According to Gallup, ‘the Sunday school and religious education system in this country is not working.  There are wonderful exceptions, but by and large, while we worry about secular education we really ought to worry about religious education, which is more important’.

“The pollster said the ignorance of Christian beliefs among professing Christians is ‘a very frightening situation, because not being grounded in one’s faith, we’re open for anything that comes along’” (from the Religious News Service, 10 May, 1991).