Casual Christianity

The title is “Casual Christianity and the Future of America”. The source is the Barna Group Ltd., an organization that tracks the religious side of the American culture.

This time Barna’s research centered around what he calls the ‘7 Tribes’ that represent the overall spiritual views, values and practices of the nation. The findings of the survey stemmed from more than 30,000 randomly selected adults.

The report found that the largest group in America was what they termed the ‘Casual Christian Tribe’. This segment actually comprises a full 2/3 of the population. That was followed by the ‘Captive Christian Tribe’ that numbered some 16%. Mormons, Jews, Pantheists, Muslims and finally Skeptics made up all the other groups.

When George Barna was asked what drove the largest ‘Casual Christian’ group he stated, “The comfort that this approach provides. It offers them life insights if they choose to accept them, gives them a community of relationships if they desire such, fulfills their inner need to have some type of connection with a deity, and provides the image of being a decent, faith-friendly person. Because Casuals do not view matters of faith as central to one’s purpose or success in life, this brand of Christianity supplies the multi-faceted levels of satisfaction and assurance that they desire.” He also said of this segment, “Casual Christians are defined by the desire to please God, family, and other people while extracting as much enjoyment and comfort from the world as possible."

Barna further defined Casuals as “Faith in moderation. It allows them to feel religious without having to prioritize their faith. Christianity is a low-risk, predictable proposition for this tribe, providing a faith perspective that is not demanding. A Casual Christian can be all the things that they esteem: a nice human being, a family person, religious, an exemplary citizen, a reliable employee – and never have to publicly defend or represent difficult moral or social positions or even lose much sleep over their private choices as long as they mean well and generally do their best. From their perspective, their brand of faith practice is genuine, realistic and practical. To them, Casual Christianity is the best of all worlds; it encourages them to be a better person than if they had been irreligious, yet it is not a faith into which they feel compelled to heavily invest themselves. This particular tribe is comprised of significant proportions of minimally active born again Christians and moderately active but theologically nominal Christians.”

In second place came the “Captive Christian Tribe”. These were defined as “Captives are focused on upholding the absolute moral and spiritual truths they glean from the Bible. The lives of Captive Christians are defined by their faith; their worldview is built around their core spiritual beliefs and resultant values.

Barna then described the major difference between the two groups that make up 80% of the adult population. He said that Casuals embrace the main tenets of the faith, but then added, “There are also difficulties raised when people do not stand for anything or cannot identify the truths that are worth championing.

From a spiritual vantage point, that is especially important if moral and spiritual truths are all considered to be relative. Casual Christianity, because of its moral receptivity and pliability, generally eliminates spiritual backbone from moral discussions. This particular tribe is comprised of significant proportions of minimally active born again Christians and moderately active but theologically nominal Christians.” The report added, “Captive Christians consider Casuals to not be genuine followers of Christ.”

It is difficult to know the true inner hearts and motives of anyone claiming to be a Christian believer although outer actions and activities might provide certain clues. The ability to know for sure is God’s alone. He knows each heart intimately and will judge each accordingly.

With that said, Scripture would seem to side more with those who take the faith more seriously and who put their own needs and wants as secondary. Jesus in Matthew 6:33 declared, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

The classic examples of doing this without compromise is revealed In Hebrew chapter eleven. This famous passage, sometimes called ‘God’s Hall of Faith’ describes early believers who took their faith so seriously as to suffer unthinkable abuse rather than cave in or live out their faith half-heartedly. Verses 35-37 show the amazing extent of their convictions. Some achieved great things for God and then there were the ‘others’. “Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented.”

Persecution on this level does not occur unless one’s faith is an outward priority.

The verse 38 then says of these ‘Captive-like Christians’, “Of whom the world was not worthy”. And verse 30 states, “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith.” And in verses13-16 of the chapter the writer adds, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” I wonder which kind of Christians today would represent God best and enjoy His approval as did these?

There may be certain things in life where being casual is adequate and sometimes preferable. But a casual attitude toward God is not among them! The Holy Spirit, through the writer’s pen, reveals what ‘must’ be done and to what level it ‘must’ be done to fully please God and be fully blessed by Him. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)

Only a truly diligent faith will be an effective and driving faith!

Bill Breckenridge