Authors Note: Our two-year research project involved asking unchurched men and women numerous questions. One primary issue we sought to discern was the level of receptivity to the gospel of these we interviewed.
We classified their receptivity on a scale from one to five. U1, or unchurched 1, represented the most receptive group to the gospel. U5, or unchurched 5, were the least receptive. In this article we highlight our research with the U4s.
Joseph G. has lived in Indiana most of his life. The thirty-something man has vague memories of attending a Catholic church as a child. He does not attend church at all today though he did say “I go occasionally for special services.”
He describes his own attitude toward the church as “neutral.”
Our researcher, Deborah White, did not feel that Joseph accurately described himself. “While he said he was neutral, I believe he was more resistant, a U4,” Deborah said. “Though he was very pleasant to speak with and made it clear that he would do the interview and answer the questions, he wasn’t at all interested in hearing any views of Christianity.”
Joseph provided some interesting insights about his views on religion in America. “Religion plays a lesser role in society today,” he told us. “My parents were brought up with no choice but to go to church.”
But he seems thankful that his parents did not treat him the same way.
“For me there was no pressure to go to church as a child,” he said. “They never made it a demand on my life. I’m more open minded today because of their attitude.”
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Like many U4s, Joseph could not be described as either an atheist or agnostic. Indeed, he told us that he prayed to God “a few times a week.” But when we asked him to describe the God to whom he prayed, Joseph gave us the typical, nebulous U4 response.
“To me, God is not man or woman,” he said. “I try to keep his description vague, no specific details. He is just a supreme being.”
If Joseph was uncertain about whom God is, he really squirmed when we asked what he believed about Jesus Christ.
“Look, I’ve been around a lot of religions. No person should tell another one what religion they should belong to. I don’t like being told my way or someone else’s way is wrong. But other people have done that to me and it bugs me.”—Joseph G., Indiana
“Whew, that’s a tough one,” he said. “He was helpful, the Son of God, I could go on for hours, but that’s a tough one. He was wise and helped a lot of people, and he was a prophet who could see clearly.”
A common issue among many of the U4s was some negative event related to Christians and/or the church.
“My father remarried at a Baptist church and there were a lot of rules there that mentioned how you should act when you come in contact with other Christians,” Joseph said. “Look, I’ve been around a lot of religions. No person should tell another one what religion they should belong to. I don’t like being told my way or someone else’s way is wrong. But other people have done that to me and it bugs me.”
Also common to many U4s was a deep misunderstanding on the way of salvation. Listen to Joseph’s words when we asked him what it takes to become a Christian.
“Have faith,” he started well. “Have a willingness to read the Bible I guess, study the Scriptures, and live life accordingly.”
A common response to this question among the U4s was to resort to a works salvation. Joseph indicated that he probably would not go to church if invited.
“I guess the only way I would go would be if Mom asked me to go with her somewhere.” Unlike the antagonistic U5s, the U4s seem to be careful not to offend the Christian interviewer. Even though he was largely resistant to any attempts to share Christ with him, Joseph assured us that he might change his mind at some point.
“My views have changed over the years and continue to change when necessary,” he told us. Of course, his malleability did not offer us much encouragement.
“Some of my worst experiences have been with ex-girlfriends who were religious. One once gave me an ultimatum: Go to church or get lost. I couldn’t believe that.”—Erik G., Washington
Who Is God?
Our interviewers were in the early stages of this research when they realized that any discussion of God by a U4 needed clear definitions.
While very few of the U4s were atheists who did not believe in God or agnostics who doubted the existence of God, the views of those who held to some type of theistic view were strange to say the least.
Researcher Bland Mason interviewed Barrie B. of Kentucky. For Barrie God is “something greater than yourself. All religions worship and believe in the same God. Whether you are Mormon, Muslim, or Christian, you believe in the same God.”
Indeed Barrie’s perspective was common among U4s. Most of them have a view that is commonly known as pluralism, which advocates the equality of beliefs of many religions.
Erik G. of Washington state is but another example of this pluralistic perspective. White interviewed this 21-year-old man who is already rising rapidly in the communications industry. Erik’s mother is Catholic and his father is Protestant, although he has no idea of his father’s specific church identity. He is also dating a Catholic young lady who “insists that I come to church, but she doesn’t pressure me.”
Unfortunately Erik has some negative experiences with church and former girlfriends.
“Some of my worst experiences have been with ex-girlfriends who were religious,” he told us. “One once gave me an ultimatum: Go to church or get lost. I couldn’t believe that. She condemned me for not attending church services.”
Erik may have written off churches for now, but he still has a belief in the existence of God. He has attended a church service only twice in his life. One of those services was on September 12, 2001 at St. Patrick’s in New York City, where he “really sensed the presence of God.”
But just who is God to Erik? The St. Patrick’s service put it in perspective for him.
“The service really moved me because it wasn’t a denominational thing,” he said. “They all pulled together and just believed in good things, not a particular God.”
But again God had no clear identity. He certainly was not the God who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. For the U4s who believe in the existence of God, ambiguity is the best description for God among this group.
The large minority of U4s who do not believe in the existence of God are hardly the hard-core resisters found among the U5s. Indeed the atheistic and agnostic U4s almost sound like the theistic U4s. They leave room for the possibility that they are wrong; they just do not want to limit God to some clear definition, particularly the Christian understanding of God.
If there is confusion over the identity of God among the U4s, the identity of Christ really presents a challenge to this unchurched group.
On the one hand, there is a reticence to see Jesus as the unique Son of God. On the other hand, the U4s do not want to assign Christ anything less than an important role in history. Some of the attempts to do so proved to be awkward and sometimes humorous.
For example, Brandon G. from Vermont tried to see Jesus as a very important historical figure while the U4 held to his atheistic belief.
“He definitely was a historical person, but he was not resurrected,” Brandon mused. “He was an incredible role model, a symbol of how human beings are to treat each other. Jesus showed us the great capacity of the human being to do good.”
“If I could go back in time in a time machine, I know exactly where I would go. I would love to talk to Jesus more than anyone else in history.”—Stuart B., Indiana
So Who is Jesus?
The U4s typically refused to see or did not realize the inconsistency of their statements. They desire for Jesus to be a great teacher and role model, but refuse to see him as the Son of God. But Jesus himself claimed deity and insisted that he was the only way of salvation (John 14:6). The U4s either must deny the historical accuracy of some of Jesus’ claims, or they have to conclude that he was a liar. They seem willing to do neither.
Stuart B. of Indiana, when interviewed by Rusty Russell of our research team, said his religious background includes Church of Christ, Buddhism, and agnosticism. Throughout his religious and non-religious phases, he has held tremendous respect for Jesus.
“If I could go back in time in a time machine, I know exactly where I would go,” he said excitedly. “I would love to talk to Jesus more than anyone else in history.”
Stuart continued with an effusive description of Jesus:
“I believe he was a remarkable healer, both physical and spiritual. I believe he had great clarity of thought and the ability to communicate truth. I have great respect of Jesus.”
His was a fairly lofty perspective for someone who is resistant to the gospel.
“We are basically spiritual by nature; all the church rules prevent us from finding true spirituality.”—Julie P. Colorado
Julie P. of Colorado provides another example of a person who is resistant to the gospel but positive about the person of Jesus Christ.
Julie grew up with a nominal United Methodist background. She will attend a church service for a special occasion such as Christmas or Easter. But her overall perspective of the church is that it ahs too many rules.
“We are basically spiritual by nature; all the church rules prevent us from finding true spirituality,” Julie said.
Julie’s thoughts about spiritual matters seem to be some strange mix of New Age and Eastern religions. Her prayer is constant, she says, because “I am in touch with a higher power through meditation.” To get to heaven we must “live in tune with self and our spiritual oneness.”
When researcher Jon Beck asked Julie about her spiritual journey, she responded that her goal is “to live a life that is kind to all beings and the world; to live a live a life in harmony with all beings, earth spirit, animals, and people.”
Despite her off-the-wall responses, Julie affirmed the significance of Jesus. “He was a great person that lived in biblical times. He was a good man, a spiritual leader. He played a great spiritual role in history.”
Watch What You Say
There seems to be a great deal of caution among the U4s when they speak about Jesus. These unchurched persons are very careful, even to the point of political correctness, in choosing their words about Jesus. And it is not easy to discern their motives for their fear of offending. That same group had no hesitation in telling us what was wrong with Christians, the narrow-minded beliefs we hold, and the churches we attend.
Though further study is needed, it appears that one of the few open doors for discussion with the U4s is a conversation about Jesus. The mere mention of his name elicits a pause and can often move a conversation from resistant to pleasant.
The U4s as a rule have little patience for Christians today and the established church. But in an ironic twist, they have tremendous respect for Jesus. The possibility for open dialogue is high unless the Christian decides to talk about one key issue regarding Christ: the truth that he is the only way of salvation.
No single issue makes the blood of a U4 boil more than that of exclusivity. The doctrine of exclusivity states that that belief in Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. The words of Jesus himself in John 14:6 are cited to affirm that the Savior is the only “way, truth, and life,” and that “no one can come to the Father” except through Jesus.
Our researchers rarely mentioned this foundational truth of the Christian faith, because the U4s were likely to raise the issue themselves.
For example, in our earlier conversation with Julie P. of Colorado, she was quick to point out that her biggest turnoff by Christians is “when they try to tell me Jesus is the only way.”
Exclusivity was seen as intolerant, narrow-minded, and bigoted by many U4s. These unchurched men and women could not fathom a rational person holding to a belief in such a narrow way of salvation. Researcher Todd Randolph interviewed Ken T. of North Carolina. Ken viewed the belief that Jesus is the only way to be the classic example of “when religion overrides common sense.”
Simply Intolerable
The tolerance movement in America has made a huge impact, and nowhere is the impact more evident than in this issue. More often than not, we did not merely hear mild objections to exclusivity; we heard emotional tirades from the U4s.
“Christians would do a lot better in this world if you did not have the arrogance and stupidity to act like you’ve got all the answers. I don’t know anyone else that makes arrogant claims like you people.”—Jackie F., Idaho
Words do not do justice to the outbursts we often heard. The reader cannot see the red faces and looks of indignation.
“Christians would do a lot better in this world if you did not have the arrogance and stupidity to act like you’ve got all the answers. I don’t know anyone else that makes arrogant claims like you people,” screamed Jackie F. of Idaho.
Perhaps you can sense a bit of the emotion in Jackie’s words. If you had been present during her outburst, however, you would have seen an anger and indignation that is difficult to describe with the written word. The U4s are simply furious that basic Christian doctrine holds to a single way of salvation.
How then do you the Christian respond? I fear that a few may take this description of the U4s and become totally reticent to share Christ as the only way of salvation. We cannot compromise the essence of the gospel. The world may reject the message we have to share, but we cannot fail to share it.
The response of the U4s to the exclusivity of salvation through Christ is a caution for wisdom, not an admonition for silence. We did these interviews so that we could learn something about the mindset of the unchurched world. You should not, therefore, be caught off guard by negative responses or even emotional outbursts by U4s. Be wise in your words and timing, but do not remain silent.
Will They Ever Attend Church?
I am not certain how you the reader will respond to this article. Will you see the U4s as resistant and hopeless lot for whom our time and energy expended is just a waste of time? Will you see some of these beliefs of the U4s as so far out that any point of connection seems highly unlikely? Or will you view their spirituality and comments on the Bible and prayer as a potential starting point for sharing the gospel?
From our research team’s perspective, the responses of U4s, when asked if they would attend church if invited, are nothing less than amazing. Among them — the second most resistant unchurched group — 62 percent indicated that they were either very likely or somewhat likely to attend church if they were invited.
Our further questions found that most of these unchurched are uncomfortable entering into a church building alone. They would rather you take them to church or meet them there. But the key issue is that the vast majority will come if invited.
Now, the probing question for you and me is: “When is the last time you invited an unchurched person to church?”
We in the churches are searching and agonizing over ways to reach the lost and unchurched world, yet the research indicates that a simple invitation may be the most cutting-edge approach we can employ.
When speaking of those who will enter the kingdom, Jesus spoke in the parable of dinner to “Go out into the highways and along the hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23, NASB).
Though the analogy between the kingdom and the local church is not perfect, the principle is close. We have been mandated by Christ to urge people, to invite people, even to compel people to come to church and to hear the gospel.
What have you done to obey the Savior?
Thom S. Rainer is dean of the Billy Graham School at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. The author of 16 books, he also serves as president of the Rainer Group and Church Central Associates.
Likelihood of Attending Church If Invited | |
| We asked the unchurched we interviewed how likely they were to attend church if invited by a friend or family member. | |
| The U4s are resistant to any presentation of the gospel and to becoming a Christian. | |
| These are their responses: | |
| Very Likely …….. | …. 17% |
| Somewhat Likely | …. 45% |
| Not Likely At All | …. 38% |
Copyright © 2003 by Dr. Thom Rainer. Used by permission. www.ChurchCentral.com
