Why Pew Research Stinks, and Why You Should Gallup Away
Christian and non-Christian research organizations produce a never-ending stream of information on the state of Christianity in America and the world. What did the church do before we had these curious informants? What, if any, difference do their polls, surveys, and interpretations produce for us?
First, the Bible never prescribes the collection of statistical data, nor its analysis. In fact, King David might be employed as a church consultant on this matter. It did not work well for him; thus, we should not assume it will work well for us. Maybe a better, standard, survey question, after a particularly good sermon is, “You do not want to go away also, do you (Jn 6:67)?”
True ministers of the Gospel are exhibited by God, as men condemned to death (1 Cor 4:9). The reason is that God has made them a spectacle, and not just a spectacle, but a foolish spectacle. Why? They are fools for Christ, preaching the foolish message concerning Him. Christianity fails as a popularity contest, and God gets the glory for that!
Bamboozled by statistical data, provided by prophets of programs-for-sale, pastors and elders lose confidence in the Bible, and the prescribed activity for them, found within it. Charlatan gurus come in two distinct flavors: first, there is the prophet of numerical prosperity, who achieved guru status, by his popularity with the public; second, there is the prophet of doom, whose scare tactics keep the fearful sheep coming back for more. Both are masters of statistical employment, using data to produce either fear or greed.
Every generation produces experts, who teach us about the generation in which we live. Adding psychology to their percentages, they also coin their own terms, to describe and categorize the people in view (ie. target audience; target market; etc.). A recent trend, using guru jargon, includes: “Religious nones” (Note: I am not a fan of gurus, but I love punsters!) who are all leaving the church…again, in this generation. These are young people who found nothing in the church and now wander in the wasteland of forgotten-ideas-that-didn’t-work-but-they-don’t-know-that.
The impact on the church, with the loss of the “nones,” is nil, save for some frenzied fear mongers, who have nothing better to do. Statistics are irrelevant to God, in part, because He is sovereign, and He declared, “I will build my church (Mt 16:18).” And the skeptical statisticians will not prevail against it!
God did not reveal the full number of the Gentiles, let alone the Jews, in membership. With hidden things, we have fewer opportunities for turning numbers into self-centered goals, replete with idolatrous man-centered gimmicks, designed to reach the magic number. Thank God He saves us from ourselves!
God has left us with a few basics, requiring zero mathematical calculations. We already mentioned His sovereignty (Ps 115:3; 135:6), and this includes the fact that salvation belongs entirely to the Sovereign One (Ps 3:9; Jon 2:9; Rev 19:1), who is working His sovereign will (Eph 1:11), revealed by His sovereign decree, which is unchanging and eternal. From God’s perspective, it is all a done deal. Can you believe that? If you do, you have entered His rest…from reading another article about what you must do to manipulate people back into the church.
God has chosen a precise number of people to be saved (Jn 10:26; Acts 13:48; Rom 11:5; Eph 1:4–5; 2 Tim 2:19). As noted, He did not reveal the number. Christ died for exactly the people God chose (Mt 1:21), with each of their names known to Him (Rev 13:8; 17:8). The Spirit never fails to find each one of them, no matter the year, no matter the location, no matter the circumstances.
It is not rocket science, nor public polling, that informs us of the perfection of God’s work of salvation. He began the work (Phil 1:6); He is doing the work (Is 26:12; Phil 2:13); and He will bring the work to completion (Phil 1:6). Trying to understand or judge, that which belongs to God, is never wise. God has revealed what we need to know, not in the latest opinion poll, but in His Word, the holy Bible.
We must conclude that research organizations are not preaching the Bible. They are not teaching God’s people the holy Scriptures. At best, they confuse the church, and at worst, they scare the flock of God with irrelevant negativity, “Did you know that this year 3,000 churches will close in the U.S.A.?” Who cares! They were probably synagogues of Satan, anyway! All of this number crunching is a demonic distraction. This is the reason Pew Research stinks and why God’s people should Gallup away from pollsters.
Christian, be not afraid of unwarranted scare tactics, nor illicit lusts, caused by the deviant allure of numbers. Christ calls His church, “little flock.” He has made promises and faithfully kept every one of them already found in fulfillment. His remaining promises are void of worrisome statistics and silly opinions about “Ex-Christians.” There is no such thing as an, “Ex-Christian.” The Bible reader knows that, but apparently four out of five pollsters surveyed agree with the term. It has also been reported that these godless, irrelevant, unbelieving opinions are on the rise. This is what is trending now. Blah! Read your Bible.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
November 14, 2021
