Ligonier State of Theology Reveals 84% of Christians Are Heretics
The 2022 State of Theology from Ligonier Ministries was recently released, and like years prior, it reveals that all is not well in Christendom. I’ll admit from the onset that I typically have a bone of contention with statistical analyses simply because the way some questions can be framed are not always particularly helpful. However, I will also say I don’t find any of these questions from Ligonier inherently problematic in their framing. They are about as clear and direct as one can get, and the results are alarming, to say the least.
God is a perfect being and cannot make a mistake: 51% strongly agree
There is one true God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: 54% strongly agree
God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam: 16% strongly disagree
God learns and adapts to different circumstances: 23% strongly disagree
Biblical accounts of the physical (bodily) resurrection of Jesus are completely accurate. This event actually occurred: 47% strongly agree
Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God: 24% strongly disagree
Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God: 27% strongly disagree
God created male and female: 64% strongly agree
The Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being: 19% strongly disagree
The Holy Spirit gives a spiritual new birth or new life before a person has faith in Jesus Christ: 27% strongly agree
The Holy Spirit can tell me to do something which is forbidden in the Bible: 51% strongly disagree
Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature: 14% strongly disagree
Even the smallest sin deserves eternal damnation: 15% strongly agree
God counts a person as righteous not because of one’s works but only because of one’s faith in Jesus Christ: 34% strongly agree
Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God: 16% strongly disagree
The Bible, like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths but is not literally true: 27% strongly disagree
The Bible is 100% accurate in all that it teaches: 33% strongly agree
Modern science disproves the Bible: 31% strongly disagree
God chose the people he would save before he created the world: 17% strongly agree
Hell is a real place where certain people will be punished forever: 39% strongly agree
There will be a time when Jesus Christ returns to judge all people who have lived: 45% strongly agree
Worshipping alone or with one’s family is a valid replacement for regularly attending church: 10% strongly disagreed
Christians should be silent on issues of politics: 40% strongly disagree
Every Christian has an obligation to join a local church: 18% strongly agree
Sex outside of traditional marriage is a sin: 33% strongly agree
Abortion is a sin: 34% strongly agree
Gender identity is a matter of choice: 38% strongly disagree
The Bible’s condemnation of homosexual behavior doesn’t apply today: 30% strongly disagree
God is unconcerned with my day-to-day decisions: 40% strongly disagree
The Bible has the authority to tell us what we must do: 39% strongly agree
Religious belief is a matter of personal opinion; it is not about objective truth: 19% strongly disagree
The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe: 38% strongly agree
It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior: 32% strongly agree
Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin: 42% strongly agree
Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation: 37% strongly agree
On an even sadder note, I simply posted the results of one of these issues (see number 15) and made the comment that if consistent with this statistic, most in the church embrace a form of Semi-Pelagianism, at best. Many came out of the woodwork to defend that mankind is indeed born innocent in the eyes of God.
The error of Semi-Pelagianism, taken at a 10,000 ft. view, simply asserts that mankind is able to cooperate with God in the salvific process. Even notable Arminian theologian Roger Olson argues that many (and I do mean many) self-dubbed Arminians are actually Semi-Pelagian in their belief and practice. What I found in this brief social experiment in posting this survey result to our social media audience was in fact decidedly Pelagian theology, in that many simply rejected the doctrine of original sin out-of-hand, and thusly, it is only when one chooses to sin, that they become a sinner. This is damnable doctrine.
Let me be quite clear: virtually every strain of theological thought expresses some notion of original sin. Many are reduced to Semi-Pelagianism (e.g., Roman Catholic teaching), but they nonetheless seek to deal with the reality that in some way, shape, or form, Adam’s sin was imputed to all mankind, and there must be something done about this, for all are held guilty as a result of Adam’s disobedience. Most will likewise affirm that this original sin of Adam bore consequences to not only all of humanity, but all of created order as well. Furthermore, these consequences, as argued by most streams of Christendom, must be rectified through the shed blood of Christ.
How all of these streams of Christendom define their terms, methods, and outcomes all differ quite radically—but they nonetheless find near unanimous agreement that original sin is, in fact, very real, and holds damning consequences. The theological traditions that typically reject original sin would be those who imbibe Pelagianism in full, Unitarian Universalism, Neo-Liberalism, and some form of Liberation Theology (the modern Social Justice Gospel included). My point is quite simple: it has been the divergent position of historic Christianity, and it is especially at odds with the Scripture’s own teaching.
The reality, of course, is that Scripture teaches to the contrary to this, as has the historic church since its founding. Romans 5:12 speaks to this perhaps most clearly by saying, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
The broader context of this passage deals with the reality of imputed guilt through Adam, our Federal Head, and imputed righteousness through Christ. The point of it simply being that what Adam did in his sin in the Garden of Eden was bring the curse upon all of mankind. Mankind is not neutral. In fact, even from the womb, mankind’s sinful nature is present (Ps. 51:5) and the only means of escape from this plight is through the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross (Rom. 5:15-21).
Taken alone, the result of individual beliefs on the condition of man and sin would be damning enough, but as you can see above, the implications of this survey bleed over into multiple other areas. The savvy reader will see a number of heresies condemned throughout the history of the church, including, but not limited to: Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism, Open Theism, Scientism, Universalism, Syncretism, Works-Based Righteousness, a two-tiered worldview[1] (a la Nancy Pearcey and Francis Schaeffer), and more.
What we are dealing with, in many ways, is a fundamental rejection of Scripture’s teaching and authority, and the ultimate result of such positions is what is quite literally construed as heretical teaching. In other words, these are doctrines one cannot maintain and remain a Christian.
This is perhaps where I will offer a brief word of clarity: not all who hold such positions do so out of intentionality. Some may hold such doctrines as a result of ignorance—yet upon proper instruction and careful reflection of the Scriptures, can be led away from unsound teaching to sound teaching. There is still need for great concern, but in this concern, there is much need for great patience and careful instruction from those who can instruct them in a “better way.” My point in this simply being that there is room for the people of God to come alongside such people and help, rather than haplessly consign all who hold such positions in ignorance to eternal hellfire.
The greater concern, and thus the greater need, is for unequivocal denunciation and repudiation of such doctrines, lest they do inevitably go to hell as a result of rejecting those core doctrines of Christianity which are necessary to believe in order for one to be saved. But upon clear instruction, admonition, and even rebuke, if need be, the plain demand from Scripture is that we call people to believe sound doctrine. In other words, they may embrace a form of Trinitarian heresy and become an “accidental heretic,” but they cannot remain a willful one and anticipate they will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Many of the questions asked in this survey reveal just the need for clearer exposition of the Scriptures from those who teach and preach. They likewise reflect the need for laymen and laywomen to be careful students of the Scriptures, so that they do not find themselves in a position where they do, in fact, reject the faith. Many other questions in this survey, however, do not reflect such a need. What they reflect instead, is a heart that is unwilling to submit to the Scripture’s teachings.
There are core doctrines one must believe and the simple reality as to why is that God has given us what these doctrines are in His Word. Many of the ones listed in this survey are just that—they are essential doctrines to the Christian faith. We don’t have the liberty to reject what we will about Scripture and invent our own way. And yet, this is precisely what so many in our day and age desire to do—and this is particularly why this survey is so alarming. What this survey is a reflection of, as it stands, is an altogether different religion than the historic, Christian faith. When all is said and done on the matter, it paints a very vivid picture of the state of theology in the modern church. Most who profess faith in Christ are actually heretics.
So where do we go from here? If anything, my hope is that this will spur a greater desire for faithful men and women to rise up in the church and impart the rich legacy of the church. In essence, the solution is quite simple: we must return to being a people “of the book.” We must be faithful to teach the full council of God in His Word and impart that to others who will likewise do much the same. We must teach our children what the Scriptures say, and that ultimately, the Scriptures hold the final authority for all who would profess to hope in Christ. In other words, it starts with a strong foundation in the Scriptures, it continues with that firm foundation of His Word, and it ends with sure footing upon that same foundation.
There is really no other recourse for the church. We are either a people who heed the voice of our Shepherd in all of Scripture, or we are a people who heed the voice of one who would lead us astray. The inch-deep-mile-wide approach to the Christian faith must die a quick and merciless death—and the best way we can do so is to begin the work of another Reformation in our day, where we lift up sound, expositional teaching and preaching in accord with the historic faith. Virtually every major doctrine of the Christian faith is under assault. We need not reinvent the wheel though; we must simply return to those ancient truths and contend for the faith, which was handed down to us once and for all.
[1] The two-tiered worldview is most simply defined as a compartmentalization of the faith and one’s own life. In the top tier, the professing Christian has all other facets of life (e.g., work, social life, finances, ethics, gender, etc.), whereas in the bottom, it would simply be “religious life.” The two worlds never intersect, indicating there is no meaningful way the Christian faith ever holds authority over the whole of life.