Have you ever wondered what the real spiritual beliefs of the people in your city are? Well, we did, and we decided to find out.
We decided to ride the lightrail trains and go door to door in Rancho Cordova, and just ask people what their spiritual beliefs are. We told them we were starting a new church in Rancho Cordova, and asked for just a few minutes of their time to get their opinion on some vital questions. When we were done with the survey, we thanked the participant, gave them a copy of “The Story” booklet as our gift, and a postcard giving the relevant information for the new church plant. We discovered some very interesting facts about the people that we rub shoulders with on a daily basis.
To date (12/30/2011), we have collected 82 surveys. Here are the results thus far:
| Age: | |
| 16-20 | 15.9% |
| 21-30 | 27.6% |
| 31-40 | 30.5% |
| 41-50 | 17.4% |
| 50+ | 8.6% |
| Gender: | |
| Male | 59.3% |
| Female | 40.7% |
| 1. Do you have any spiritual background? | |
| None | 9.7% |
| Catholic | 17.0% |
| Muslim | 3.6% |
| Jewish | 2.4% |
| Mormon | 3.6% |
| Budhist | 2.4% |
| Christian | 46.3% |
| Hindu | 7.3% |
| Jehovah’s Witness | 1.2% |
| Sikh | 2.4% |
| Other | 3.6% |
| Do you still practice those beliefs? | |
| Yes | 79.3% |
| No | 20.7% |
| 2. Would you currently consider yourself to be: | |
| A monotheist (belief in 1 God) | 79.2% |
| A polytheist (belief in multiple gods) | 6.2% |
| An atheist (belief that there is no god) | 2.4% |
| An agnostic (unsure of your belief) | 12.2% |
| 3. Do you fear death? | |
| Yes | 24.7% |
| No | 64.2% |
| At times | 11.1% |
| 4. Do you believe that sin exists? | |
| Yes | 86.5% |
| No | 7.5% |
| Not sure | 6.0% |
| 5. If so, do you think that you sin? | |
| Yes, I do | 83.1% |
| No, I don’t | 11.7% |
| Not sure | 5.2% |
| 6. Do you believe in an afterlife? | |
| Yes | 78.8% |
| No | 6.2% |
| Not sure | 15.0% |
| 7. If so, do you think that | |
| Everyone will go to heaven | 6.1% |
| Some go to heaven and others go to hell | 53.7% |
| All are reincarnated | 14.9% |
| Not sure | 25.3% |
| 8. If you died today, would you | |
| Go to heaven | 34.1% |
| Go to hell | 6.3% |
| Be reincarnated | 5.1% |
| Cease to exist | 11.4% |
| Not sure | 43.1% |
| 9. If you believe you would go to heaven, upon what basis would God allow you entrance? | |
| I’m a good person | 27.5% |
| I never did anything really bad | 17.6% |
| I have kept the 10 commandments | 7.8% |
| God will overlook my faults | 11.8% |
| Other | 35.3% |
| 10. What is the basis of your spiritual beliefs? | |
| The teachings of a religious group or church | 26.9% |
| A book or collection of writings | 2.5% |
| Cultural traditions, oral tradition or family | 25.7% |
| The Bible | 14.2% |
| Personal experience or inner personal belief | 26.9% |
| Not sure why you believe as you do | 3.8% |
| 11. If you were wrong about your thoughts of God, sin, or the afterlife, would you want to know? | |
| Yes | 73.0% |
| No | 27.0% |
So What Does This All Mean?
What we found very interesting is that the average man on the street, by and large, still holds to Biblical teaching in its main assertions. Most of the people we surveyed believe there is one God, believe that sin exists, believe that they sin, believe in an afterlife, and believe that this afterlife consists of heaven for some and hell for others.
The majority surveyed do not fear death. As we would imagine, of those who held an opinion on their eternal destiny, most believed they will go to heaven. However, when questioned as to the basis upon which God would allow them into heaven, there was no consensus. Sadly, most believe that their own goodness or obedience will enable them to attain eternal life.
Further, when questioned as to whether they would want to know if their beliefs of God, sin or the afterlife were wrong, the overwhelming majority said “Yes.”
The results of this survey have been very encouraging to us. It affirms that most people still have enough light to understand there is a God, that we have sinned against Him, and that we will live on in either heaven or hell. Further, if they are wrong, they want to know the truth.
What we need to help people understand is the basis upon which God will accept us. According to the Word of God, it is not “on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). We need to emphasize the inflexible justice and absolute holiness of God so that men begin to understand that it is impossible that they would ever be right with God based on their own righteousness. Then we need to help them see the glory of Jesus: His perfectly obedient life, His substitutionary death on the cross to pay for our sin, His resurrection from the dead and exaltation to the right hand of God, and His glorious coming again to judge the world in righteousness. Only when these truths begin to grip them will they humble themselves, see their desperate condition, and ask, “What must I do to be saved?”
What we all need at this present hour is the power of the Holy Spirit in order to be bold witnesses, and take His truth beyond the walls of our home or church and out into the world where lost people desperately need it. May God enable you to do so!
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