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Friday, 17 April 2009 14:02

If you're teaching on the Holy Spirit or Satan this weekend, be forewarned: You may notice some confused looks among those listening. According to a recent Barna Research study, most American Christians do not believe that either of the two exists.

In a poll of more than 1,800 believers in this country, almost six out of 10 either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the statement that Satan "is not a living being but is a symbol of evil," while only 26 percent strongly disagreed. Proving the inconsistency that exists among many biblically unsound Christians' theology, almost half (47 percent) of those who say Satan is merely a symbol of evil still believe a person can be influenced by spiritual forces such as demons.

When it comes to biblically grounded views about the Holy Spirit, the statistics aren't much better. A disconcerting 58 percent of those polled either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that the Holy Spirit is simply "a symbol of God's power or presence" rather than an actual living entity. (Among those, 38 percent fell into the "strongly agreed" category.) Only one-quarter strongly disagreed with the statement. Oddly enough, among those who believe the Holy Spirit doesn't actually exist, almost half (49 percent) say the Bible is completely accurate in everything it teaches. [barna.org, 4/13/09]