How Americans see God

Which God is yours—authoritative, benevolent, critical or distant?  USA Today and other news sources are headlining a new study by Baylor University sociologists Paul Froese and Christopher Bader which concludes that Americans see God in these four ways.  I found their research to be so interesting that I purchased their book yesterday and want to do a larger study of its conclusions in the near future.  For this morning, let’s think about the practical implications of their report.

Around 28% of Americans believe in an Authoritarian God who is directly involved in human history and punishes those who don’t obey him.  When Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin warn that our country will lose God’s favor unless we get right with him, they’re referring to this view of God.

About 22% of us believe in a Benevolent God who is engaged in our world but seeks to help and support us.  One of the Baylor scholars describes this deity as “a force for good who cares for all people, weeps at all conflicts and will comfort all.”

Around 21% of Americans believe in a Critical God who keeps an eye on this world but is waiting until the next to get really involved in our lives.  The authors illustrate by quoting a pastor who tells his people that “our cars that are breaking down here will be chariots in heaven.  Our empty bank accounts will be storehouses with the Lord.”

Some 24% of us believe in a Distant God who created the universe but is not personally engaged in its operations or our lives today.  The authors quote one proponent of this view who says, “There’s no one that can fix things if I mess them up.  God’s not telling me what I should do.”

Of course, our beliefs about God do not change his reality.  The person who doesn’t believe in heaven or hell doesn’t affect their existence.  What does the Bible say about our four views of God?

Jesus is “authoritarian” with those who reject his deity and message: “I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit” (Matthew 21:43).  He is “benevolent” at the grave of Lazarus (John 11:35) and with his grieving sisters (vs. 25-26).  He is “critical” with his frightened disciples, promising them a heavenly reward and home (John 14:2).

However, the Bible makes clear the fact that God is not “distant”—he is with us to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20), holding us in the palm of his hand (John 10:28) so fully that nothing can separate us from his love (Romans 8:35-39).  Your Father considered your eternal life worth the death of his Son—never wonder if he loves you today.  That’s not my view of God—it is his.